ract Sums out of the Purse, rather than of making the Crasis of the
Blood better, or the Spirits more vivacious; and if you have Oyster-Shells
or Crabs-Eyes in its Stead, which are generally made use of under that
Name, they will have the same, if not a better Effect.

Gold is by our Chymical Writers stil'd the Sun, and the King of Metals.
The Kings and Princes of the last Age were amus'd and defrauded, their
Lives made less durable than their Subjects, who were beneath the Use of
Gold; the Chicken they eat had the Happiness to be fed with it, that they
might extract the Sulphur and prepare it by their Circulation, and
volatize it for their Use. But the Physicians were contented to collect
all the Gold which past unaltered and undiminished thro' the Poultry, into
their Pockets. This, with many other Artifices of this Stamp, are by many
laid aside, because the Publick begin to be sensible that the Gold, as the
_Bezoar_ and the Pearl, were of more Cordial Virtue to the Adviser and
Confederates than to the Subject of their Care and Attendance.

The _Aurum potabile_ is sometime the Entertainment of Conversation, when
the poor Alcymists or their vain Pretensions are considered; there being
no Humour in any Animal which can alter or dissolve it, no Effect or
Operation can be expected from it, it deludes the Eye and Fancy in the
Cordial Waters, and on the Bolus and Electuaries, but must pass away
sooner or later as it adheres more or less to the Stomach or Bowels,
without acting or being acted on in any Part of the Body; the Pills,
either purgative or cordial, are as often dismist entire, having been
covered with Leaf-Gold, which is able, though thin, to dismiss the most
subtil and penetrating Parts of all Humours. The Value of the Leaf is not
worth your Enquiry, the Book being sold at a low Price. The Fulminating
Powder is a rough violent Medicine, and has been lately neglected, and
given Place to others more useful and less dangerous.

Silver and Lunar Pills are as vile and disregardless as Gold, when they
are considered with relation to the Cure of Diseases.

The precious Stones have constantly been put into the old Receipts by that
Sort of Writers who prescribe every Medicine very faithfully, and design
to please and amuse the Readers with the Bulk and Length of the
Prescription; but they have been neglected by the practical Authors, who
had the Trouble of considering, that no Manner of Vertue could be expected
from so h