An Account of 2 Books

An Account of 2 Books. I. Pharmacopoeia Bateana; or, Bate's Dispensatory, Translated into English by William Salmon, Professor of Physick: Lond, Printed for S. Smith and B. Walford, 1694. in 8vo. The Translator of this Work, in his Preface, gives first an Account of the Original, that it is a Collection of most excellent Recipe's made by Mr. James Shipton, who was the Preparer and Maker up of the greatest part of them, tho' their Author was the Famous Dr. Bate, whom to name is sufficient, by whose Knowledge and Experience this Work was produced. The first Edition was so well received by the Learned, that they were soon presented with a second, with an Addition of not only above 100 more of Dr. Bate's Recipe's, but also of the Arcana Goddardiana from the Author's own Ms. which much advanced the Value of the Book, so that at least 6000 of this Latin Edition were sold; which was digested in an Alphabetical Method with the Arcana Goddardiana at the end thereof, which were only nominal without their Preparations: Whereas in this English Edition they are at large, and interspersed in their proper places: The Method of the Book is likewise altered classically, according to the Method and Order of the Chapters of the London Dispensatory. The Work in the Latin being thus approved of by the Learned, and especially Physicians induced our Author to publish this English Edition, as he says, for its more general Use and Entertainment. Adding some Preparations never before Printed, as Goddard's Drops, Russel's Powder, Emplastrum Febrifugium, with near 50 more valuable Recipe's out of the Collectanea Chymica, and and other Authors, of which he gives a Catalogue both of the Ancient and Modern which he has consulted in this Undertaking: Which is not a bare Translation, a Comment being added upon each particular, especially upon all the Chymical Processes which he has searched out from their original Fountains, and explicated the Process itself, adding as a Supplement a Rationale upon the same, and having examin'd the Prescripts of other Authors, he shews wherein they chiefly differ from these, and gives their Processes at large, it new. He promises also a second Part, being the Officina Chymica, or a Compleat Body of Chymistry, explicating, 1. The Principles of Natural Bodies. 2. The Fornaces and Instruments of Art described with their Figures in Copper Plates. 3. The Operations of Chymistry per se. 4. The Preparations of Metals and Minerals. 5. The Preparation of certain Vegetable and Animal Substances. Next, he obviates some Objections against the Publishing this Work in English, and discovering the Secrets of the Art to the Vulgar, which he hopes he has made some amends for, by divulging several Secrets not generally known even by the Learned; amongst which is the Prince's Powder, once accounted a great Secret, and sold for above 5l. a Dose; the Preparation whereof is Lib. 1. Cap. 9. Sect. 80. Pag. 526. which happens to be omitted in the Table. And as a general Answer adds, that all particular Interests should be sacrificed to the Common Good, which ought to be preferr'd before any Private one how dear and valuable soever. And justifies himself in this, by the Examples of Hippocrates, Galen, Paracelsus, Celsus and others, who all publish a System of Physick in their own Languages; as likewise from the present Usage of the French, who now treat of all Subjects in their own Tongue; and as he conceives, they are not to be imitated only in their Vices. II. Phthisiologia Lancastriensis, cui accessit Tentamen Philosophicum de aquis Mineralibus, &c. Aut. Carolo Leigh, M.D. Lond. Impensis S. Smith & B. Walford, &c. In 8vo. 1694. The Author divides the Medicinal part of this Treatise into several Heads; and Discourses first of the various Kinds and Causes of the Phthisick, observed by himself in that County, which are either Scorbutic Strumose or Chylosoe, and are often the attendants of Fevers epidemic or intermittent, Dropsies, Rickets, Drunkenness, Stoppages Fluores albi, Jaundice, Rheumatisms, &c. He begins with the Scorbutic proceeding from the ill Temperature of the Air, the Parents or Errores sex non naturales: Giving some Experiments of the Alteration of the Saliva by a few Drops of several Vitriolic Liquors, he infers that the Air being fill'd with such Steams, and convey'd to the Blood is a great occasion of this Distemper: He observes farther that Maritine places are infested with Sulphureous Steams, as well as Salt ones discoverable by the Ignes fatui in the Night, Stinks, &c. and pronounces such places unhealthy. As to the Hereditary, by the way he observes, that this Disease is generally owing to the Father, and that tho' the Mother were of an healthy Constitution. He proceeds to give the Symptoms and their Causes in the beginning of the Distemper, such as want of Appetite, Sweats, Turbid Urine, Diarrhoea's, &c. touching in Transitus at the Proclivity of the People of Bristol to this Distemper. Next, of the Symptoms when the Disease has gotten more strength, copious spitting, Asthma's, Shiverings and irregular Fevers, &c. in the 4th Chapter he proposes several general Rules according to the sever- ral States of the Disease, and proceeds to the Method of Cure both in the beginning, the confirmed State, and more desperate State of the Disease, delivering the Forms of several Recipe's proper for each particular State. Then he presents the Reader with several curious Observations of Persons under the several States of the Disease, with the Remedies made use of and Success. The other Species of the Distemper being explicable by the same Causes, he passes them over, and gives an account of the several particular Phthisicks, and Observations thereon, as Phthisicks from Spitting of Blood, vomiting of Blood, Hæmorrhagia uterina, an Impetigo, or red Pimples and itching Scurf on the Face and other parts of the Body, from a Scorbutic Rheumatism, the Rickets, Fluor albus, Obstructions, &c. and concludes this Treatise with the Chylosoe Phthisick. Our Author divides his Philosophical Essay on Mineral Waters into several Chapters; and in the first treats of a Vitriolick Spring near a Cole-Pit, which grows black with Galls, which in 24 Hours is precipitated, and the Water turns greenish, it ferments with an Alcali, &c. This Water as he affirms against Dr. Lister, contains a perfect Vitriol. The Second Chapter is of the Acidulæ in general; in many of which he likewise affirms a true green Vitriol is found, which with Ocre and Sulphur he makes the Principles of these Waters. The Third Chapter treats of several particular Springs in Lancashire, in the bottom of one whereof Sea-shells are found; of all these he made Experiments before and after Distillation, and affirms them Vitriolic. In the Fourth Chapter he tells us, That in the Parish of Brindel, near the River Darwen is a Mineral Rock, which from the Taste and other Phænomena he says is Vitriolic; this macerated in common Water gives it the Qualities of the several Medicinal Springs he had before described. Of which he gives many Experiments; from all which he draws seve- ral Conclusions of the Vitriolick Nature of Waters, &c. and answering some Objections proceeds to Salt Springs, none of which, except Vitriolic, give a blackish Tincture with Galls as he avers. He treats next of a Sulphureo-saline Spring; a Sulphureous Spring, a Spring impregnated with the Natron of the Ancients, &c. Lapidescent Springs, he says are from a certain Halitus rising from Alum and Vitriol, which passing through takes along with it some Particles of the Lime-stone, which being mixt with the Water per Minima seems to give it the petrifying Quality; this he confirms by some Observations and Experiments. He speaks in the next place of Acid Springs, and ends with an Appendix of cold Baths, the Diseases for which they seem most proper; and the Manner or Reason of their Cure by these Baths. So much may suffice for a short Account of this Book, which it were to be wisht the Author had wrote in English. FINIS. ERRATA. Numb.202. p.844. l.21. r.in, p.847. l.15. r.Zenith, n.204 p.933. l.29. r.Tolu, l.30. r.are the Fruits, l.21. r.Pomiferous-Tree; What Asafatida, l.33. r.&c. are, and by, n. 205. p.970. l.20. r.Salt and Yeast of each, q.s.