“ The heaps of the Ore being thus mingled with Quick-silver, they are often stirr'd about, the better to incorporate it with the silver. I find, they have none but conjectural signes to know, when the Mercury hath intirely perform'd its office in separating all the silver from those heterogenial substances, the uncertainty whereof occasions often very great losses, especially when they work about Gold: for in passing the right time, the greatest part of the Gold dyes away in a fume, because, to borrow the reason of Chymists, Summa volatilis superat summam fixi ”

“ Considering with my self, what might be the reasons of its refusing Mercury, and being not ignorant, that some of the choicest Mines of Silver and Gold, are almost of the like nature, till the impediments are remov'd, which are certain mineral viscosities, that sometinres by their oleaginous fatness, and at other times by a fretting acrimony, hinder the ingress of the Mercury ”

“ And considering futher, what part this Nitrous Air acts, and what operation it performs in the Animal Life, he is of opinion, that this Niter, mixt with the sulphureous parts of the Blond, causeth a due fermentation, which he will have raised, not only in the Heart alone, but immediately in the Pulmonary vessels, and afterwards in the Arteries no less than in the heart. Examining also the reason, why Death so suddenly ensues upon Respiration suppressed, the Blond being then not yet unfit for motion, he inquires yet after another Use of Respiration, which maketh it so very necessary to Life. ”

“ And inquiring, what that may be in the Air, so necessary to life, he conjectures, that 'tis the more subtile and nitrous particles, the Air abounds with, that are through the Lungs communicated to the Blond: And this Aereal Niter he makes so necessary to all life, that even the Plants themselves do not grow in that Earth, that is deprived thereof, which yet, being exposed to the Air, and afresh impregnated by that fertilizing salt, becomes fit again to nourish those Plants. ”

“ The whole complex of Ingredients is known to consist only of vulgar Aqua fortis (abstracted from two parts of Vitriol, and one of Salt-peter) and Quick-silver, and a small quantity of Silver, far less than you may reap in a small time from those Silver-sprigs, yet gain there is none, there being more expences blown away into smoak by continuance of fire in one month, than can be recover'd from this Silver-harvest in a longer time. ”

“ In this case the use of Quick-silver is found most advantageous; the practice whereof, because I am of opinion, 'tis not perfectly known, I shall here declare, as briefly as I can. Having reduc'd the Ore into small stones, they calcine it first in a reverberating Oven, yet with a moderate fire, for fear of fusion, and driving away into the air part of the treasure, the volatile parts being by nature not perfectly mixt per minima with the fixt, as they afterwards come to be by industry and Art. ”

“ My sight mean while being not a little indangercd by the corrosive acrimony of that Mineral dust, Having got my Candle lighted again, I proceeded in the Cave, and heaped together quantity of the mineral mixt with sand, and scraped also from the superficies of the Earth, a quantity of the same kind of glittering leaves; none of which exceed the bredth of a mans' nail, and with the least handling they divide themselves into many lesser spangles, as with a little rubbing they leave one's hand all guilded over like gold. ”

“ Tortoises, if their blood be heated, they dye, and if they shall live, their blood must not be hotter, than the Element, they live in.
3. The Chego's, described by Ligon, are not felt to have got into the body, till a week after. They will breed in great numbers, and shut themselves up in a bagg, which when you feel, there are certain skilfull Men who with little pain will take them out; having great care to take out the bagg entirely, that none of the brood (which are like Nits) may be left behind, for fear of giving rise to a new generation. ”

“ This Calcination serves chiefly to free the Mineral from many infirmities, that hinder the operation of the Quick-silver, and it serves also to discover, by the color of the fumes it yields, what corrosive mixture chiefly abounds in it, besides that it renders the one more tractable and plyant under the Mill-stone, which is to reduce it to a smal flower before the application of the Mercury. ”

“ Having discovered the quantity of silver contain'd in each heap, then proportionably they besprinkle them with quick-silver, and that not all at once, but at several times, stirring the Ore up and down. Then according to the diseases already discovered in the Vein by the fumes in the calcination, or according to any new symptoms, appearing in the operation of the quick-silver, convenient remedies are apply'd, if (e.g.) the Mercury give signes of being tocado (as they call it) i.e. ”

“ As, that it will much abate the Expence of Physick; and the Medicins themselves will be more sate and effectual, than now they are, Interest obliging Physitians to have their Physick as good, as they can contrive or prepare; and that such a state of Physick of all other cannot but be most definable, wherein No Man having the Interest, can have the Power, nor any having the Power, can have the Interest to prepare Medicins unfaithfully ”

“ These worms indicate, that the Mineral abounds with Lead and Pewter, which overcharging the stomack (thus they carry on the Metaphor) of Mercury, hinder his appetite to the silver; in which case, those Copper-Magistrals with their vitriolick force consume and destroy this impediment. ”

“ The shining Flyes are a kind of Cantharides, looking green in the day time, but glowing and shining in the night even when they are dead; this relator affirming that he hath applyed them dead to a Printed and Written paper in the dark, and read it. ”

“ So that the Rickets, in the opinion of this Author, are a disease, caused by an unequal distribution of the Nervous juyce, from whose either defect or superabundance, some parts defrauded of nourishment, are emaciated others, being surcharged, grow into a disproportionate bigness. ”

“ ALlegators are shap'd like Lizzards, being four footed they walk with their Belly at distance from the ground, like Lizzards. Those of a full growth, have Teeth like a Mastiff and a Mouth of 11/2 foot wide. They are of so strong a scent, that you may smell them at a pretty distance, when they lie on the land. They may be master'd and kill'd by any, dextrous and skill'd in the way of doing it, which is, that a Man be arm'd with a good long Tronchion, and fall upon them side-wayes ”

“ To which Ebullition, he saith, may perhaps something also conduce the Bloud, forasmuch as its sulphureous particles, conjoyn'd with the Niter inspired, may render that juyce Nitro-sulphureous, and yet more explosive. And thus he thinks the motion made in the heart, (a musculous substance) to be done no otherwise, than that in other Muscles. ”

“ Besides all which, he thinks, it most fit, that they, who exercise themselves in the Practise of Physick, be satisify'd, their Medicins are good; whereby their mind will be free and without any clog: which would add more difficulties and dangers to at thing, by it self hard and dangerous enough. ”

“ First, The Interest of the Patient, in reference to Physick and Physitians, is soberly debated. And here, the Patient: being they, who are most highly injur'd by the unwarrantable practises of those, that are in this Tract accused, the Author represents, that, although many intelligent persons among the People are sufficiently sensible of the Abuses, here manifested, and that it is of absolute necessity, some reformation be made; yet all are not thus perswaded, since we may daily observe, that many, who are lets discerning, being deceiv'd by an Imaginary good, covet unawares their own ruine ”

“ Verbi gratia, Latus Quadrati ad Diagonium suum, est incommensurabile; vel (ut hic loquitur) est pars ejus incommensurabilis: Sumi tamen porest Lateris aliqua portio, quae Diagonii Dimdio, vel Quadranti æquetur: quæ itaque bis aut quater sumpta, Toti æquabitur. Quod videtur hic Definitor non animadvertisse; cui vel maxime prospiciendum erat. Non enim sufficit ad commensurabilitatem ut partis aliqua Portio mensuret Totum, (quod semper fiet,) sed ut partis aliqua Pars aliquota totum mensuret. ”

“ The said Mineralist would not despair yet, but taking a quantity of the golden dull, he cemented it with the powder of vulgar sulphur, stratum super stratum, and this in a moderate fire for three days together, hoping, the Sulphur would consume all the impediments, which kept the Mercury from entring. ”

“ This is chiefly observed in those Silver-veins, that are of so hard and dry complexion, yet those which are usually more soft, abounding in oleaginous Sulphures, before burning are first ground into powder in such Mills as I have often seen in Glass-houses: and then they receive a gentle calcination, the Mineralist mingling therewith Ingredients sutable to the peccant humour, if l may so speak, of the Ore. ”

“ Neque hic opem feret, inferta clausula quantumlibet exigua; certum enim est, in parte, quæ vel maxime commensurabilis sit, sumi posse portiones quantumlibet exiguas, quæ non modo totum non metiantur, sed ne commensurabiles sint. Dicendum igitur, neque pars ipsa, neque ulla hujus partis portio, &c. (Quod ita limitandum erit ut mox dicetur,) 4. Superest adhuc aliud mendum, quod majoris est momenti, & imperitiam arguit. Quippe si hæc conster definitio, omnino nulla pars erit cum toto suo incommensurabilis. ”

“ Quippe omnium horum naturæ ita sunt comparatæ, ut Soni, Pondera, Tempora, &c. sint Incommensurabilitatis capacia: sed & Commensurabilitatis non minus. Quod vero ille persuasum iret, Incommensurabilitatis quæ in magnitudinibus est, rationem ex magnitudinum natura petendam; illius autem quæ in eisdem est Commensurabilitatis, non ex ipsa Magnitudinis, sed ex Numerorum natura oriri: omnino est ridiculum. Non minus enim est ex magnitudinis natura, ut possit in partes Commensurabiles dividi, quam ut possit in Incommensurabiles. ”

“ The water flows nor ebbs equal spaces in equal times, but its Velocity is strongest at the first both of the Flood and Ebb, and so gradually decreaseth until Fu1l Sea or Low water. This is observ'd in Spring-Tydes only, as you may see by the following Table, which I have made from my Observations of our Tydes here. To make them always so near as to half inches, is neither easie, nor material, or usefull. But this hath been likewise observed, that it hath flowed or ebbed at the first of the Tyde one foot in 6. ”

“ Pro Portio itaque reponendum erit Pars aliquota. Suntque hæc quatuor menda, tanti momenti singula, ut eorum nullum non evertat totam definitionem: & quartum omnium maxime; quod ego non Incuriæ, sed Inscitiæ (prout ipse distinguit) imputandum existimo.
Sed esto Definitio, vel maxime ad mentem suam sic reformata; Quand Pars ad Totum suum ita se habeat, ut neque pars ipsa, neque ulla hujus partis pars aliquota, quantumlibet exigua, possit, aliquoties sumpta, Toti suo æqualis fieri, sed semper vel ipsum excedit vel ab eo deficit, tunc Aliquanta vocatur. ”