Although I did what I could throughout the whole book to express myself in such a language as might be understood by all, and therefore avoided terms of art as much as might be, Yet, 1. Some words of necessity fall in which need explanation. 2. It would be very tedious at the end of every receipt to repeat over and over again, the way of administration of the receipt, or ordering your bodies after it, or to instruct you in the mixture of medicines, and indeed would do nothing else but stuff the book full of tautology.

To answer to both these is my task at this time.

To the first: The words which need explaining, such as are obvious to my eye, are these that follow.

1. To distil in Balno Mariæ, is the usual way of distilling in water. It is no more than to place your glass body which holds the matter to be distilled in a convenient vessel of water, when the water is cold (for fear of breaking) put a wisp of straw, or the like under it, to keep it from the bottom, then make the water boil, that so the spirit may be distilled forth; take not the glass out till the water be cold again, for fear of breaking. It is impossible for a man to learn how to do it, unless he saw it done.

2. Manica Hippocrates. Hippocrates's sleeve, is a piece of woolen cloth, new and white, sewed together in form of a sugar-loaf. Its use is, to strain any syrup or decoction through, by pouring it into it, and suffering it to run through without pressing or crushing it.

3. Calcination, is a burning of a thing in a crucible or other such convenient vessel that will endure the fire. A crucible is such a thing as goldsmiths melt silver in, and founders metals; you may place it in the midst of the fire, with coals above, below, and on every side of it.

4. Filtration, is straining of a liquid body through a brown paper: make up the paper in form of a funnel, the which having placed in a funnel, and the funnel and the paper in it in an empty glass, pour in the liquor you would filter, and let it run through at its leisure.

5. Coagulation, is curdling or hardening: it is used in physic for reducing a liquid body to hardness by the heat of the fire.

6. Whereas you find vital, natural, and animal spirits often mentioned in the virtues or receipts, I shall explain what they be, and what their operation is in the body of man.

The actions or operations of the animal virtues, are, 1. sensitive, 2. motive.

The sensitive is, 1. external, 2. internal.

The external senses are, 1. seeing, 2. hearing, 3. tasting, 4. smelling, 5. feeling.

The internal senses are, 1. the Imagination, to apprehend a thing. 2. Judgment, to judge of it. 3. Memory, to remember it.

The seat of all these is in the brain.

The vital spirits proceed from the heart, and cause in man mirth, joy, hope, trust, humanity, mildness, courage, &c. and their opposite: viz. sadness, fear, care, sorrow, despair, envy, hatred, stubbornness, revenge, &c. by heat natural or not natural.

The natural spirit nourishes the body throughout (as the vital quickens it, and the animal gives it sense and motion) its office is to alter or concoct food into chile, chile into blood, blood into flesh, to form, engender, nourish, and increase the body.

7. Infusion, is to steep a gross body into one more liquid.