mercurial, and aerial; wherefore they serve for different uses. In some diseases those sulphureous are preferred; but in others vegetable and animal, where also a consideration is to be had of the sickness, and bath it self, that one be not used for the other, to the great dammage of the sick. For almost all natural baths, and volatile spirits of salts, minerals, and metals, partake of some most subtle, penetrating, heating, and drying sulphureous salt spirit; but the spirits of vegetables, and animals partake of a certain volatility that is most subtle, penetrating, heating, opening, cutting and attenuating, both urinous and nitrous, _viz._ contrary to the former; as appears by the pouring on of any volatile sulphureous spirit, as of common salt, vitriol, allome, minerals, and metals, upon the rectified spirit of Urin, or salt Armoniack: where presently the one mortifies the other, and takes away its volatility, and subtilty: so that of both subtle spirits of divers natures there cometh a certain salt of no odour and efficacy. Whence it is manifest that all spirits partaking of divers natures, and essences have not the same faculties. Therefore be thou cautious in giving most potent spirits, lest thou give an enemy instead of a friend, and learn their natures, vertues, and essences, before thou usest them in medicine. But thou dost ask, whether is that great force of those spirits gone as it were in a moment? Did it evaporate in that duel? No I say, but transmuted into a corporeal substance, for of a most pure, mineral, subtle, and most volatile sulphur, and a most penetrating animal _Mercury_ is made a certain corporeal salt, which is wonderful, and deserves to be called _Aquila Philosophorum_, because it is easily sublimed with a gentle heat, in which many things lye: for it doth not only conduce to the solution of metals, especially of gold, but also of it self by the power of maturation doth become a most efficacious medicine: Of which no more at this time, because I will only advise the reader, that he be diligent in searching out the nature of spirits, which although they change their bodies, yet are not therefore to be called dead, but rather reduced to a better perfection. And let this suffice concerning the dry use of baths in provoking sweat for the expelling of diseases: now for what diseases this or that spirit serves, thou shalt find in its proper Treatise, of which there hath been mention above, but in a word, know that those volatile sulphureous spirits of salts, minerals, and metals, are good in all obstructions of the inward parts, _viz._ of the spleen, lungs, and liver, but especially are most excellent in heating the cold nerves, because they do most efficaciously heat, attennuate, cut, expel, and mundify, wherefore they are good in Contractures, Palsies, Epilepsy, Scurvy, Hypochondriacal Melancholy, Morbus Gallicus, Itch, and other corrosive ulcers, and Fistulaes, _&c._