Now in tartareous coagulations and obstructions of the internals proceeding from the predominancy of an acid humor there is no better remedy, than to give the patient every morning fasting from ℈ss. to ʒ i. (more or less, according to the condition of the patient) of red corals and pearls made into powder, and to let him fast two or three hours upon it, and so to continue daily until you see amendment: By this means the hurtful acid humor is mortified, and dulcified by the corals and pearls, so that afterwards it may be overcome by nature, whereby the obstructions are removed, and the body freed from the disease. This my opinion of the abuse of Magisteries and the good use of Corals I could not conceal, although I do know for certain, that it will take but with few, in regard that it will seem very strange to most. However, happily there may be some yet, that will not be unwilling to search into the truth, and to consider further of it, and at last will find this not to be so strange, as it seemed to them at the first: but he that cannot believe or comprehend it, may keep to his Magisteries. And if it seem so strange unto any, that corals or pearls made into powder shall be concocted in the stomach, and so put forth their vertue, what will you say then, if I do prove, that even whole pearls, crabs eyes, and corals being swallowed, are totally consumed by the Melancholy humor, so that nothing cometh forth again among the excrements? and which is more, even the like may be said of hard and Compact metals, as Iron, and Speaucer or Zinck: But this must be understood only of those that are of a Melancholick constitution but not so in others, _viz._, those that are of a sanguine, and those that are of a phlegmatick constitution, to whom such like things are seldom prescribed. For I have seen many times, that against obstructions, to strong bodies there hath been given at once from ℈ss. to ʒ i. of the shavings or filings of Iron, and they found much good by it, yea more help then by other costly medicines of the Apothecaries, whereof they had used many before, but to no purpose, by reason whereof their excrements came from them black, just as it useth to fall out with those that make use of medicinal sowre waters, which run through iron mines, and thereby borrow a spiritual mineral vertue. Now if those filings of iron had not been consumed in the stomach, how come it that the excrements are turned black? so then it is sufficiently proved, that even a hard unprepared metal can be consumed in the stomach: and if so, why not as well soft pearls and corals?