CHAPTER VII.

Concerning the Spirit of Jupiter. Concerning the spirit of Jupiter this should be known, that it is derived from the white and pale substance of fire, together with a nature of peculiar
* In these cases it produces contraction of the limbs. — IhU.
t It would, however, be safer to use only the spirits of the perfect metals, unless gold and silver are too expensive for a patient's resources, or too difficult in their preparation for the talent and skill of any particular physician. In that case he may be compelled to do what he has learnt to do, that is, to treat such cases with vegetable and animal preparations. — Ibid.
\ Under favourable astrological circumstances, many tinctures can be extracted from Venus.— Z?r Causis et Origiug Luis Galiictt^ Lib. I., c. ii.
I Nevertheless, it surpasses any other metals in hardness and dryness, destroying and decomposing them by admixtiure with them, and this in the case of the perfect no less than of the imperfect metals,— C^n^/rirW /'arn- celsica^ c. lo.
Concerning ike Spirits of the Planets.
79
crepitation and fragility, not malleable like Mars. It» therefore, heats other metals, and renders them capable of being^ broken with hammers. An example of this may be seen when it is joined with Luna^ for it can scarcely be brought to its former malleability, except with the greatest labour.* The same effect it produces in all other metals» with the single exception of Saturn. If it produces this effect in the bodies of metals, it will do the same in human bodies* In these it corrodes the limbs with severe burnings and decay, so that they are completely cut off from their perfect workings^ and lose them» so that they are unable to fulfil the necessary requirements of Nature. Never- theless this spirit has in it the virtue of removing cancer, fistulas, and other similar ulcers, especially those which are of its own nature, and which do not exceed the degree which God and Nature have given to it.