VI. That these dissolvents are many.

You have observed divers kinds of dissolvents, designed for
several distinct uses. Simple vegetable dissolvents do extract,
rather than dissolve bodies ; the compounded dissolve only,
but not extract. That which vegetable dissolvents do, the mi-
neral cannot, and so on the contrary : of vegetable dissolvents
arc made medicines only, not poisons ; but of mineral dissolvents,
poisons only, and not antidotes without the singular dexterity of
an artist. An use different and contrary to itself admits no
universal dissolvent. The spirit of philosophical wine is in-
deed the universal matter of them all, but there is not one of
ail the dissolvents sufficient for every use ; wherefore, unless
you will for the same reason call every one universal,
because they all proceed from the spirit of light, the uni-
versal basis of all things, we cannot but deny an universal
dissolvent.