Page:The Art of Distillation, 1651.djvu/12

 To the Reader. erved well thereby; That which I cannot allow of in them is their trict obervation of the quudraplicity of humours (which in the choole of Paracelus, and writings of Helmont, where the anatomy of humours hath been mot rationally and fully dicued, hath been ufficiently confuted) and their confining themelves to uch crude medicines, which are more fit to be put into Spagyricall veels for a further digetion, then into mens bodies to be fermented therein. Certainly if men were lee ignorant they would preferre cordiall eences before crude juices, balamicail Elixirs before legmatick waters, the Mercury of philoophers before common quickilver. But many men have o little inight in this Art, that they carce believe any thing in it beyond the Ditilling of Waters,and Oils, and extracting of Salts; nay many that pretend to Philoophy, and would be accounted Philoophers, are o unbeleeving, that, as faith Sandivogius, although he would have intimated the true Art to them word by word, yet they would by no meanes undertand or beleeve that there was any wa= ter