loS THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY. 



copcein, which contains more formula? than any 

 other,' efpccially of antidotes *. Afterwards, 

 many of the fame kind made their appearance : 

 But Valerius Cordus publifhcd a difpenfatory, 

 compofed of extrads from all the others, which 

 was functioned by the law, and recommended 

 by a decree of the State of Nuremberg, in 

 1542, to be the guide of the apothecaries. Many 



of 



<lc5 ; and mentions the Coda from the plant kali, and the lix- 

 ivium of attics. Rhazia is the firft who fpcaks of quickfilvcr 

 rendered white; and which is perhaps the fame as the fublimcd 

 quickfilvcr ofAviccnna. He orders quicklilver, mixed with 

 acetous acid and vitriol to be rubbed into a perfect amalgam, 

 and then the mafs to be dried and diflillcd, or fublimcd between 

 two deep dimes ; and this proctfs to be renewed fcven timts, 

 and at each a frefh fprinkling of the vinejpr. In another way 

 he fublinus quickfilver, by mixing it with lime, fal ammoniac, 

 and yellow arfcnic* Ccberus fccins alfo to have dcfcribed a 

 fpccies ef corrofvc fuhlimate : See lAb. tie 'wvtnt. writ. .720. 

 " Stime do to (quickfilvcr) lib. i. vitrioli ruhificati, lib. ij. a- 

 " luminis rcchx culcmati, 1J1>. i. falls coinmunis, lib. f . et 

 " falis petnr, lib. ^. tcic totum, et incorj)orat'jm fublima, ct 

 " r.clligr ftlbum, denfum,- tlarum, et poiultrufum, ^c." He 

 appears to have had fom: idea likewife nf aqua regia, and of 

 its property of difToIving gold. Crocus Marti 1 ;, too, was pre- 

 pirtd by calcination, and by coriofion with the acetous acid. 

 Lime obtained from the flulli. of iggs w;:s reckoned j)nfcru- 

 blc to tliat of burnt Hones or marine fhcllM. Mcfuc?, whom 

 fomc* authors imr.gine to have lived before the time of Rlia- 

 zis and AlSuoaHs, acquired ^?reat reputation from the inven- 

 tion of fcvvral medicines, and the diltinguiftiing tit!*- rf 

 Ev**gtRf& PLirmacr,pcccrum. Some of his compohtionr arc 

 .'i ufc to t!iis day, as confiftio a/ltritnrf t and various others. 

 * Entitled, De compofitionc mcdicarr.cr.t'jrum particu!a- 

 in 410. * 



