An Account of the Two Sorts of the Helmontian Laudanum, Communicated to the Publisherby the Honourable Robert Boyle, Together with the Way of the Noble Baron F. M. vanHelmont (Son to the Famous Johannes Baptista,) of Preparing His LaudanumAuthor(s): Robert BoyleSource: Philosophical Transactions (1665-1678), Vol. 9 (1674), pp. 147-149Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/101164 .

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( 47 ) fluence upon his Difeafes and Death. He was about tllirty years of Age, ,t married Man,had feveral Children, was of a middle ftature, healthful till toward the latter end of his tirme: Had no Prominency on his left fide, more than the othler; was tiot left banded, nor had any Weaknets oin his left fide.

Diverfe other' things were obfirvable as to his difeafes, which are here omitted.

So far this Oblervation; to which the Obfcrver adds, that fome like, tho' none fo compleat, Inflances of inverted Bow- els are mentioned by the famous Bartbolin in his Second Centu- ry of Obfervations, n. 29. from tlic Hand of Monfieur Liatin A. I65o. at Paris; and from Seignor Pietro Ser'vio A. 1643, at Romte: And that Scbenikium mentions two others, 1. 3. Ob1e. 9. ile jecore; one found by Geiitma, another by Aqua Pendente.

An Account of the two Sortf of the Helmontian Laudanum, communicated to the Publijher by the Honourable Robert Boyle, together with the lay of the Noble Baron F. M. van Helmont (Son to the famous Johannes Baptifta,) of preparing his Laudanum.

A S for the 1Helmontian Laudanum, you may ufe your own Liberty in fufpeting the Receipts that go a-

bout of it. For the name it felf feems ambiguous to me, who am well inform'd that there are two forts of the Helmontian Laudanum; the one us'd by the elder Helnont, the other by his Son. The former was as a great Secret communicated to me by an expert Chymift, fent by a German Prince to Comple- mnntJohannesBaptifja Van Helmont,fome of whofe Manufcripts (one of which perifh'd in the fire of London,) he procur'd to- gether with a way of making his Laudanum, which having re- ceiv'd from him fourteen or fifteen years ago, I carefully pre- par'd, and thought my labour, fo well rcconmenfed by theex- traordinary Operations it had, not fo much in my Hands, as thofe of Learned Phyfitians and others, to whom I prefented portions of it, that I fhould have thought the Chymift a Bene- fadtor to Phyfic, if he would have made publick, or permit- me to publiih the way of making fo fuccefsful a Medicine. And tho' the acccfs to my Laboratory wla fo free toIngenious

U 2 ^ Men,

( 47 ) fluence upon his Difeafes and Death. He was about tllirty years of Age, ,t married Man,had feveral Children, was of a middle ftature, healthful till toward the latter end of his tirme: Had no Prominency on his left fide, more than the othler; was tiot left banded, nor had any Weaknets oin his left fide.

Diverfe other' things were obfirvable as to his difeafes, which are here omitted.

So far this Oblervation; to which the Obfcrver adds, that fome like, tho' none fo compleat, Inflances of inverted Bow- els are mentioned by the famous Bartbolin in his Second Centu- ry of Obfervations, n. 29. from tlic Hand of Monfieur Liatin A. I65o. at Paris; and from Seignor Pietro Ser'vio A. 1643, at Romte: And that Scbenikium mentions two others, 1. 3. Ob1e. 9. ile jecore; one found by Geiitma, another by Aqua Pendente.

An Account of the two Sortf of the Helmontian Laudanum, communicated to the Publijher by the Honourable Robert Boyle, together with the lay of the Noble Baron F. M. van Helmont (Son to the famous Johannes Baptifta,) of preparing his Laudanum.

A S for the 1Helmontian Laudanum, you may ufe your own Liberty in fufpeting the Receipts that go a-

bout of it. For the name it felf feems ambiguous to me, who am well inform'd that there are two forts of the Helmontian Laudanum; the one us'd by the elder Helnont, the other by his Son. The former was as a great Secret communicated to me by an expert Chymift, fent by a German Prince to Comple- mnntJohannesBaptifja Van Helmont,fome of whofe Manufcripts (one of which perifh'd in the fire of London,) he procur'd to- gether with a way of making his Laudanum, which having re- ceiv'd from him fourteen or fifteen years ago, I carefully pre- par'd, and thought my labour, fo well rcconmenfed by theex- traordinary Operations it had, not fo much in my Hands, as thofe of Learned Phyfitians and others, to whom I prefented portions of it, that I fhould have thought the Chymift a Bene- fadtor to Phyfic, if he would have made publick, or permit- me to publiih the way of making fo fuccefsful a Medicine. And tho' the acccfs to my Laboratory wla fo free toIngenious

U 2 ^ Men,

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( 48 ) Men, \who knew fich a Medicine to be preparing there, that fome of then might eafily fuppofe themfelves Mafters of tlhe Secret; yet my Juftice to the Communicator, who made a great and deferved Benefit of the Laudanumn, made me take that care to conceal fome Circumftances, that Men Imay eafily be much more confident than Jure that they have the right way of making the Medicine. Which becaufe I dur1ft not communicate, meeting two Years ago with that Obliginlg and very Ingenious Perlbn, F. M. Baron Van Hel- :iont, Son to the fanous 7ohanncs Baptifa; I obtain'd from

him, by Word of Mouth, fome Diredions about the Lau- danu.nt h e ufces, whlich thlio he confefs'd, and I foon perceiv- e:d, to i'b differing from his Fathers, yet he feem'd to think it not inferior and more parable. But he having, for a cer- tain Reafon, imparted to me his Procefs only by word of Mouth; leaff it ihould flip out of my Memory, I foon after committed it to writing, as the Particulars I gather'd from. his writing occur'd to me; and at the next Seafon caus'd the Medicine to be prepar'd in my Laboratory, where the Pro- grefs was often watched in my Abfence, by a very Learned and Induftrious London Doaor, who having at my Requeft made many Tryals with it, and fome in Cafes where other Laudan;tus haid been found unavailable, both ufes it, and commends it more than I could expect from fo wary and ju- dicious a Man. This Medicine being fbmewhat more cheap and c.;fy to be made than the Elder Feb/llonts, the Experience of its Efficacy made me defire of thle Younger, a Permiffon to communicate it for the publick good, and to prevent thofe fpuricus Receipts that go about of the Hel,nontian Laudanuin. Which Requeft of mine being almoft as foon granted as made, I. think my felf bound both to own his readinefs, to oblige the Pub:ick, and to acquaint tlhemn witih -lis Way of making fo confiderable a Medicine, as I pradtifedit; tho' if I had receiv'd his Dire&ions in writing, they might have been more full and methodical. But though I perceived, that he fometimes a little varies his Preparations; yet that Laudanumn proving very fuccefsful, that was madeaccording to the aniexed Paper, I think it will not be amits to keep to

that:

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( 149 ) liat: WThich I wifh could have been publiih'd before tite

Seafon of thie Quinces were fo ftr a;dvatnc'd. And I ihall tihe nmore hope it may come abroad beifbre it be quite too late, if you pleafe to afford it room in the P'apelz, xiwherew.ith I am inforn'd you intend this Week to g, atiiy the Cul:io)<.

Laudanzum Hcl;h.ontii 5ui;ziori;. Take of Opium a quarter of a poutnd, anlcl oi the J.uyce ot

0!iicl('C four pound at the lea *; the Opium, being cut into very thin flices, and then as *(For ncad e ivc It mic ^ pound would per- twtere minc'd to reduce it into fmaller Parts, haps do better.) ;~ to be put into, and well mix'd with, the li- quor, (firft made luke-warm) and fermented t (whichCircum-

.ith a moderate iHeat tor eight or ten Days, ra- fiance the Author

thler imore than lefs ; then filter t it, and having Ioften omirts tho

i,fus'd in it of Cinamon, Nutmeg and Cloves, of eacli an Ounce ¾, let them ftand three or - t A:thor four Days more, if it be a full Week it may iomctltIM OUc be fo much the better; then filter * the Li- ro're o, eacl

quor once more, having let itboil a Walne or Spice.)

two after the Spices have been put in: This 'O frain it. rell being done, evaporate away the fuperfiuous thiu:,,,,gh a C Water to the confitence of an Extra&t, or to Bag. w1hat other confiftence you pleafe.

Laftly, incorporate very well with it, two, or at moft three Ounces of the beft Safion, reduc'd to fine t t (Somtimes the Powder. Author inffead of

the PIowder makes 'ufe of as much Extraft as can be obtain'd from that quantity of Safron.)

According to the confiftence you defire to have your Me- ccinle of, you may order it fo, as eithcr to make it up into a Ma!s of Pills (in which Form I have caus'd it to be given,) or keep it in a liquid Form; but in this latter Cafe the Eva- pc(rat'on muft have been made more fparingly, that after the puttr:n in of the t Safron it may not grow too t (or it extraa.) thick. In this Form the Dofe may be from five or fix drops, to Ten, or fewer, according to Circumflances and of the Pills, a fomewhat lets Quantity is required.

.rlQ *

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