The Medicine so much celebrated in Germany, and so frequently commended and used in Practice by the late famous Professor Hoffman, under the Title of his Liquor Mineralis Anodynus, was nearly of the same Nature with the AETHER, but not so powerful, nor so highly subtilized.
Repeated Experience has confirmed the Efficacy of this Medicine in all the Diseases before mentioned; and from the Consideration of it’s uncommon Qualities, it may be presumed to be an excellent Remedy in many others, if judiciously given: Hence it seems surprising that so valuable an Addition, to the Materia Medica as the AETHER doubtless is, should have been so much neglected, or so little known; but the Reasons are, that the Process whereby it was made was kept secret by some who rated the Preparation at a very extravagant Price, and not sufficiently attended to by others, who consider’d it only as a Chemical Curiosity, not as a Medicine. The chief Merit the Publisher of this Account pretends to, is, the ascertaining the Medicinal Virtues of this curious Preparation, by several Years Experience, and making them more publickly known; the reducing it’s Price, which has hitherto been so extravagant that had it’s Virtues and Properties been known, only a small number of the afflicted could have enjoy’d the Benefit of it; and, the bringing it to a greater Degree of Perfection than any hitherto sold; what he offers being a perfectly rectified Vitriolic AETHER.
It may not be improper to give the Marks by which good AETHER may be known. It is perfectly colourless, except it has receiv’d some accidental Tinge from the Cork of the Phial in which it has been kept; and so volatile as to strike the Nose very powerfully. It’s Smell is more or less sulphureous, according to the management of some Part of the Process. Wetting the Finger with it, or dropping a little upon the Hand, it vanishes instantly, and leaves no Moisture behind; so that the Part scarcely seems to have been wet. Half a Dozen Drops, dropped together upon