A recent Twitter tweet on the efficacy of consuming distilled elixirs led to a Google search that turned up Tillmann Taape, Distilling Reliable Remedies, which is a review of an earlier alchemist's influence on Hieronymus Brunschwig, Liber de arte distillandi (1500). Both books discuss distillation as it was known to alchemists of the Middle Ages. The earlier book touches on quintessence, the hypocritical 5th Element of Greek philosophy, which is aether or spirit. Both books are are available in Middle English.
The vertuose boke of distyllacyon
(transliteration of the description)
The virtuous book
Of Distillation of the waters of of all manner of Herbes/with the figures of the stillatories/first made and compiled by the thirty years study and labour of the most cunning and famous master of pitsiae/Master Therom [Jerome?] Brunschwig And now newly translate out of German into English/Not only to the singular help and profit of the Surgeons/Physicians/and Apothecaries But also of all manner of people/Perfectly and in due time and order to learn to by still all manner of Herbes/to the Profit/cure/and Remedy of all manner of diseases and Infirmities Apparant and not apparant. And ye shall understand that the waters be better than the Herbes/as Avincenna testefieth in his fourth Canon saying that all manner medicines bled with their substance/feebleth and maketh aged/and weak.
The earlier book is by John of Rupescissa. Furnivall appears to have published a Middle English version.
Hermes, The Book of quinte essence
The 5th Essence was touted as a cure for pestilencial fever.
The margin notes detail the contents.
16th. Med.
______
To cure Pestilential Fever (when it is not sent as a punishment by God.)
______
God says in Deuteronomy xxviii. that if men will not hear His voice and obey His commandments. pestilence shall come on them.
These plagues a man would be a great fool to presume to cure;
but all other pestilences
from evil planets may be cured by our Quinte [Nota bene.] Essence with Aloes, Euphorbium, &c., [*Fol. 25b.]
and a laxative Quinte Essence that will send the patient to stool once a day.
He must also take every morning an egg-shell-ful of Burning Water, and 2 or 3 pestilence pills in our Quinte Essence, and smoke his house with frankincense &c.
Here is an end of this most sovereign of all secrets.
What ills will befall if it gets in tyrants' and reprobates' hands and prolongs their life in evil. I will keep it for holy men alone; and I commend it to Christ's keeping now and ever.
Some modern versions of burning waters:
Supplemental (Aug 12): Couldn't find a translation for pitsiae, pytsiae but it could be related to pizza, πίσσα, pyx, pitch, pith in the sense of residue from something heated in an oven. Pithy matters?
