almoſt fluxile. When I extracted as much as I could, I laid the earth aſide, and in 24. houres it was all covered over with ſalt, which I extracted, and out of a hundred weight of this earth which I call virgin earth, I had four pound of this kind of ſalt which it contracted in the aforeſaid 24. houres: and ſo it would doe conſtantly Now this ſatisfied me concerning one doubt: For before I was unſatisfied how there could be a conſtant ſupply of that ſalt which made the water ſaltiſh, ſeeing there was but a little diſtance betwixt the inſipid water and the hot water, and the conſtant ſtream of water waſhed away the ſalt which was in that little ſpace: for I perceived that this kind of earth attracts this univerſall ſalt of the world partly from the aire in the cavities of the earth, and partly from the vapours that conſtantly paſſe through the earth. After this I tooke ſome of that earth where the ebullition was, and carried it home, and proved it, and I perceived it to be a ſulphur mine, into which the former acid ſaltiſh water penetrating cauſed an ebullition, as doe ſalt of Tartar, and Spirit of Vitriall being mixed together, and alſo water poured on unflaked lime. After this I began to queſtion how it was that this ſulphur mine was not conſumed, ſeeing ſo much matter paſſeth from it daily: but when I began to underſtand how all things in the earth did aſſimilate to themſelves whatſoever was of any kind of affinity to them, as Mines convert the tooles of miners into their owne ſubſtance in a little time, and ſuch like experiments of that nature, I was ſatisfied. And after all this I underſtood how this univerſall ſalt of the world was to be had, and I could at any time mix it with water, and pour that water upon ſulphur, and ſo make an artificiall hot bath as good as any naturall bath whatſoever. Note that no ſalt in the world but this nitrous ſalt will doe it as I often tryed: And this ſalt is to be found in all hot bathes, and to be prepared artificially. Thus ſarre Mounſeur de Rochas. Something like unto this Helmont ſeems to hold forth, ſaying that there is a Primum ens ſalium, or ſemina ſalium, which are all ſeated in waters and vapours and give them an acidity, but as yet have no ſaline taſt, untill they meet with ſuch principles, and be received into certain matrixes in the earth which
