Text.Penot.1594-01.Q7r/Translation

Conclusion of the entire work.

Salts are of various types, among which some are mineral and fixed, some are vegetable and fixed, and some are animal and fixed. Yet, within these categories of salts, both vegetable and mineral, fixed types are found (as will be explained below). The fixed minerals include salt of bread, extracted from the sea or well waters. Then there is gem salt, clearer than all and transparent as crystal, superior to the aforementioned, with two varieties: one crystalline and the other a transparent red, found in mines and sulphurous places, varying in substance through large and small stones, and primarily found in Spain, particularly in Cardona, and also in Hungary. Vegetables too are fixed and not fixed, produced from the ashes of trees and herbs made from very strong caps, and with the water evaporated from them, salt remains at the bottom of the vessel. Depending on the ash's complexion, the salt remains fixed or not fixed; experience will teach you. It should be noted that alkali salt is the most dignified of all salts, especially vegetable ones, and is a fixed oil that the dryness of fire has solidified. Some make alkali salt from soda and declare it fixed and stabilizing. Therefore, place your heart in alkali salt, for it is a most excellent secret. Since everything fixed is turned into the nature of the fixed. May God be forever blessed in creatures, through creatures, by creatures, Amen.

End of Salts.

B. G. P. from Port.

To faithful and pious Doctors.

I remember, most learned men, having read through many books of erudite doctors, in which I often wondered, no mention of the supreme creator of things, much less the invocation of divine help before they administered medicines to their patients. Yet it is certainly more certain that a doctor's piety sometimes accomplishes more than the wondrous knowledge of many. Therefore, since physical infirmity sometimes stems from sin, it was the duty of doctors, when called to the sick, to first advise and induce them to seek spiritual healers, so that once provision for spiritual salvation had been made, they could proceed more healthily to the remedy of medicine. At least three most excellent Doctors have followed this commendable path, practicing their art with great praise, I believe, Arnaldus, Gordonius, and Raimundus Lullus in operative art. They often visited their patients, encouraging them to repentance and having first sought the help of the divine will, experienced the utmost blessing of God in healing.

The following prayer formula was familiar to Raimundus Lullus, which I have decided to include here, and which should remind all true Doctors of their duty.

Prayer of Raimundus Lullus before administering medicine.

Lord Jesus Christ, who art the true salvation of all, Lord, you are the one who created all things very good in your goodness and wisdom, without you I know nothing good in this world: Therefore, Lord Jesus Christ, I humbly adore your majesty, because I know and firmly believe there is nothing good without your goodness. Nothing great without your greatness, nor enduring without your endurance, nor powerful without your power. Nor wise without your wisdom, nor loving without your love, nor virtuous without your virtue, nor true without your truth, nor glorious without your glory, nor just without your justice: I also know that you created man wonderfully, and even more wonderfully reformed him, who gave medicine to repair the health of human bodies: give your blessing to this medicine, so that all the virtues you initially placed in it may be brought to their end: that it may merit inducing health of mind and body in the body it enters, through Lord Jesus Christ your son, Amen.

Virtue grows when challenged.