In the pre-modern
chemistry of
Paracelsus, a clyssus, or clissus, was one of the effects, or productions of that art; consisting of the most efficacious
principles of any body, extracted, purified, and then remixed.
Or, a clyssus is when the several constituents of a body are prepared and purified separately, and then combined again. Thus, the five
principles, reassembled into one body, by long digestion, make a clyssus. So, ''clyssus of antimony'' is produced by
distillation
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...
from
antimony
Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb (from la, stibium) and atomic number 51. A lustrous gray metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (Sb2S3). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient t ...
,
nitre
Niter or nitre is the mineral form of potassium nitrate, KNO3. It is a soft, white, highly soluble mineral found primarily in arid climates or cave deposits.
Historically, the term ''niter'' was not well differentiated from natron, both of w ...
, and
sulfur mixed together. There is also ''clyssus of vitriol'', which is a spirit drawn by distillation from
vitriol
Vitriol is the general chemical name encompassing a class of chemical compound comprising sulfates of certain metalsoriginally, iron or copper. Those mineral substances were distinguished by their color, such as green vitriol for hydrated iron( ...
dissolved in
vinegar
Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to eth ...
; this was used by pre-modern physicians in treating various diseases, and to extract the
tincture
A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
s of several vegetables.
Clyssus is used among some authors for a kind of ''sapa'', or extract, made with eight parts of the
juice
Juice is a drink made from the extraction or pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat or seafood, such as ...
of a plant, and one of
sugar, seethed together into the consistency of
honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
.
References
{{1728, title=Clyssus
History of pharmacy
Alchemical substances