The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

All the Philosophers cry out with one voice, Fix the volatile, and volatilize the fixt, and you shall have the true universal medicine. From which scope he will not erre, who shall take good subjects for his work. Therefore, because in this our operation, Gold (besides the rest of the metals) being endowed with a most pure body, is rendered volatile and fugacious, and stript of its Anima, verily it will be credible, that of the Anima of Gold, if the Anima of Mercury shall be joined with it and digested to fixation, may be made the Salamander constant in the Fire. The purple Anima of Gold and Mercury which hath passed into the Receivers, I free from the Flowers of Tin, by washing it out with the sweet universal Water, known to every one, filtring it through Paper, coagulate it, and then fix it into a tinging stone. And I doubt not, but some good thing will thence proceed.

From the scoria remaining after the reduction, you may easily extract a medicine. Nevertheless, those scoria are divers, and have a diverse nature; for those which remain after the operation with Tin and Argent-vive, are of another nature and property than those which proceed from the working with other Metals adjoined to those two, as Gold, Silver, Copper, or Iron. Every Metal hath its own proper powers and virtues, which in the extraction of the Scoria go forth together, and render that Extract more noble, or else diminish its virtues. Gold and Silver have a different nature and properties from Copper and Iron. Nevertheless Copper and Iron are not malignant or hurtful in the Scoria, but also possess great virtues. Nevertheless the greatest virtues which are elicited from the Scoria, are to be taken for a Tincture of Sulphur; for the Metals being destroyed by fulmination, and again reduced into a body, leave but a very small part in the Scoria, seeing that their greatest part returneth into a metallick body. Therefore the Scoria principally consist of fixt Nitre, and that Sulphur by which the destroyed Metals are again reduced into a metallick body from the Nitre. The Scoria of the Metals destroyed and precipitated by Coals, or common Sulphur, have one and the same nature, virtues, and properties. The Scoria of that reduction made by Antimony, partake of another nature, to wit, of a grosser and stronger than those which are made by common Sulphur or Coals, for they sometimes cause vomiting, which the other do not.

And this I would note, that because Antimony as yet containeth many Arsenical qualities, common Sulphur containeth but few, and Coals none at all; that therefore also the Scoria made by these, are safer than the other; nevertheless, I confess that those are somewhat cruder, and more immature than those made with Antimony; but being extracted with Spirit of Wine, yield an excellent Tincture, which is a kind of a Universal Medicine; for it is sufficiently known, that no subjects (Gold and Silver excepted) are found fitter for Medicine, than Antimony and common Sulphur. And because Wood-Coals exactly answer to this common Sulphur in their nature, properties, powers, and virtue, therefore I commend the Scoria’s made by them, and prefer them to those prepared by Mineral Sulphur and Antimony; not that there is a greater efficacy in Coals than in Antimony and common Sulphur, but because those of Coals dissolved by fixt Nitre, are rendered more apt and easie to render their virtues to spirit of Wine, are of a more easie extraction, and are somewhat more familiar to the animal nature, than common Sulphur and Antimony. But the Medicine prepared of either of those scoria, is efficacious, and differeth but little in its external species and colour. All the difference in those Tinctures, is, That that which is extracted from the Antimonial scoria, if it be taken in a little the larger dose, before fixation, causeth vomiting, and operateth more forcibly than the other two. All three after the manner of sulphurs, gild silver, help the growth of Vegetables, by dunging, and nourish and augment Gold being made spiritual, and closed up in the moist way.

And although I do not yet know what it can perform in the transmutation of Metals, yet I am perswaded, that if it were fixed and rendered constant in the Fire, and made to have ingress into metals, that it would effect something in transmutation. It sufficeth me at this time to have indicated the way by which a universal Remedy against all curable Diseases, is to be prepared of the remaining scoria. He that desires to know more, let him set to his hand, and search farther; the way is opened to him: But if he desires somewhat better, let him set upon the Spirit of Mercury and Gold, which is forced into the Receivers, and search for it in that. As for the remaining parts, viz. the metallick flowers, and the running Argent-vive, which passed together into the Receivers, the running Argent-vive may be separated from the Flowers, and used again for the like labour, by amalgamating it with Jupiter. The Flowers are again to be reduced with the fulminated metals, that nothing of the Gold and Silver may be lost; so this labour being continued, will give a perpetual encrease of Gold and Silver, besides the tinging Anima, and the Expences will be only for the Salt-Petre, which will be little to those who know how to make Salt-Petre themselves, for the making of which, I have shewed the way; so that without any great labour, trouble, and cost, not only an honest livelihood may be gotten, but also a good medicine, for the relief and comfort of the forsaken Sick.

But before I conclude this my concentration of metals by Salt-petre, I think fit here to adjoin some admonitions for the benefit of the studious of these Labours. When in the reduction of the metals destroyed by the Fulmen of Jove, the scoria are left too long upon the gold, and not poured off in due time, they (after a certain magnetick manner) attract the remaining Anima which the Fulmen hath left in the Gold, and leave the whole pale. If Argent-vive be amalgamated afresh with this pale Gold, and this Labour sometimes repeated, the Gold will be wholly spoil’d of its Anima, being partly driven into the Receivers, and that which is left attracted by the scoria, then the gold loseth all its colour, and the scoria put on a bloody colour. From this red scoria the Tincture is to be extracted, by a certain singular Artifice, and to be used in the known manner. The pale Gold recovereth its yellow colour by Iron, Copper or Antimony.

Moreover, this is also to be observed, When by the Fulmen of Jove the anima of ☉ and ☿ is propelled into the Receivers, the Receivers being taken off, the Flowers which hide the Anima, are to be taken out, and kept in Glasses close stopt. For the said Anima of ☉ and ☿ is so spiritual, volatile, and fugacious, that like a Bird it presently flies away, and leaves an empty Nest; the truth of which thing I have experienced. He that will not believe what I say, let him try, and he will find it to be true.

But that I may shew the studious of the Hermetick Medicine how he may experience this matter, I will declare by what chance I my self came to know it.

At a certain time, when I had taken the anima of Gold and Mercury, made by the Fulmen of Jove, out of the Receivers, not clearing one Receiver so well, but that somewhat of the anima remained therein; I put in some ounces of Water, that I might thereby the better wash out the remaining Flowers: In the mean time, some more urgent business called me away, I set the Receiver with the Water in it, upon a Table in my Laboratory, before or near a Window, and forgetting it, left it there for some daies; the Cold being then very sharp, in that time had frozen all into Ice; I coming into my Laboratory, to see if some Glasses, in which were Water, were not broken by the Ice, as is usual, I found some wholly filled with Ice, and seeing this Receiver to lie there, I presently believed that Receiver to be broken by the Frost; but taking it up in my hand, I found that the Water in it was not frozen, but remained clear, therefore I rejoiced that the Glass remained unhurt, and wondered much whence it should proceed; but I could impute it to no other thing, but to the hot spirit of Gold and Mercury, of which notwithstanding there could not above three or four grains remain in the Glass, which although so very little, preserved some ounces of Water from freezing. From that time weighing the matter more diligently, I found an incredible heat in that Anima. Let others enquire and search what may be performed by such a heat; this I know, that hereafter there will be sedulous Artists, who will thank me for this my faithful Institution.

For it is very likely, that this subtile and fiery Spirit of Gold and Mercury, such as it yet is before fixation, may be presently used with great profit, in the taking away many occult Diseases of the Body. Moreover, it is to be observed, That if Metals, whether Gold, Silver, or Copper be to be conjoined by amalgamation with Tin and Argent-vive, they ought first to be reduced into pure and shining Calces, that they may be the more readily received by the Mercury: But only a fourth or sixth part of the Calx is to be added in the Amalgamation, lest the Tin (by too great a quantity of the Calx) be hindered in fulminating, for the whole operation consisteth in a right fulmination. But lest any should erre in working, he may first make trial, whether all things be well mixed and prepared, by putting half a dram of the mixture into a small Crucible, and upon that a live Coal, and beholding the Fulmen with an intent eye, that he may see what colour it gives: If it riseth so white and clear, that it dazleth the eyes, as the looking upon the Sun is wont to do, all things are rightly and orderly mixt; the smoak is tinged with the colour of the adjoined Metal, as Purple from Gold, Blue from Silver, Green from Copper, but Tin and Argent-vive only give White. Also from the Mass remaining in the Crucible, it may be seen whether the Fulmen be rightly performed, viz. if the Caput Mort. or residing Mass be porous, and fiery upon the Tongue, being touched therewith. The Colours also of that Mass are various, according to the added Metal; Tin and Argent-vive alone leave a fiery white matter.

Neither is this to be passed by, being of no small moment, viz. If you seek not a Medicine, but only the emendation of Metals, it is not necessary to add Mercury with the Metals, but the Gold, Silver, or Copper may be melted with Tin, for so they become a brittle Mass, which may be powdered in a Mortar, and mixed with an equal weight, or a little more, of Salt-petre, and put into a strong Crucible, and covered, then put into a circular fire, so that the fire may approach it by degrees, till the Crucible and Matter be hot, and at length taking flame, may be enkindled and dispersed. In which operation many Flowers flie away, and a fiery Mass remaineth in the bottom, which is again to be reduced into a metallick body in a strong Crucible, in a Wind-Furnace, by the addition of some combustible sulphur, and after the reduction, to be reduced again into powder, and mixed with fresh Nitre, and again treated in the same manner, by sometimes repeating the former Labour. At length that Mass being reduced in a Crucible, the Gold, Silver, or Copper will be found augmented by the Tin.