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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

But now for any one to dissolve Gold in that corroding Aqua Regis, or Silver in Aqua Fortis, and then to imagine that he hath potable Gold and Silver, he is altogether in an Errour. Potable indeed they are, because they may be drunk like other Liquors: But forasmuch as those kind of Solutions do corrode all things, and bring extream Detriment, they are justly rejected, and the rather because being poured into Wine or Ale, they defile and thicken the same; which, no true potable Gold dissolved in a Not-corrosive Menstruum, will do, but when ’tis mixt with Wine, Ale, or Water, it remains bright and clear. Besides too, true potable Gold must be of such a property, as to have no visible corporal Gold producible thereout of, and yet notwithstanding, be able to indue the meaner Metals, yea and Mercury it self with a golden nature, if they be therein boiled, or to coagulate and transmute them into Gold by the dry way in a Crucible, whether it be done with profit or without profit [it matters not.] Now this tinging virtue comes not from corporeal and dead Gold, but from a spiritual living and ringing Gold.

If therefore the common and corroding solution of Gold, cannot be accounted for a true Aurum Potabile, and that the spiritual and tinging Gold, which is dissolved without any corrosiveness should not come under this Title neither, whence I pray should it be sought for, and where should it be inquired after. I confess, I do easily perswade my self, that as for the first Ens of Gold if we did but know how to wash and purge it in such wise, as that being turned into a bloud red liquor, it would admit of Distillation by an Alembick or a Retort, we should have a better potable Gold. But where shall we find such an Artificer, as can teach us the way of preparing such a potable Gold? ’Tis therefore our best way to content our selves with such Medicaments as we have at hand, so long untill God bestoweth better upon us. This likewise I believe, that if we did but know such an Artifice as to wash and purge Mercury, in such sort as that it might pass into a ponderous and sweet Water, and if we could so adjoyn some pure Gold thereunto instead of a ferment that they might lift up [or sublime] themselves together, and again become constant and fix: that then, from them would arise a red and soluble Carbuncle, or true potable Gold. But these are onely my simple thoughts and conceptions, no dispraise to those suppositions which other men have entertained concerning this matter. So likewise if spiritual Gold, and the spiritual Sulphur of the Vine be conjoyned by the help of Salt, they give a good potable Gold, which contains in it Gold potentially, but not actually or palpably, as may be seen in my Treatise of the true Aurum Potabile, which being clear like Water, and a bright or fair potable Gold, I do adjoyn to my Cates or Sawces instead of White-wine.

But even as White-wine the longer it is kept, the yellower it grows, so likewise white Aurum Potabile doth not retain its whiteness above two or three months, but becomes more and more yellow, and is at length turned into a redness, but still retains its tinging faculty. He therefore that shall not be well pleased with the tast of [my] Wine or potable Gold, let him tarry till being more old they become yellow or red, for then they are of a pleasanter tast, as having (through long Process of time) lost their Sulphureous Tast.

But as touching the manner of making that potable Gold, as also all other unpleasant, sugacious, and unripe metallick Potions, pleasant, ripe, fix, and sweet Liquors, that shall be revealed afterwards.

Furthermore, I do here serve out instead of a good drink, the golden-coloured Soul, or my Tincture made of Niter, of which I have spoken in the second part of my Spagyrical Dispensatory. It is of as much virtue in Medicine as that potable Gold is, which I made mention of but now, but performs nothing in Alchymy or in the Transmutation of Metals; but what it would do if it were made fix and constant in the Fire, I do not as yet know, for I have not as yet brought it to that pass. But how it may be made fix shall be presently shown. This very Tincture in the degree it is at present in, produceth great effects in Medicine, yea and greater too than those which I published about it, in the second part of my Spagyrical Dispensatory. It is of a delightfull Tast to the Palate, it removes the obstructions of the Liver, Lungs, and Spleen, it provokes Urine, expels the Stone, prohibits Obstructions with the Excrements, it may be most safely used by old and young, yea even by those whose strength is much debilitated, and it is wont to afford them present help; it wonderfully Corroborates, and makes all Animals, Minerals, and Vegetables fruitfull, and this will easily appear so to be, if you do but take some Vegetable Seed and macerate in the same, and then put in the Earth, it grows far speedier and ripens much sooner than other Seeds are wont to do.

I have sometimes macerated Wheat, Barly, Pease, and the Seeds of such like Corn in this Liquor for a night, and being thus steeped, have sown it in pure Sand, and they have grown ripe far sooner than those which have been planted in good and fat Earth: which is such a thing, as hath made many Men extreamly to wonder, when they saw Corn grow in bare Sand without any other Earth or Dung, and be able to arrive to such perfect maturity.

Many other Salts there are of no great cost, and such as are to be had in vast quantity, with which, Corn being macerated and sown in barren Lands, and in such as are not dunged doth come to perfect maturity; and this I have tried not onely once, but oftentimes; and have also purposed (if God please) to bring it into publick use, in these United Provinces: to which end, the most Supreme Orders, General and Provincial, have granted me a Priviledge (or Patent) for many years; whereby it is forbidden to sow or plant barren, sandy Grounds and undunged, after this kind of way, without my consent. The main Basis of the knack lies in Sea-salt, which may be plentifully had in these places, and be easily prepared and made use of (to fatten lean and dry Grounds with) instead of Dung.

But amongst all such like Medicaments, the Tincture of Nitre bears away the Bell, for it causeth many Stalks to spring up out of one Grane, and to yield fruit, a thousand fold. Nor doth it onely make the Vegetables fruitfull, but Men too, and the terrestrial Animals, and even the Birds themselves that live in the Air. And by the same reason also may it be brought to pass, that even the Metals may be multiplied by the help thereof, as we shall declare anon, in what follows.

Both these Wines or efficacious Drinks doe very well suit with the metallick Sawces or Junkets, they heat the Body, help the concoction of the Stomach, corroborate the Spirits, give good Nourishment, drive forth out of the Body the superfluous Excrements, in a due manner by Stool and Urine, they cause Chearfulness, bestow a prosperous Health, give a comely Look, and change the Complexions into the Sanguine and best Complexion; in the accomplishment of all which things, that pure and golden coloured Tincture of Niter excells.

And here I must make a little digression, and set somewhat more clearly afore your Eyes, the four primary Complexions; from which the other mixt ones do arise, according as a Man partakes the more of this or that Complexion.