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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

LXXV. The way of making a most excellent Medicine out of the Carbuncle of Gold.

This Carbuncle is to be beaten into Powder, and the best Spirit of Wine is to be poured thereupon, which may extract the Tincture. This tinged Liquour is to be poured off into another Glass, and more fresh Spirit is to be again poured upon the matter, that it may again extract in the heat more Tincture; these Labours you must repeat so often till all the Tincture is extracted, and the Spirit will be no more coloured. The Spirit being drawn off by distillations in a Bath leaves behind a most red Tincture in the bottom, in the form of a Liquour named C O S, for here are present, Colour, Odour, Savour or Tast; the Colour and Odour from the Gold, and Sulphur; the Savour from the Salt. The remainder which is left after the Extraction of the Tincture is not to be thrown away as unprofitable, but to be converted with new Sal Mirabilis, and Coals made of Vine wood into a red Stone, by fusion, and to be so long extracted till all the Gold be converted with the vegetable Sulphur into a Medicine. For one onely labour serves not to extract the whole Gold by the Spirit of Wine; but the oft repeated labours attain to the end proposed.

Thus hast thou friendly Reader a Medicine of great moment and of great efficacy, in which the most pure parts of the Gold and of the Vine are conjoyned, nor can they be other than a most profitable Medicament for men and metals.

LXXVI. How by the help of this Medicament, there may be conferred on the Seeds of Vegetables, such an excellent faculty of growth, that they may be as it were seen grow, and may obtain a much nobler Nature, Colours, Savours, and Vertues, than they are wont to get out of the most stinking Dung.

Mix with one part of fat Lome, Clay, or Earth done into Powder, four parts of Sand, that so the fatness of the Earth may be somewhat allayed. With this mixture fill a Pot, such a one as the Gardeners are wont to keep their Flowers in; pour thereupon some Rain-water wherein is mixt [or dissolved] a little of that Medicament made of the Carbuncle, and plant or sow in that Earth some of those Herbs which abide unhurt by the Winters cold. Set the Pot with the implanted Herbs to the warm Air, but so, as that no Rain come at it, for the Rain may wash away that medicinal nutriment. When the Earth becomes dry, you must pour on more of the Medicine prepared of the Carbuncle, and that so often as need requires. So will the Herbs begin to grow, which if they meet with no other nutriment besides the Rain-water, they cannot attract any other whereby their faculty of growing may be promoted and encreased. And for as much as the Golden medicament was adjoyned to the Rainwater, the Herbs must necessarily draw it to themselves together with the Water, and obtain other properties than if they grew from the stinking Beasts Dung.

N. B. Under your Pot that contains your Herbs is to be put a Dish made of good and firm Earth, or else of some Metal, which may serve to catch the medicinal Water, that flows through the bottom of the upper Pot, or distills thence, and having received it may not drink it up but conserve it. Besides, it would not be amiss if some of that medicinal Water were put in the under Platter, which might always keep the bottom of the upper Pot moist, and so may supply the Herbs with an uncessant nutriment. It would be better also, if the Pot it self were made of some Metal and not of Earth, that so it may not drink in that precious Water, but rather conserve it.

LXXVII. What is to be observed in this Operation, that a good effect may proceed from thence.

In the first place, diligent heed is to be taken, that the Lome or Earth you take, partake not of any salt faculty, nor hath any other corrosive Property, for many such Earths there be which would hinder and spoil the faculty of growing.

Secondly, there must regard be had to the moistening of the Earth, lest the Seed be choked with too much humidity, or in defect of sufficient moisture, dry up and wither.

Thirdly, there must be observed a measure of the Medicament it self, that neither too much, nor too little of the same be commixt with the Rain-water. For an overmuch quantity thereof burns up the Seed, and a more sparing Portion cannot yield nutriment enough to the Herbs.