Ancient Philosophers, as often as they in their Writings treated of the Original and Beginning of Metals, placed the Foundation of their Assertion in Demogorgon; viz. That he was the Grand-father of all Metals and Minerals, who, dwelling in the Center of the Earth, was cloathed with a bright-red Cloak. But properly, Demogorgon is the Central Fire continually burning, and a Subtile Spirit of 🜍, distilling it self through the passages of the Earth. If this firey Spirit in its ascent finds a Commodious Cavern, or Humid Place, in which it may abide; it is immediately there coagulated into a Mercurial Water, and by the Central Fire’s continual Coction, in length of time, ripened into Metals and Minerals. But the ascending Spirit of 🜍, which finds no Seat for its Abode, ascends higher and higher, until it comes to the Superficies of the Earth; into which, when moystened with Rain, it thrusts it self; and from the Ground grows upward into the Air, in the form of vast Bushes and Trees; in which Plants and green Trees, is found such a 🜍 as is in Minerals, (yet this is not found so fixed, as that in Metals,) because all things in the Bowels of the Earth are generated according to the Influence of the Stars, and there coagulated according to the nature of the place into these or those Metals. Let him, who is desirous to be taught more at large touching these, consult those Philosophers, by whom the same are plainly enough described. If the pleasure of Operating induce any one to set about this Work, he may make choice of the 🜍 he judgeth most sutable to his Intention.
Now behold the Method, in which, by the benefit of the most ancient Hyssopaick Art, black 🜍 is by a dexterous washing turned into white, rendred fixed and constant in Fire, and by Reverberation transmuted into Redness, and thenceforth used as a Medicine of Humane and Metallick Bodies wanting melioration, and that with notable profit.
Here is presented, first, the Method of Washing Black Sulphur so, as it becomes very White.
The worthy Paracelsus doth briefly indeed describe the method of whitening and rubifying 🜍, but what was most conducent thereunto, he concealed; viz. that way of Preparation, without which no Aqua Fortis can have ingress for Washing and Fixing. My purpose is in this place, for the sake of the Searchers of Art, to publish this Secret in plain Words. This may be done many ways, as will appear by the following,
℞. One part of the Terrestrial Sulphur of Pit-coals, or of the Vegetable Sulphur of Wood-coals; with which, reduced to Powder, mix two or three parts of our Sal Mirabile, prepared of Oyl of Vitriol and Common Salt. Which mixture put into a Crucible, and set the Crucible covered in a Wind-Furnace for melting. There the Sal Mirabile, by its Acrimony, preys upon the 🜍, and dissolves it; and thence makes a Red Stone, which, by pouring Water on, you may dissolve, Filtre, and again Coagulate, into a Red Salt or Stone. And thus the 🜍, by help of the Sal Mirabile, through one only abstraction of a sharp Aqua Fortis, will be so habile, as it may easily be made white with washing, and also be fixed so, as to sustain the force of Fire, according to this following.
Process.
℞. Of this Red Sulphureous Salt, ℔ j. and upon it, in a strong Body of Glass, pour ℔ iij. of most sharp Aqua Fortis: Yet not all at once, but leisurely, and at times; because the Sal Mirabile with the 🜍 loseth its Acidity, and becomes Alcalisate, and therefore so inimical to the Aqua Fortis, as it impetuously resists the same. Therefore let him, that is ignorant of this, be very wary, lest all that is contained in the Vessel fly away, or the Glass, through too much heat, burst in sunder. For this cause, proceed leisurely, and operate according to the Rules of Art, that your Endeavour may be fortunate. For, in a way contrary to this, you can find nothing, but Damage and Trouble. As often as you put in any Aqua Fortis, presently put on the Head, because it will suddenly and hastily fume, and so cause damage; to prevent which, after I had sustained several Losses, I at length, against such Exhalations, found this Remedy.
In the Top of the Alembick I caused a small hole to be made, through which I put a little Tunnel of Glass, and luted it on. So soon as I had put the prepared 🜍 into the Body, and luted the Head and Receiver to it aptly, I through* Half Ounces. that little Tunnel poured at one time two or three Lo tones of Aqua Fortis, and presently stopped the Pipe with Paper; then immediately after great Ebullition, (by its own Virtue, without any external Fire) the subtil Soul of 🜍 ascended in a red form. Soon after, I poured on more Aqua Fortis, and left it to its own operation. This I did so long, and so often, as until I had put in ℔ iij. of Aqua Fortis, upon ℔ j. of the prepared 🜍. When you have thus done, you may administer Fire externally to your Matter in the Glass Body placed in Sand, for so the Aqua Fortis will the more virtually act upon the 🜍, and will all ascend red in Colour; but the 🜍 will remain with the Sal Mirabile in the bottom of the Vessel fixed, white, and able to sustain the force of Fire so, as it seems almost incredible, that such a Substance, easie to be enflamed and burnt, should in a few hours space be exalted to so great Fixation and Constancy. The Distillation ended, and Glasses cooled, take up the Body out of the Sand, and thence take out the Salt with the fixed 🜍; and to dissolve the Sal Mirabile from it, pour on as much Common Water as shall be sufficient. After extraction of the Salt, the fixed white 🜍 must be dryed, and kept sufficiently hot in a Crucible in an open Fire, until the 🜍 remains fixed, totally white, and able to abide the Examen of Fire. Then is it fit to be reserved for such Uses, as you shall learn by the following.
Note: If the Sal Mirabile, together with the Aqua Fortis, shall be purified, then the fixed 🜍, after Edulcoration, will be white as Snow. But on the contrary, if you do not well filtre the 🜍 with the Sal Mirabile, and also cleanse not the Aqua Fortis, the 🜍 will not come forth of a Snow-like Colour, as you may easily conjecture. Wherefore, whosoever would have a Snow-white 🜍, he must warily proceed, and purely operate, in all parts of his Work. In Medicine, and the Transmutation of Metals, 🜍 destitute of whiteness, will serve well enough; but if you would apply it to such Uses, as necessarily require a Snow-white Colour, you had need to proceed warily, according to the Prescripts of Art. For it is of great Concern in every Work, to know, whether the fixed 🜍 should have a White or an Ash Colour; as in the following shall be shewed more at large.