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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

Of the Philosophers Stone.

I have undergon much charge and labour for many years, to extract the tincture or anima of gold, for a medicine to be made therewith, which at length I have obtained, where I have observed the remainder of the gold, the soul or better part being extracted to be no more gold, nor longer to endure fire. Whence I conjectured, that such an extraction being fixt again, can perfect courser metals and turn them to gold: But I could not hitherto try the truth of my conceived opinion living at this time in a forraign place; therefore against my will, although greedy of novelty, I have been forc’t to abstain from the work. In the mean time considering the opinions of the Philosophers concerning their gold, not the vulgar, asserting the universal medicine to be prepared therewith. I have again affused a certain Philosophical Vinegar to Copper for to extract the tincture, where almost all the Copper like whitish earth is separated from the tincture in digestion, which earth by no Art I could again reduce into a metallick body.

Which experiment again confirmed me of a possibility of this Medicine. Which labour though I never followed, yet I doubt not but an humane medicine, though not also a metallick is attainable thence by a diligent workman. The soul therefore with all the metallick attributes, consisting in so small a quantity, which is scarce the hundredth part of the weight, which being extracted and separated, the remaining body is no more a metal, but a useless and dead earth; but it is not to be doubted but being fixt again, it may reassume and perfect another metallick body. Therefore I am confidently perswaded by the aforesaid Reasons, that such a medicine is to be made of mineral and metallick things, viz. in the flowing, changing baser metals into better. But do not think that I writing these things make gold or copper the matter of this medicine, which I do not hold, well knowing that there are other subjects easily to be handled, abounding with tinctures.

So thou hast heard now my opinion of the Universal Medicine, which my experience in Gold, Copper, and other Minerals and Metals hath caused: which I will not preach for Gospel, because it is human to erre.

Therefore no certainty is to be had, before its final and compleat perfection, and indeed once or twice tryed for certainties sake. For an excellent way once found out, cannot alwaies be often repeated, which happens doubtless as well to others as to me. Therefore we must not triumph before the Victory; for unthought on impediments may frustrate Hope: but God is rather to be implored in our labours, that he would be pleased to bless our endeavours, that we may use well his gifts in this life as good stewards, and afterward bestow the free reward of our labours, watchings, and cares on us sinners, namely, everlasting Rest and Salvation out of his meer Mercy.

Whether Minerals, as Antimony, Arsenic, Orpin, Cobolt, Zinc, Sulphur, &c. may be transmuted into metals, and into what?

It is long since debated among Chymists, whether the aforesaid Minerals proceed from the same principles with Metals, and whether to be counted Metals; in which Controversy they have not agreed to this day, when as one approves that which another denies, so that a student of Chymistry knows not to what side he had best assent.

But this knowledge not a little helping, concerning the purifying of metals, I would put my opinion also grounded upon experience, for the satisfying the doubtful, the simplicity of them is strange who hold not one and the same beginning to be of minerals and metals, saying, if metals might be made by nature, of minerals surely it had long since been done; but it never was, experience witnessing; for remaining minerals, they are never transplanted into metals. I Answer, metals grow one way, also vegetables another, soon budding, and again soon dying; but it is not so with metals; for all lasting things have long time of digestion, according to the saying, That which is soon made, doth soon fade; this is to be understood not only of vegetables and minerals, but also of animals, as appears from the budding of some vegetables, coming in six Months space to their perfection, and then again perishing: when as things requiring longer time of digestion and perfection are much more lasting. A Mushroom in the space of one or two nights grows out of rotten wood, again soon vanishing: not so the Oke. Oxen, and Horses in the space of two or three year come to perfection, scarce living the twentyeth, or twenty-fourth year: but a Man requiring twenty four years to his perfection, lives sixty, eighty, or an hundred years. So also we must conceive of lasting metals requiring many ages, and also very long time of digestion and perfection; metals therefore requiring a very long time of digestion to their perfection, it is granted to no man ever to see the beginning, and end of them; the transplantation of minerals into metals by nature cannot be denyed; especially, because that in the oars of metals, especially of course ones, minerals are also found; wherefore diggers of minerals, when they find them, conceive good hopes of finding metals, of which they are termed the Coverlids, for seldom metals are found without minerals, or minerals without metals; nor also are ever minerals found wanting gold or silver; therefore minerals are properly termed the Embryo of Metals; because by art and fire a good part of gold and silver is drawn out of them by fusion; which if they do not proceed from the metallick roots, whence proceeds that gold and silver? For an Ox is not born of an Infant, nor a man of a Calf; for alwaies like is produced of its like.

Therefore minerals are counted but unripe fruits in respect of metals, not yet obtaining their ripeness and perfection, nor separated from the superfluous earth; for how should a bird be hatcht of an egg by an heat, not predestined for the generation of a bird? For so we must understand of minerals, which if they be deprived of their metallick nature, how should by fire metals be produced from thence? But thou saist that thou never sawest the production of perfect metals out of courser; therefore that it is neither likely, nor credible to thee, to whom many things as yet lye hid, as from most men, perversly and foolishly denying things unknown; for daily experience witnesseth, that the viler minerals and metals by taking away the superfluous sulphur (however it be done) obtain a greater degree of perfection, therefore should not thy heart believe, and thy tongue speak what thou seest with thine eyes? For experience shews that good gold and silver might be drawn out by art almost out of all course minerals and metals, yet more out of some than of others, and speedier; for there is not that dark night, that is altogether depriv’d of light, which may not be manifested by a hollow glass; nor is there an element (though never so pure) not mixt with other elements, nor any malignity depriv’d of all good, or on the contrary. And as it is possible to gather the hidden beams of the Sun in the aire, so also hidden perfect metals dispersed in imperfect metals, and minerals by fire, and an expert Artist: if once they are placed in fire with their proper solvents, where the homogeneous parts are gathered, and the heterogeneous separated; so that there is no need to go into the Indies to seek gold and silver in those new Islands, which is possible to find plentifully here in Germany, if so be the merciful God would please to turn away those present cruel Plagues, and bring them out of old metals, viz. Lead, Iron, Tin, and Copper, there left by the Dealers in minerals; indeed without the culture of minerals. Let no man therefore judge himself to be poor, because he is only poor and in want (although otherwise very rich and abounding in wealth, which yet in a moment he is forc’t to forsake) that being ungrateful, neither knoweth nor acknowledgeth God in his Works.

What I pray is in less esteem in the world, than old Iron and Lead, which are acceptable to the wise to use in the Lotion of Copper and Tin with the mineral White? But how they are to be washed, is a difficulty to the unexercised in the fire, and shall be delivered by similitudes: You see Antimony fresh digged out of the earth, very black and impure; which by fusion separated from its superfluity (which, though nature gave to it not in vain, but as an help to its purification, according to that: GOD and Nature do nothing in vain) is made more pure, and endowed with a body nearer to metals than its mineral, which if afterwards melted with salt of Tartar, the crude and combustible sulphur is mortified thereby, and is turned into dross, and separated from the pure mercurial part, so that hereby is made a new and fresh separation of the parts, of which one portion being white and brittle, sinks to the bottom, the other lighter, to wit, the combustible sulphur is on the top with the salt of Tartar; which poured out into a Cone, when they are cold, may be separated with the hammer; the inferior part of which is called by the Chymists Regulus, which is purer than Antimony cast the first time out of its mineral; and this is the usual purging of Antimony used by Chymists; to which (Regulus) if afterward any thing should be added, for a third purification, without doubt it would not only be made purer but more fixt and malleable. For if white Regulus be preparable out of black Antimony, why not as well malleable metal out of the Regulus.