Rogerii Bacoi/I: Tract On Ttie Tincture and Oil of Aiytimomi
Rogerii Bacoi/I: Tract On Ttie Tincture and Oil of Aiytimomi
Rogerii Bacoi/I: Tract On Ttie Tincture and Oil of Aiytimomi
Angli
t29
On the True and Right preparation
of
STIBIUM
to
Therewithand improveimperfectmetats.
Nurnb€fg,A.C. 1Tg1
130
PREFACE
VALE
JoachimTarrckius
13r
DE
OLEO AIYTIMOI\I TRACTATUS
w
ROGERII BACOMS ANGLI
summi philosophic & chemici
132
point the infinitude of secretsmay be partly contemplatedwith great profit
andin part alsoexplored.Many,but theseareignorantandunintelligent,are
of the opinion that if they only had Stibium, they would get to it by
Calcination,othersby Sublimation,severalby ReverberationandExtraction,
and obtainits greatSecret,Oil, andPerfectumMedicinam.
133
helmwith a sweetsmellandvery beautifulcolorsandthe wholebodyof this
mineral with all its members,without loss of any weight, exceptfor the
foecum,shallbe an oil andgo over the helm.
And note also this: How would it be possiblefor the body to go into an oil,
or give off its sweetoil, if it is put into the last essenceand degree?For
glassis in all thingstheoutermostandleastessence.
For you shallknow that
all creaturesat the end of the world, or on the last and comingjudgement
of the last day, shallbecomeglassor a lovely amethystand this according
to the familiesof the twelvePatriarchs,as in the familiesof jewels which
Hermesthe Greatdescribesin his book: As we haveelaboratelyreported
and taughtin our book "de Cabala".
134
AI{D THUS TIIE PRACTIC FOLIOWS
Take in the Nameof God andthe Holy Trinity, fine and well
cleansedAntimoniiore, which looksnice, white, pure and
internallyfull of yellow rivuletsor veins.It may alsobe full of red andblue
colorsand veins,which will be the best.Poundandgrind to a fine powder
anddissolvein a wateror AquaRegis,whichwill be describedbelow,finely
so that the water may conquerit.
And if you want to reduceit to a pure corpusagain, then you will not
succeed,but it will remainfor you as a paleyellow earth,andoccasionally
it may run togetherin the shapeof a horn or white horseshoe,which may
not be broughtto a corpusby any art.
135
possibleafterthe Solution,andprecipitateit andwashit afterthe customof
the alchemists,so that the matterwith its perfectoil is not corrodedand
consumedby the water.
Take Vitriol one and a half (alii2.lb.) Sal armoniacone pound, Arinat (alii
Alun) one half pound, Sal niter one and a half pound, Sal gemmae(alir Sal
commune)one pound, Alumen crudum (alii Entali) one half pound. These
are the speciesthat belong to and shouldbe taken for the Water to dissolve
the Antimonium. Take theseSpeciesand mix them well among each other,
and distill from this a water, at first rather slowly. For the Spiritus go with
great force, more than in other strong waters. And beware of its spirits, for
they are subtleand harmful in their penetration.(wear a face mask! -IIWI$
136
discarded,for theyareno longeruseful,exceptfor beingscatteredover the
earth and thrown away.
Afterwards pour all the solutionstogether into a glass retort, put into
BalneumMariae,anddistill the sharpvinegaroffand pour it backon again.
Or, rathera freshone, sincethe formerwouldbe too weak, andthe matter
will very quickly becomedissolvedby the vinegar.Distill it off again,so
that the matter remainsquite dry. Then take commondistilled water and
wash away all sharpness,which has remainedwith the matter from the
vinegar,andthendry the matterin the sun,or otherwiseby a gentlefire, so
that it becomeswell dried. It will thenbe fair to behold,and havea bright
red color.
Several poor and common Laborers, when they have prepared the
Antimoniumthus, havetakenonepart out, to take care of their expenses,
so that they may moreeasilydo the rest of the work and completeit, They
thenmixedit with onepart Salmiac,onepart Vitro (alii. Nitro, alii. Titro),
137
onepart Rebohat,to cleansethe Corpera,andthenproceeded
to projectthis
mixture onto a pure Lunam.And if the Luna was oneMark, they found two
anda half Loth goodgold after separation;sometimesevenmore. And there
with they hadaccomplished
a work providingfor their expenses,so thatthey
might evenbetterexpectto attainto the GreatWork. And the foolish called
this a bringing into the Lunam, but they are mistaken.For suchgold is not
broughtin by the Spiritibus(alii. Speciebus),
but any Luna containstwo
Mark gold to the Loth, someevenmore.But this gold is unitedto theLunar
natureto such a degreethat it may not be separatedfrom it, neitherby
Aquafort, nor by commonAntimonium,as the goldsmithsknow. when
howeverthejust mentionedmixtureis thrownontothe Lunamin flux, then
such a separationtakesplacethat the Luna quite readily gives away her
implantedgold eitherin Aquafortor in AquaRegis,andletsherselfseparate
from it, strikesit to the groundandprecipitatesit, which would or might
otherwisenot happen.Thereforeit is not a bringinginto the Lunam,but a
bringingout of the Luna.
138
dissolved.And in casethereare somemore faecesthere,but there should
be very little, do themaway,for they are not usefulfor anything.
But here I wish to teachand instructyou who are poor and without means
to expectthe GreatWork in anothermanner;not the way the ancientsdid
the gold from the Luna. Thereforetakethis oil, one lot, (a
it by separating
primarily usedin weighinggold and
LOT is an ancientunit of measurment
is about1/30of a pound)eightlot of Safurn
silver.The modernequivalency
calcinedaccordingto art, andcarefullyimbibethe oil, drop by drop, while
continuouslystirringthe calx Saturni.Thenput it ten daysandnightsin the
heat, in the furnaceof secrets,and let the fire that this furnacecontains,
139
increaseeveryotherday by onedegree.The first two daysyou give it the
first degreeof fire, the secondtwo daysyou give it the seconddegree,and
after four days and nights you put it into the third degreeof fire and let it
remaintherefor threedaysandnights.After thesethreedaysyou openthe
window of the fourth degree, for which likewise three days and nights
shouldbe sufficient.Then take it out, and the top of the Saturnusbecomes
very beautifuland of a reddishyellow colour. This shouldbe meltedwith
VenetianBoreas.Whenthis hasbeendone,you will find that the power of
our oil haschangedit to goodgold. Thus you will againhavesubsistence,
so that you may betterexpectthe GreatWork.
140
Now removethe recipientcontainingthe Spirituvini, and keepit in a safe
place, for it is full of Spirituswhich it has extractedfrom the oil and
retained.It also containsadmirablevirtues,as you will hear hereafter.
I4l
AGNNST FODAGRA OR GOI]T
In the caseof gout one shouldlet threedropsof this Spiritu vini, that has
receivedthe power of the Antimony,fall into a smallglassof wine. This has
to be takenby the patienton an emptystomachat the very momentin time
when he sensesthe beginningor arrival of his trouble, bodily ailment and
pain. On the nextday andafterwardson the third day it shouldalsobe taken
andusedin the sameway. On the first day it takesaway all pain, however
greatit maybe, andpreventsswelling.On the secondday it causesa sweat
that is very inconstant,viscousand thick, that smellsand tastesquite sour
andoffensive,andoccursmostlywherethejoints andlimbsareattached.On
the third day, regardless
of whetherany medicinehasbeentaken,a purging
takesplaceof the veinsinto thebowels,withoutany inconvenience,
pain or
grief. And this demonstrates
a greatpower of Nature.
t42
AGAINST LEPROSY
In the caseof stroke, let a drop of the unadmixedtincture fall onto the
tongueof the personin need.At onceit will raiseitself anddistributeitself
like a mist or smoke,and rectify and dissolvethe struck part. But if the
strokehashit the bodyor othermembers,he shouldbe giventhreedropsat
the sametime in a glassof goodwine, aspre- viouslytaughtin the caseof
Podagra.
r43
AGNNST HYDROPEOR DROPSY
In the caseof dropsygive onedrop eachday for six daysin a row, in Aqua
Melissaeor Valerianae.On the seventhday give threedropsin goodwine.
Then it is enough.
AGAINST HECTIC
144
AGAINST PEST
Take and give at the beginning and entry of spring, when the sun has
enteredthe sign of Aries, two drops; and at the beginning with God's help,
be safeandprotectedagainstbad healthand poisonedair, unlessthe incurred
diseasewas predestinedand fatally imposedupon man by the Almighty God.
But we now wish to proceedto the OleumAntimonii and its Power, and
showhow this oil may alsohelpthe diseased
andimperfectmetallicbodies.
Takein the Nameof God, very pure refinedgold, as muchas you want and
think will suffice. Dissolveit in a rectifiedWine, preparedthe way one
usuallymakesAquamVitae. And after the gold hasbecomedissolved,let
it digestfor a month.Thenput it into a Balneum,anddistill off the spiritum
vini very slowly andgently.Repeatthis severaltimes,as long and as often
until you seethat your gold remainsbehindin fundoas a sap. And suchis
the mannerand opinionof severalof the ancientson how to preparethe
gold.
145
But I will showandteachyou a muchshorter,betterand moreusefulway.
Viz. that you insteadof suchpreparedgold takeonepart Mercurii Solis, the
preparationof which I have alreadytaught in anotherplace by its proper
process.Draw off its airy water so that it becomesa subtledust and calx.
Then take two partsof our blessedoil, andpour the oil very slowly, drop
by drop onto the dust of the Mercurii Solis, until everythinghas become
absorbed.
Put it in a vial, well sealed,into a heatof the first degreeof the oven of
secrets,and let it remaintherefor ten daysand nights.You will then see
your powderandoil quitedry, suchthatit hasbecomea singlepieceof dust
of a blackishgrey colour.
After ten days give it the seconddegreeof heat, and the grey and black
colour will slowly changeinto a whitenessso that it becomesmore or less
white. And at the end of theseten days,the matterwill take on a beautiful
rose white. But this may be ignored.For this colour is only due to the
MercurioSolis,that hasswallowedup our blessedoil, and now coversit
with the innermostpart of its body.But by thepowerof the fire, our oil witl
againsubduesuchMercuriumSolis,andthrow it into its innermost.And the
oil with its very bright red colour will rule over it and remain on the
outside.
146
will thencompletelyrecedeinwardly,andtheinternalred colourwill, by the
force of the fire, becomeexternal.Keep also this degreeof fire for ten
days,withoutincreaseor decrease.
You will thenseeyour Powder,thatwas
previouslywhite, now becomevery red. But for the time beingthis redness
may be ignored(is of no consequence),
for it is still unfixed and volatile;
and at the end of theseten days, when the thirtieth day has passed,you
shouldopenthe last window of the fourth degreeof fire, Let it stay in this
degreefor anotherten days,andthis very bright red powderwill beginto
melt. Let it stay in flux for theseten days.And when you take it out you
will find on the bottom a very bright red and transparentstone, ruby
colored, melted into the shapeof the vial. This stonemay be used for
Projection,as hasbeentaughtin the tracton Vitriol. PraiseGod in Eternity
for this His high revelation,andthankHim in Eternity. Amen.
147
any, but in sucha mannerthat its weight increasesand keepson increasing
ever more, so that a singleouncegrowsand increasesto many ounces.
148
NOTA. He who wishesto know more aboutAntimonio may consultFr.
Basilii Valentini, "TriumphalChnriot of Antimony" with commentsby
TheodorKerckringius.
r49