The Seventh Book: Of the Transmutation of Naturall things.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Sedziwój, Michal, Paracelsus, and French, John
Besides there are many things in Distillation fixed by Cohobation, Fixation by Destillation.and especially if the things to bee fixed containe in them Water, as Vitriall doth, which if it bee fixed is called Colcothar.
Allum, if it bee fixed with its proper Water, is called the Sugar of Allum, which also is resolved into a Liquor, which Liquor if it bee putrefied a moneth, produceth a Water of the sweetnesse of Sugar, which is of great vertue, and an excellent secret in Physicke, to extinguish any Metalline heate in Man, as wee have wrote more at large in our Booke of Metalline Diseases.
And as you have heard of Vitriall, and Allum, so also Salt nitre, and other Watery Mineralls may bee fixed by Cohobation.
What Cohobation is.
Now Cohobation is, that the dead head be oftentimes imbibed with its own water, and that again bee drawn off by Distillation.
The force of Distillation in things to be Transmuted.
Moreover, in Distillation many bitter, harsh, and sharp things become as sweet as Honey, Sugar, or Manna; and on the contrary, many sweet things, as Sugar, Honey, or Manna, may bee made as harsh as Oyle of Vitriall, or Vineger, or as bitter as Gall, or Gentian, as Eager, as a Corrosive.
Many Excrementitious things lose their great stink in Distillation, which indeed goeth forth in the water.
Many Aromaticall things lose their good savour.
And as Sublimation alters things in their Quality, and Nature, so also doth Distillation.
What Coagulation is, and its kinds.
Coagulation is the sixt degree: Now there is a twofold Coagulation, the one by Cold, the other by Heat, i.e. one of the Aire, the other of the Fire: and each of these again is twofold, so that there are foure sorts of Coagulations, two of Cold, and two of Fire.
The Coagulations of Fire are fixed, the other of Cold are not.
The one is done only by common Aire, or without Fire. The other by the superiour Firmament of Winter starres, all which coagulate Waters into snow, and ice.
But the Coagulation of Fire, which alone is here to bee taken notice of, is made by an Artificiall, and Graduall Fire of the Alchymists, and it is fixed, and permanent. For whatsoever such a Fire doth coagulate, the same abides so.
The other Coagulation is done by the Ætnean, and Minerall Fire in Mountains, which indeed the Archeius of the Earth governs, and graduates not unlike to the Alchymists, and whatsoever is coagulated by such a Fire, is also fixed, and constant; as you see in Mineralls, and Metalls, which indeed at the beginning are a mucilaginous matter, and are coagulated into Metalls, Stones, Flints, Salts, and other bodies, by the Ætnean fire in Mountaines, through the Archeius of Earth, and operator of Nature.
What things cannot be Coagulated.
Also wee must know that Fire can coagulate no water, or moisture, but only the Liquors and Juices of all Naturall things.
Besides also there can no flegm bee coagulated, unlesse in the beginning it was a corporeall matter, into which by the industry of a skilfull Alchymist it may return.
So also any mucilaginous, matter, or spermaticke slimynesse may by the heat of Fire be coagulated into a body and corporeall matter, but never bee resolved into water again.
And as you have heard of Coagulation, so also know concerning Solution, viz. that no corporeall matter can bee dissolved into Water, unlesse at the beginning it was water: and so it is in all Mineralls.
What Tincture is, and its kinds.
Tincture is the seventh, and last degree, which concludes the whole worke of our mystery for Transmutation, making all imperfect things perfect, and transmuting them into a most excellent essence, and into a most perfect soundnesse, and alters them into another colour.
Tincture therefore is a most excellent matter, wherewith all Minerall, and Humane bodies are tinged, and are changed into a better, and more noble essence, and into the highest perfection, and purity.
For Tincture colours all things according to its own nature, and colour.
All things that are to be tinged must be fluid.
Now there are many Tinctures, and not only for Metalline, but Humane bodies, because every thing which penetrates another matter, or tingeth it with another colour, or essence, so that it bee no more like the former, may bee called a Tincture.
Wherefore there are many, and various sorts of Tinctures, viz. of Metalls, Mineralls, Mens bodies, Waters, Liquors, Oyls, Salts, all fat things, and indeed of all things which may bee brought to flux, out of the Fire, or in the Fire.
For if a Tincture must tinge, it is necessary that the body, or matter which is to bee tinged, bee opened, and continue in flux, and unless this should bee so, the Tincture could not operate. But it would bee, as if any one should cast saffron, or any colour upon coagulated Water, or Ice: for so it would not so suddenly tinge the Ice with its colour, as if it were cast into other water. And although it should tinge, yet it would at the same time resolve the Ice into Water. Wherefore those Metalls that wee would tinge, must first bee melted in the Fire, and bee freed from Coagulation.
And here wee must know, that by how much the stronger fire is requisite for their melting, so much the sooner the Tincture runs through them, as Leaven penetrates, and infects the whole masse with sowreness; and by how much better the masse is covered, and kept warm, so much the better is it fermented, and makes the better bread: for ferment is the Tincture of Dowe, and Bread.
Feces are of a more fixt nature then their Flegme.
Wee must also note, that all feces are of a more fixed substance then the liquor of it is, also of a sharper, and more penetrating nature: as you see in the spirit of Wine which is made of the feces of Wine, and of Aqua vitæ, which is distilled out of the grounds of Beer, and burns like spirit of Wine, and is inflamed as Sulphur.
The preparation, and Nature of distilled Vineger.
Also if of the feces of Vineger another Vineger bee distilled, as commonly spirit of Wine is distilled, there will bee thereby made a Vineger of so fiery, and sharp a nature, that it consumes all Metalls, Stones, and other things, as Aqua fortis.
How the Tinctures of Metalls must be made.
Moreover, it is necessary, that Tinctures be of a fixt, fluxil, and incombustible nature, so that if a little of a plate of any Metall red hot bee cast into them, they will presently flow like wax, without any manner of fume at all, and they penetrate the Metalls, as oyle doth paper, or water a sponge, and tinge all Metalls into white, and red, that is, into Silver or Gold.
Now these are the Tinctures of Metalls, which it is necessary must bee turned into an Alcool, by the first degree of Calcination, then by the second degree of Sublimation, must get an easy, and light flux. And lastly, by the degree of Putrefaction, and Distillation are made a fixt, and incombustible Tincture, and of an unchangeable colour.
The Tinctures of Men.
Now the Tinctures of Mens bodies are, that they bee tinged into the highest perfection of health, and all Diseases bee expelled from them, that their lost strength, and colour bee restored, and renewed, and they are these, viz. Gold, Pearles, Antimony, Sulphur, Vitriall, and such like, whose preparation wee have diversly taught in other books; wherefore it doth not seem to us necessary here to repeat them.
Of Dying and Painting.