Page:Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus Vol I (IA cu31924092287121).djvu/332

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The Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus.

The Fixation of Spirits.

Imbibe the spirit with oil of tartar, and then the oil is distilled or extracted from it. Keep doing this until it will stand a somewhat strong fire. Take the sublimated spirit, etc., and pound it on marble with oil of tartar. Place it in an alembic upon the sublimating furnace, and distil the oil from it until it is perfectly dried. Do this until nothing is evaporated from the coal. Afterwards put it in a phial and plunge it in dung for ten days, until it is consumed into water. Afterwards put it in a hot furnace with a clear fire until it is congealed.

Note, that you can fix the spirit with oil of sulphur, or of sal ammoniac, and with water of white vitriol. But for conversion into Sol it must be treated with water of tartar.

How Spirits should be Dissolved.

Put into water eggshell, salt of alcali, and sal ammoniac. This water is poured on the warm or fused Spirit and it becomes a powder. Afterwards dissolve and congeal it. Dissolve nine times and it will be fixed.

The Fixation of Salts and of Spirits so that they will remain in the fire and melt like lead.

Dissolve salt in acetum and place therein mercury at pleasure, sulphur, and arsenic, and they will melt together.

Concerning Lixivia.

Make a lixivium as strong as possible, pour oil on it, and let it stand for two days. Shake it frequently, and it will be converted into milk. Having done this, try whether it will stand the fire. If it does, well and good; but if not, put it on again until it does stand, and it will be fixed. Do this for seven days, imbibing and drying it over a slow fire. It will then flow like lead.

Concerning the Virtue of Oil of Tartar.

Distil the oil from crude tartar. It avails in all diseases of the joints and of the spleen, whilst it also absorbs ulcers.

The Fixation and Tincture of Spirits.

Take of calcined tartar one part, of water of the body quantum suff. Let it boil, and note that it is well imbibed with oil of tartar. Distil until it is dried, and repeat this as long as the ingredients remain in the fire. Afterwards take the spirit, pound it, and place it within a glass vessel in horse dung. Let it remain for ten days, desiccate over fire the water thence produced, and thus it will be fixed. Note that you can fix spirits with oil of sulphur or with water of sal ammoniac, or with water of white vitriol. Distemper the water of tartar in the sun with crocus of Mars, as above, etc.

To Dissolve Tartar in one hour without a Furnace.

Take marble and place upon it some tartar. Let it stand in water as long as possible, but so that the water shall not touch the tartar, and it will soon be dissolved.