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Tract on the Tincture and Oil of Antimony by Roger
Bacon
Preface
Dear reader, at the end of his Tract on Vitriol, Roger Bacon
mentions that because of the multiplication of the Tincture that
is made from Vitriol, the lover of Art should acquaint himself
with the Tract De Oleo Stibii. Therefore I considered that it
would be good and useful that the Tract De Oleo Stibii follows
next. And if one thoroughly ponders and compares these tinctures
with one another, then I have no doubt that one will not finish
without exceptional profit. Yet, every lover of Art, should mind
always to keep one eye on Nature and the other on Art and manual
labour. For, when these two do not stand together, then it is
a lame work, as when someone thinks he can walk a long path on
one leg only, which is easily seen to be impossible,Vale.
Joachim Tanckivs
De Oleo Antimonii Tractatus.
ROGERII BACONIS ANGLI
Summi Philosophi Chemici.
Stibium, as the Philosophers say, is composed from the noble
mineral Sulphur, and they have praised it as the black lead of
the Wise. The Arabs in their language, have called it Asinat
vel Azinat, the alchemists retain the name Antimonium. It will
however lead to the consideration of high Secrets, if we seek
and recognize the nature in which the Sun is exalted, as the
Magi found that this mineral was attributed by God to the Constellation
Aries, which is the first heavenly sign in which the Sun takes
its exaltation or elevation to itself. Although such things are
thrown to the winds by common people, intelligent people ought
to know and pay more attention to the fact that exactly at this
point the infinitude of secrets may be partly contemplated with
great profit and in part also explored. Many, but these are ignorant
and unintelligent, are of the opinion that if they only had Stibium,
they would get to it by Calcination, others by Sublimation, several
by Reverberation and Extraction, and obtain its great Secret,
Oil, and Perfectum Medicinam. But I tell you, that here in this
place nothing will help, whether Calcination, Sublimation, Reverberation
nor Extraction, so that subsequently a perfect Extraction of
metallic virtue that translates the inferior into the superior,
may profitably come to pass or be accomplished. For such shall
be impossible for you. Do not let yourselves be confused by several
of the philosophers who have written of such things, i.e., Geber,
Albertus Magnus, Rhasis, Rupecilla, Aristoteles and many more
of that kind. And this you should note. Yes, many say, that when
one prepares Stibium to a glass, then the evil volatile Sulphur
will be gone, and the Oil, which may be prepared from the glass,
would be a very fixed oil, and would then truly give an ingress
and Medicine of imperfect metals to perfection. These words and
opinions are perhaps good and right, but that it should be thus
in fact and prove itself, this will not be. For I say to you
truly, without any hidden speech; if you were to lose some of
the above mentioned Sulphur by the preparation and the burning,
as a small fire may easily damage it, so that you have lost the
right penetrating spirit, which should make our whole Antimonii
corpus into a perfect red oil, so that it also can ascend over
the helm with a sweet smell and very beautiful colors and the
whole body of this mineral with all its members, without loss
of any weight, except for the foecum, shall be an oil and go
over the helm. And note also this: How would it be possible for
the body to go into an oil, or give off its sweet oil, if it
is put into the last essence and degree? For glass is in all
things the outermost and least essence. For you shall know that
all creatures at the end of the world, or on the last and coming
judgement of the last day, shall become glass or a lovely amethyst
and this according to the families of the twelve Patriarchs,
as in the families of jewels which Hermes the Great describes
in his book: As we have elaborately reported and taught in our
book de Cabala.
You shall also know that you shall receive the perfect noble
red oil, which serves for the translation of metals in vain,
if you pour acetum correctum over the Antimonium and extract
the redness. Yes not even by Reverberation, and even if its manifold
Beautiful colors show themselves, this will not make any difference
and is not the right way. You may indeed obtain and make an oil
out of it, but it has no perfect force and virtue for transmutation
or translation of the imperfect metals into perfection itself.
This you must certainly know.
AND NOW WE PROCEED TO THE MANUAL LABOUR, AND THUS
THE PRACTICA FOLLOWS.
Take in the Name of God and the Holy Trinity, fine and well
cleansed Antimonii ore, which looks nice, white, pure and internally
full of yellow rivulets or veins. It may also be full of red
and blue colors and veins, which will be the best. Pound and
grind to a fine powder and dissolve in a water or Aqua Regis,
which will be described below, finely so that the water may conquer
it. And note that you should take it out quite soon after the
solution so that the water may conquer it. And note that you
should take it out quite soon after the solution so that the
water will have no time to damage it, since it quickly dissolves
the Antimonii Tincture. For in its nature our water is like the
ostrich, which by its heat digests and consumes all iron; for
given time, the water would consume it and burn it to naught,
so that it would only remain as an idle yellow earth, and then
it would be quite spoilt.
Consider by comparison Luna, beautiful clean and pure, dissolved
in this our water. And let it remain therein for no more than
a single night when the water is still strong and full of Spirit,
And I tell you, that your good Luna has then been fundamentally
consumed and destroyed and brought to nought in this our water.
And if you want to reduce it to a pure corpus again, then
you will not succeed, but it will remain for you as a pale yellow
earth, and occasionally it may run together in the shape of a
horn or white horseshoe, which may not be brought to a corpus
by any art.
Therefore you must remember to take the Antimonium out as
soon as possible after the Solution, and precipitate it and wash
it after the custom of the alchemists, so that the matter with
its perfect oil is not corroded and consumed by the water.
THE WATER; WHEREIN WE DISSOLVE THE ANTIMONIUM, IS
MADE THUS:
Take Vitriol one and a half (alii 2. lb.) Sal armoniac one
pound, Arinat (alii Alun) one half pound / Sal niter one and
a half pound, Sal gemmae (alii Sal commune) one pound, Alumen
crudum (alii Entali) one half pound. These are the species that
belong to and should be taken for the Water to dissolve the Antimonium.
Take these Species and 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 subtle and harmful in their penetration.
When you now have the dissolved Antimony, clean and well sweetened,
and its sharp waters washed out, so that you do not notice any
sharpness any more, then put into a clean vial and overpour it
with a good distilled vinegar. Then put the vial in Fimum Equinum,
or Balneum Mariae, to putrefy forty (al.i four) days and nights,
and it will dissolve and be extracted red as blood. Then take
it out and examine how much remains to be dissolved, and decant
the clear and pure, which will have a red colour, very cautiously
into a glass flask. Then pour fresh vinegar onto it, and put
it into Digestion as before, so that that which may have remained
with the faecibus, it should thus have ample time to become dissolved.
Then the faeces may be discarded, for they are no longer useful,
except for being scattered over the earth and thrown away. Afterwards
pour all the solutions together into a glass retort, put into
Balneum Mariae, and distill the sharp vinegar rather a fresh
one, since the former would be too weak, and the matter will
very quickly become dissolved by the vinegar. Distill it off
again, so that the matter remains quite dry. Then take common
distilled water and wash away all sharpness, which has remained
with the matter from the vinegar, and then dry the matter in
the sun, or otherwise by a gentle fire, so that it becomes well
dried. It will then be fair to behold, and have a bright red
color. The Philosophers, when they have thus prepared our Antimonium
in secret, have remarked how its outermost nature and power has
collapsed into its interior, and its interior thrown out and
has now become an oil that lies hidden in its innermost and depth,
well prepared and ready. And henceforth it cannot, unto the last
judgement, be brought back to its first essence. And this is
true, for it has become so subtle and volatile, that as soon
as it senses the power of fire, it flies away as a smoke with
all its parts because of its volatility.
Several poor and common Laborers, when they have prepared
the Antimonium thus, have taken one part out, to take care of
their expenses, so that they may more easily do the rest of the
work and complete it, They then mixed it with one part Salmiac,
one part Vitro (alii. Nitro, alii. Titro), one part Rebohat,
to cleanse the Corpera, and then proceeded to project this mixture
onto a pure Lunam. And if the Luna was one Mark, they found two
and a half Loth good gold after separation; sometimes even more.
And therewith they had accomplished a work providing for their
expenses, so that they might even better expect to attain to
the Great Work. And the foolish called this a bringing into the
Lunam, but they are mistaken. For such gold is not brought in
by the Spiritibus (alii. Speciebus), but any Luna contains two
Mark gold to the Loth, some even more. But this gold is united
to the Lunar nature to such a degree that it may not be separated
from it, neither by Aquafort, nor by common Antimonium, as the
goldsmiths know. When however the just mentioned mixture is thrown
onto the Lunam in flux, then such a separation takes place that
the Luna quite readily gives away her implanted gold either in
Aquafort or in Regal, and lets herself separate from it, strikes
it to the ground and precipitates it, which would or might otherwise
not happen. Therefore it is not a bringing into the Lunam, but
a bringing out of the Luna.
But we are coming back to our Proposito and purpose of our
work, for we wish to have the Oil, which has only been known
and been acquainted with this magistry, and not by the foolish.
When you then have the Antimonium well rubified according
to the above given teaching, then you shall take a well rectified
Spiritum vini, and pour it over the red powder of Antimony, put
it in a gentle Balneum Mariae to dissolve for four days and nights,
so that everything becomes well dissolved. If however something
should remain behind, you overpour the same with fresh Spiritu
vini, and put it into the Balneum Mariae again, as said before,
and everything should become well dissolved. And in case there
are some more faeces there, but there should be very little,
do them away, for they are not useful for anything. The Solutiones
put into a glass retort, lute on a helm and connect it to a receiver,
also well luted, to receive the Spiritus. Put it into Balneum
Mariae. Thereafter you begin, in the Name of God, to distill
very leisurely at a gentle heat, until all the Spiritus Vini
has come over. You then pour the same Spiritum that you have
drawn off, back onto the dry matter, and distill it over again
as before. And this pouring on and distilling off again, you
continue so often until you see the Spiritum vini ascend and
go over the helm in all kinds of colours. Then it is time to
follow up with a strong fire, and a noble blood red Oleum will
ascend, go through the tube of the helm and drip into the recipient.
Truly, this is the most secret way of the Wise to distill the
very highly praised oil of Antimonii, and it is a noble, powerful,
fragrant oil of great virtue, as you will hear below in the following.
But here I wish to teach and instruct you who are poor and without
means to expect the Great Work in another manner; not the way
the ancients did it by separating the gold from the Luna. Therefore
take this oil, one lot, [ancient weight unit
used for the weighing of gold and silver coins - about 1/30 pound]
eight lot of Saturn calcined according to art, and carefully
imbibe the oil, drop by drop, while continuously stirring the
calx Saturni. Then put it ten days and nights in the heat, in
the furnace of secrets, and let the fire that this furnace contains,
increase every other day by one degree. The first two days you
give it the first degree of fire, the second two days you give
it the second degree, and after four days and nights you put
it into the third degree of fire and let it remain there for
three days and nights. After these three days you open the window
of the fourth degree, for which likewise three days and nights
should be sufficient. Then take it out, and the top of the Saturnus
becomes very beautiful and of a reddish yellow colour. This should
be melted with Venetian Boreas. When this has been done, you
will find that the power of our oil has changed it to good gold.
Thus you will again have subsistence, so that you may better
expect the Great Work. We now come back to our purpose where
we left it earlier. Above you have heard, and have been told
to distill the Spiritum vini with the Oleum Antimonii over the
helm into the recipient as well as the work of changing the Saturnum
into gold. But now we wish to make haste and report about the
second tinctural work. Here it will be necessary to separate
the Spiritum vini from the oil again, and you shall know that
it is done thus:
Take the mixture of oil and wine spirit put it into a retort,
put on a helm, connect a receiver and place it all together into
the Balneum Mariae. Then distill all the Spiritum vini from the
oil, at a very gentle heat, until you are certain that no more
Spiritus vini is to be found within this very precious oil. And
this will be easy to check; for when you see several drops of
Spiritu vini ascend over the helm and fall into the recipient,
this is the sign that the Spiritus vini has become separated
from the oil. Then remove the fire from the Balneo, though it
was very small, so that it may cool all the sooner. Now remove
the recipient containing the Spiritu vini, and keep it in a safe
place, for it is full of Spiritus which it has extracted from
the oil and retained. It also contains admirable virtues, as
you will hear hereafter.
But in the Balneo you will find the blessed bloodred Oleum
Antimonii in the retort, which should be taken out very carefully.
The helm must be very slowly removed, taking care to soften and
wash off the Lute, so that no dirt falls down into the beautiful
red oil and makes it turbid. This oil you must store with all
possible precaution so that it receives no damage. For you now
have a Heavenly Oil that shines on a dark night and emits light
as from a glowing coal. And the reason for this is that its innermost
power and soul has become thrown out unto the outermost, and
the hidden soul is now revealed and shines through the pure body
as a light through a lantern: Just as on Judgement Day our present
invisible and internal souls will manifest through our clarified
bodies, that in this life are impure and dark, but the soul will
then be revealed and seen unto the outermost of the body, and
will shine as the bright sun. Thus you now have two separate
things: Both the Spirit of Wine full of force and wonder in the
arts of the human body: And then the blessed red, noble, heavenly
Oleum Antimonii, to translate all diseases of the imperfect metals
to the Perfection of gold. And the power of the Spiritual Wine
reaches very far and to great heights. For when it is rightly
used according to the Art of Medicine: I tell you, you have a
heavenly medicine to prevent and to cure all kinds of diseases
and ailments of the human body. And its uses are thus, as follows:
AGAINST PODAGRA or GOUT
In the case of gout one should let three drops of this Spiritu
vini, that has received the power of the Antimony, fall into
a small glass of wine. This has to be taken by the patient on
an empty stomach at the very moment in time when he sense the
beginning or arrival of his trouble, bodily ailment and pain.
On the next day and afterwards on the third day it should also
be taken and used in the same way. On the first day it takes
away all pain, however great it may be, and prevents swelling.
On the second day it causes a sweat that is very inconstant,
viscous and thick, that smells and tastes quite sour and offensive,
and occurs mostly where the joints and limbs are attached. On
the third day, regardless of whether any medicine has been taken,
a purging takes place of the veins into the bowels, without any
inconvenience, pain or grief. And this demonstrates a great power
of Nature.
AGAINST LEPROSY
To begin with the patient is given six drops on an empty stomach.
And arrange it so that the unclean person is alone without the
company of any healthy people, in a separate and convenient place.
For his whole body will soon begin to smoke and steam with a
stinking mist or vapor. And on the second day his skin will start
to flake and much uncleanliness will detach itself from his body.
He should then have three more drops of the medicine ready, which
he should take and use in solitude on the fourth day. Then on
the eighth or ninth day, by means of this medicine and through
the bestowal of Divine mercy and blessing, he will be completely
cleansed and his health restored.
AGAINST APOPLEXIA OR STROKE
In the case of stroke, let a drop of the unadmixed tincture
fall onto the tongue of the person in need. At once it will raise
itself and distribute itself like a mist or smoke, and rectify
and dissolve the struck part. But if the stroke has hit the body
or other members, he should be given three drops at the same
time in a glass of good wine, as previously taught in the case
of Podagra.
AGAINST HYDROPE OR DROPSY
In the case of dropsy give one drop each day for six days
in a row, in Aqua Melissae or Valerianae. On the seventh day
give three drops in good wine. Then it is enough.
AGAINST EPILEPSIA, CATALEPSIA, ANALEPSIA.
In case of the falling sickness, give him two drops at the
beginning of the Paroxismi in Aqua Salviae, and after three hours
again two drops. This will suffice. But if further symptoms should
occur, then give him two more drops as above.
AGAINST HECTIC
In case of consumption and dehydration, give him two drops
in Aqua Violarum the first day. On the second day, give him two
more drops in good wine.
AGAINST FEVER
In cases of all kinds of hot fevers, give him three drops
in a well distilled St. Johnswort water or Cichorii at the beginning
of the Paroxismi. Early in the morning on the following day,
again give him three drops in good wine on an empty stomach.
AGAINST PEST
In the case of pestilence give the patient seven drops in
a good wine, and see to it that the infected person is all by
himself, and caused to sweat. Then this poison will, with Divine
assistance, do him no harm.
FOR THE PROLONGATION AND MAINTENANCE OF A HEALTHY
LIFE.
Take and give at the beginning and entry of spring, when the
sun has entered the sign of Aries, two drops; and at the beginning
with God's help, be safe and protected against bad health and
poisoned air, unless the incurred disease was predestined and
fatally imposed upon man by the Almighty God.
But we now wish to proceed to the Oleum Antimonii and its
Power, and show how this oil may also help the diseased and imperfect
metallic bodies. Take in the Name of God, very pure refined gold,
as much as you want and think will suffice. Dissolve it in a
rectified Wine, prepared the way one usually makes Aquam Vitae.
And after the gold has become dissolved, let it digest for a
month. Then put it into a Balneum, and distill off the spiritum
vini very slowly and gently. Repeat this several times, as long
and as often until you see that your gold remains behind in fundo
as a sap. And such is the manner and opinion of several of the
ancients on how this oil may also help the diseased and imperfect
metallic bodies.
Take, in the Name of God, very pure refined gold, as much
as you want and think will suffice. Dissolve it in a rectified
Wine, prepared the way one usually makes Aquam Vitae. And after
the gold has become dissolved, let it digest for a month. Then
put it into a Balneum, and distill off the spiritum vini very
slowly and gently. Repeat this several times, as long and as
often until you see that your gold remains behind in fundo as
a sap. And such is the manner and opinion of several of the ancients
on how to prepare the gold. But I will show and teach you a much
shorter, better and more useful way. Viz. that you instead of
such prepared gold take one part Mercurii Solis, the preparation
of which I have already taught in another place by its proper
process. Draw off its airy water so that it becomes a subtle
dust and calx. Then take two parts of our blessed oil, and pour
the oil very slowly, drop by drop onto the dust of the Mercurii
Solis, until everything has become absorbed. Put it in a vial,
well sealed, into a heat of the first degree of the oven of secrets,
and let it remain there for ten days and nights. You will then
see your powder and oil quite dry, such that it has become a
single piece of dust of a blackish grey colour. After ten days
give it the second degree of heat, and the grey and black colour
will slowly change into a whiteness so that it becomes more or
less white. And at the end of these ten days, the matter will
take on a beautiful rose white. But this may be ignored. For
this colour is only due to the Mercurio Solis, that has swallowed
up our blessed oil, and now covers it with the innermost part
of its body. But by the power of the fire, our oil will again
subdue such Mercurium Solis, and throw it into its innermost.
And the oil with its very bright red colour will rule over it
and remain on the outside. Therefore it is time, when twenty
years (sic) have passed, that you open the window of the third
degree [The alchemical ovens had small openings
at different heights, by means of which the heat was regulated.]
The external white colour and force will then completely
recede inwardly, and the internal red colour will, by the force
of the fire, become external. Keep also this degree of fire for
ten days, without increase or decrease. You will then see your
powder, that was previously white, now become very red. But for
the time being this redness may be ignored (is of no consequence),
for it is still unfixed and volatile; and at the end of these
ten days, when the thirtieth day has passed, you should open
the last window of the fourth degree of fire, Let it stay in
this degree for another ten days, and this very bright red powder
will begin to melt. Let it stay in flux for these ten days. And
when you take it out you will find on the bottom a very bright
red and transparent stone, ruby colored, melted into the shape
of the vial. This stone may be used for Projection, as has been
taught in the tract on Vitriol. Praise God in Eternity for this
His high revelation, and thank Him in Eternity. Amen.
ON THE MULTIPLICATION LAPIDIS STIBII.
The ancient sages, after they had discovered this stone and
prepared it to perfect power and translation of the imperfect
metals to gold, long sought to discover a way to increase the
power and efficiency of this stone. And they found two ways to
multiply it: One is a multiplication of its power, such that
the stone may be brought much further in its power of Transmutation.
And this multiplication is very subtle, the description of which
may be found in the Tract on Gold. The second multiplication
is an Augmentum quantitatis of the stone with its former power,
in such a way that it neither loses any of its power, nor gains
any, but in such a manner that its weight increases and keeps
on increasing ever more, so that a single ounce grows and increases
to many ounces. To achieve this increase or Multiplication one
has to proceed in the following manner: Take in the Name of God,
your stone, and grind it to a subtle powder, and add as much
Mercurii Solis as was taught before. Put these together into
a round vial, seal with sigillo Hermetis, and put it into the
former oven exactly as taught, except that the time has to be
shorter and less now. For where you previously used ten (alii
thirty) days, you may now not use more than four (alii ten) days.
In other respects the work is exactly the same as before. Praise
and thank God the Almighty for His high revelation, and diligently
continue your prayers fir His Almighty Mercy and Divine blessings
of this Work and Art as well as His granting you a good health
and fortuitous welfare. And moreover, take care always to help
and counsel the poor.
LAVS DEO OMNIPOTENTI
NOTA.
He who wishes to know more about Antiomonio may consult
Fr. Basilii Valentini, Triumphal Chariot of Antimonii with comments
by Theodor Kerckring, p. 15.
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