METHOD FOR EXTRACTING MERCURY FROM ALL METALS
Theophrastus Paracelsus
To extract Mercury from metallic bodies is nothing but to reduce them, or to reduce them to their first matter: that is to say, to Mercury flowing such, in fact, as it was in the center. of the earth before the generation of the metals, namely, a moist and viscous vapour, containing invisibly in itself the natural Mercury and Sulphur, or principles of all the metals. Such a Mercury has indescribable power and possesses divine secrets.
The reduction, of which we have spoken, is made by mercurial water, which was not known to Jean de Rupescissa, or others, however they may boast. It must, therefore, be carefully studied and treated with assiduity without fatigue. To prepare the aforementioned mercurial water it must be done as follows:
Take three pounds of Mercury sublimated seven times by Vitriol, Salt-Nitre, and Alum; a pound and a half of sal ammonia, white and neat three times sublimated with salt. Pulverize them together, alcoholize them, and sublimate them in an aludel in a sand bath for nine hours. When the mass has cooled, remove the sublimate with a feather, and sublimate it with the rest as above. Repeat this operation four times, until it no longer sublimates, and in the background remains a black and fluid mass like wax. After having cooled it, remove it; pulverize it again, and soak it in a glass dish several times with water prepared with sal ammonia.When it is spontaneously coagulated, soak it again and dry it, repeating this process nine or ten times, until it hardly coagulates.
Spray it very finely on the marble in a damp place, and dissolve it in a beautiful oil, which you must rectify of all its impurities and residues by distillation in an ash bath. Store this water carefully, because it is by far the pinnacle of all waters. Take eight ounces and put it in a dish with the purest gold or carefully cleaned silver, one and a half ounces in weight. Place this mixture in a closed vessel in a bath of hot ashes in digestion for a period of eight hours. Then you will see that your body at the bottom of the vessel is transmuted into a subtle vapor or Mercury. After making a solution with all the mercury water, separate it, by sublimation in a still over a slow fire, from its first material,
You will thus have the true Mercury of the body, which will be used in desperate cases, provided that it is used carefully, wonderful and heavenly things will be found, which must not be revealed to the worthy.
METAL SULFUR
Sulfur of metals is an oily-looking body extracted from the metals themselves, endowed with a large number of virtues for the health of man. Another sulfur is drawn from metals before they have undergone fire, such as gold and silver marcasites and others, which take rank and excellence according to the nobility of the ore. Similarly it is also extracted from the ore of marcasite and cobalt, according to the nature and property of each.
The most common way to extract it is to take carefully distilled Acetum, which has been kept for twenty-four hours on Caput Mortuum from Distilled Vitriol, Salt, Saltpetre, [NDT: perhaps Salt Nitre] and Alum, and which were themselves also distilled by means of an alembic. Also, I say, that you should pour over the pulverized metal body in a glass vessel so that there is seven fingers height of it. Then place it in horse manure for nine days. The colored Acetum distills in the ashes until it becomes a superfluous oil, which you will rectify in a bath, or in the sun. You will then have the true Sulfur of metallic bodies, which you will happily use according to your will.
The extraction can also be done by means of an astringent and very carefully separated by leaching. But other sulfurs are less suitable for internal bodily use because of the alkali of the ashes, out of which we extract a corrosive substance, and also because of the lime with which certain leachates are composed. The sulfur thus extracted can be washed with sweetened water and precipitated. The next digestion takes double the time. The leaching must also be rectified of any earthy deposit by means of sublimation, so that the sulfur cannot be incorporated with it and become corrosive which would cause trouble to sick people. It is possible to prevent this if the indicated separation is made. This is what concerns raw materials.
But now, these having been melted and purified, you can extract their sulfur from them. There is nothing surer, nobler, or better way than by salt-water or by its oil, prepared in the manner which I have clearly described in my treatise on Alchemy. Such as water extracted from the foundations and the roots of their natural liquid out of all metallic bodies, or a sulfur and a crocus of the most excellent both for medicinal use and for alchemical works. They resolve and open all metals by changing them from its metallic nature to another according to the different intentions and manipulations of the operator.
THE METAL CROCUS, OR ITS DYE
The Crocus of metals is of four kinds: of the Sun, of Venus, of Mars, and of Chalybs. The best is that of Chalybs. It is extracted by reverberation or by calcination, reducing said bodies to dust. In the same way, iron on park is corroded by rust. The deterioration of rust is done by imbibing those things which produce rust, and by a decoction extracting the color from the rust.
Take urine decanted and separated from its deposit, several cups, in which three handfuls of rock salt will be dissolved. When you have passed it, boil it and skim it carefully. After that dissolve another handful of crushed vitriol, with two or three ounces of Salt Ammonia and again skim carefully. With this liquid soak a few quantities prepared in advance, and boil until they can be pulverized. Heat the dust thus produced in a reverberatory oven over a powerful fire, stirring it continually with an iron rod, until it changes from its own color to another, and finally passes into a tone very bright purple. From this you can easily, with spirit of wine or distilled acetum, remove the tincture,
To make the Venus crocus, take a pound or two of carefully alcoholized verdigris, for plenty of 'Acetum distilled, stirring three times a day. Gently pour in the colored Acetum, and sublimate it completely in the ash bath until it is dry. This powder must then be washed nine times with hot water to free it of all its pungency, and then dried. You will then have prepared the Crocus of Venus, or Flower of Brass, from this, if you wish, you can easily extract an oil according to the instructions given in the book of Grand Surgery, where also its use is explained.
The Crocus of the Sun must be extracted by water from the salt, whereby the metallic nature, or malleability, is destroyed. When the residue has been washed away with hot water, the Crocus can be extracted by means of the spirit of wine; and being separated again, the Crocus will remain at the bottom. It is changed into liquid, or true quintessence of the Sun, by means of elevation and sublimation with the five different degrees of fire. With it you can produce marvelous effects. But this does not require a mere imagination, but an active and skilful operator.
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