Collection of Alchemical Manuscripts

An alchemical illustration centers on a round glass vessel or retort. The vessel features a short neck closed with a ridged, spiral shaped stopper. Floating above the neck is a decorative, flowing banner with the text 41. Imbibition. Inside the flask, a dark, scaled serpent or snake lies horizontally across the center, facing the right. Below the serpent is a pool of liquid with wavy, reflective patterns. Above the serpent, numerous vertical strokes descend from the top of the vessel. These represent rain, condensation, or falling vapor. The illustration is executed in ink and grey wash.

original: "41. Imbibitio"

Imbibition: This operation is the forty first stage of the Great Work. The term comes from the Latin word for drinking or soaking. It involves the gradual addition of a liquid to the dry alchemical "stone" or "earth." The alchemist must add the moisture carefully so the material can absorb it without being overwhelmed.
Imbibition: an alchemical stage where a liquid is added to a solid substance until it is fully saturated. It is often compared to a field being watered by rain.

The Serpent and the Vessel: In this diagram, the serpent represents the "fixed" or solid matter. It rests between the pool of liquid at the bottom and the falling drops from above. The vertical lines indicate a process of distillation within the sealed glass. As the liquid is heated, it rises as vapor and falls back down as "heavenly rain." This cycle purifies the serpent and prepares it for the final stages of the work.
original: "Imbibitio"

Distillation: This is the process of heating a substance to create vapor and then cooling it back into a liquid. Alchemists used this method to separate the pure essence of a material from its physical dregs.
Distillation: a technique where a substance is evaporated and then condensed. This process is used to purify the "mercurial" part of the work.

The Serpent: The snake is a common symbol for the volatile or raw materials of alchemy. When shown inside a vessel like this, it represents the transformative state of the substance as it is "nourished" by the alchemical water.