Collection of Alchemical Manuscripts

A hand-drawn alchemical illustration depicts a glass vessel, also called a cucurbit. Inside the spherical belly of the flask, a serpent appears as an Ouroboros, biting its own tail. It is positioned in the middle of stylized flames colored with yellow and orange washes. The flask is sealed at the top with a ribbed, conical stopper. Above the vessel, a decorative, fluttering scroll contains the main text. To the left of the main scroll, a smaller curled fragment of the ribbon contains the letters "sa".

original: "imbibitio". The term imbibition refers to an alchemical process where a liquid is added to a dry substance to "feed" or "soak" it, often repeated until the material can absorb no more.