THE SENDIVOGIAN ALCHEMICAL TRIPOD

original: "TRIPUS CHIMICUS SENDIVOGIANUS." A "tripod" refers to a three-legged stand, symbolizing the three distinct treatises contained in this volume.

by Michael Sendivogius

Michael Sendivogius (1566–1636) was a prominent Polish alchemist, diplomat, and court physician. He is best known for his theories on the existence of a "food of life" in the air (later identified as oxygen) and his influential alchemical writings.

That is

A Compendium of Treatises

In which are contained:

I. Concerning the Philosopher’s Stone, which is called "Golden," and in which the true and correct path for finding it is discussed with the utmost brevity.

II. Concerning Sulfur, which is the other principle of all metals.

In the "Mercury-Sulfur theory" of alchemy, Sulfur represented the active, masculine, and combustible principle of matter, while Mercury represented the passive and fluid principle.

III. Concerning Nature, that is, the generation of all things.

All things converted from the Italian into the Latin language, and now for the first time published.

original: "Omnia ex Italico in Latinum sermonem conversa." This suggests that while the author was Polish, these specific versions of the texts may have circulated in Italian manuscripts before being formalized in Latin for the scholarly community.

Strasbourg,

original: "Argentorati," the Latin name for the city of Strasbourg, which was a major center for alchemical publishing in the 17th century.

At the House of the Heirs of Eberhard Zetzner.

The Zetzner family were famous printers; Eberhard Zetzner published the Theatrum Chemicum, the largest collection of alchemical texts ever printed.

1628.