Now follows the water which is called Mercurial

Water, wherein gold becomes the first matter original: "prima Materia". The chaotic, original state of a substance before it is shaped into a specific form.

and remains a virgin before and after

the dissolution; that is the

first work.

Take calcined alum A sulfate mineral used as a corrosive agent. and saltpeter, eight lots An old German unit of weight, roughly 15 grams or half an ounce. of each, and four lots of common dried salt. Grind it all together into a fine powder. After that, take one and a half pounds of well-sublimated mercury
Sublimated mercury

—and one and a half pounds of the aforementioned powder of saltpeter and alum. Place it into an earthen sublimatory A vessel used for sublimation, the process where a solid turns into vapor and then back to solid upon cooling. that has been well luted Sealed with airtight clay or paste., and ensure all this is ground fine. A skilled laboratory worker shall sublimate all of this until the sublimate has entirely risen. Sweep this off cleanly and with great caution, so that the smoke does not enter your body. Sublimate it again with fresh powder, as mentioned above, using the same weights as stated. The laboratory worker shall protect himself and eat a good-sized piece of fresh, unsalted butter while fasting; and once he has eaten it, he shall drink a strong wormwood wine. This was a common historical remedy intended to protect the lungs and stomach from the highly toxic fumes of mercury. Take this sublimate finely ground and put it into a flask. Pour spirit of wine original: "Spiritum vini", meaning high-proof alcohol or brandy. over it, place it in a water bath original: "Balneum Mariæ". A gentle heating method using a vessel of hot water., and draw it off very gently until it is reduced by half. Pour the spirit or brandy back onto it and draw it off again. Repeat this three or four times, so that the sublimate rises over together with the brandy. If it does not, you must putrefy To let the mixture sit and "rot" or break down through gentle heat. the sublimate with fresh brandy; the brandy should always cover the material by one finger's breadth. When the sublimate has risen into the receiving glass, take the whole matter out of the glass or receiver. Distill the entire substance over the helm The top part of a still, also called an alembic. and then over a second time. After that, rectify Purify a liquid by repeated distillation. the risen sublimate into the four elements until it leaves no more residue, so that everything is destroyed and has become a hellish, burning fire and water.