Chemical Experiments on the Radical Dissolution of Bodies

The Dragon that eats its own tail. original: "Der Drache, dessen Haupt seinen eignen Schweif frißt." This refers to the Ouroboros, an ancient symbol of eternity and the cyclical nature of the alchemical work.

This Universal Substance can rather be condensed with the inwardly perceived original: "intus suspicirten." This likely refers to a metal sensed or hypothesized to exist within the prime matter rather than one found in a physical mine. metal into that body which is called the Stone original: "lapidem." A reference to the Philosopher's Stone., which then unites with other pure metals expanded by the substance of heat original: "Wärmestoff." In 18th-century science, heat was often thought of as a physical fluid called "caloric."; it brings them to a state of super-perfection original: "Plusquamperfection." and likewise turns them into the saviors of the other imperfect metals. This process of making perfect is called transmutation, which is essentially a radical union Radical union: A joining at the "root" (Latin: radix), meaning a fundamental merging of essences rather than a simple physical mixture. of metallic principles, through which the external form is necessarily changed.

Profane chemistry The author uses "profane" to distinguish academic or commercial chemistry from "sacred" or spiritual alchemy. exhausts itself in its chemical labors to multiply the already known types of metal with ever new varieties, and has already reached 18 to 20 different metals; instead, it should strive to reduce In alchemy, to "reduce" means to lead a substance back to its simplest, original state. them all to a single species—which is actually nature's goal in the mineral kingdom—in order to come closer to the knowledge of metallic nature.

It also, to this day, knows nothing other than mere mechanical separation of the metallic substance: true radical dissolution, which alone [is] a