Preface.

...rose above; afterwards came a silver-white volatile salt original: "Sal volatile", which was accompanied by a blood-red oil original: "Oleo". The "dead head" Caput mortuum|The solid residue remaining in the bottom of a flask after distillation is complete; often considered the "body" of the substance remained black at the bottom original: "in fundo". After breaking the glass, I extracted the fixed salt original: "Sal fixum" from it using its own phlegm Phlegmate|A watery, tasteless distillate obtained during the distillation process, representing the element of water. Upon evaporation, this salt crystallized very beautifully and in the shape of a cross original: "in forma crucis", as well as in other figures. These three—the volatile, the medicinal original: "Medicum", and the fixed—I purified for so long until no more dregs original: "Fæces" were to be seen in solution or distillation; it is an excellent medicine original: "Medicament".

From the true philosophical solvent Menstruum of the Philosophers|The "Menstruum" is a powerful alchemical solvent believed to be capable of dissolving solid matter into its primary components without destroying its "soul", a beautiful blood-red tincture can be made, which yields all kinds of lovely small crystals—triangular, square, etc. original: "ze.", an abbreviation for "und so weiter" (and so forth)—that one cannot help but wonder at. In taste, it is like a pleasant vitriol-salt original: "Vitriol-Saltz" and possesses excellent virtues in the curing of diseases. I hope, God willing, to delve even further into this secret.

I now have, praise God, three kinds of solvents original: "Menstrua": (1) a macrocosmic one Macrocosmicum|Pertaining to the "Macrocosm" or the universe; in alchemy, this usually refers to minerals or substances of the greater world, which can be read about here and there in the writings of the philosophers, as well as in this work and my own writings; and (3) The author skips the number 2 in the text or incorporates it into the final combined discovery I have now also for the first time obtained a macro- and microcosmic one Microcosmicum|Pertaining to the "Microcosm" or the human body; often refers to substances like urine or blood used as alchemical starting points, both at once, so that it is now said: "Everything in threes is perfect" original: "Omne Trinum perfectum".