The Hermetic Museum

A decorative woodcut divider featuring a central symmetrical scrollwork motif with horizontal extensions.

perfluous original: flüssig seyn. Combined with the catchword "perfluous" from the previous page, this completes the German word überflüssig. to describe the internal arrangement of this
book somewhat more extensively,
in order to prove its utility even more evidently.
The author divided the whole
book into chapters, and each chapter treats
a subject of Hermetic chemistryA traditional term for alchemy, named after the legendary figure Hermes Trismegistus.
generally in the following manner.
Section 1 is dedicated to the definition of the same.
In Section 2, sometimes the etymology,
sometimes the reason for the naming,
sometimes also the synonyms, or the
metaphorical names are provided.
In Section 4, the specific differenceA term from classical logic (Latin: differentia specifica) referring to the essential quality that distinguishes one thing from another in the same category.
appears from other objects similar to it.
In Section 5, its cause is given, in Section 6, its
components, in Section 7, its effect,
and in Section 8, that which acts against it,