Preface.

drives away all melancholy and sadness, refreshing and gladdening the human heart.

Whoever possesses these three stones can boldly claim to have the Universal Stones, about which much has been said and written, yet which not one eye in a hundred thousand has ever truly seen. For these stones rejuvenate both humans and livestock; they restore leprous metals In alchemical philosophy, "leprous" or "sick" metals are base metals like lead or tin that are viewed as "diseased" versions of gold. The Stone "cures" them into perfection. to their proper state, and make all infertile trees and growing herbs fruitful and born anew—something no human reason can easily grasp or understand. Thus far Basilius original: "Hactenus Basilius." This marks the end of the quote from Basilius Valentinus., to whom may be added the Anonymous author on Particular and Universal Tinctures, page 281 and following, Nuremberg edition, 1676.

Since I was recently reminded by several lovers of the chemical sciences that it would be good and useful—alongside the Theatrum Chemicum One of the most important and massive collections of alchemical literature ever printed, serving as a standard reference for 17th-century scientists. (which the late Mr. Lazarus Zetzner began as early as the year 1602, and which his heirs have since continued up to the sixth volume in the Latin language, with the seventh soon to follow from me, God willing)—to publish one or more small German treatises worthy of the printing house: I have therefore not wished to fail in preparing for print, for the service and pleasure of these lovers, three separate short treatises, or rather excerpts from the best authors who have written on them, concerning the aforementioned three most noble stones. First, regarding the Animal Stone, the...