The Microcosmic Animal Stone, or the Supreme Medicine from the Little World of the Human Body

...operates: And one should note / that this Stone cannot enter into the other two / namely the Mineral and Animal original: "Mineralem & Animalem scilicet." stones; much less can it act as a solvent original: "menstruiren." In alchemy, a "menstruum" is a base liquid or solvent used to dissolve solids. for them, perfect them, nor multiply them; for that which is lower has no strength, efficacy, or command over that which is higher. original: "Inferius enim in superius non habet robur, efficaciam nec imperium." This reflects the Hermetic principle of hierarchy in nature.

The second Universal Stone original: "Lapis Universalis." is the Mineral Stone; if one wishes to proceed with this / one must use neither a Vegetable nor Animal solvent original: "Menstruum." in the method of dissolving / rather, it must also be dissolved, fermented, and coagulated with a mineral from which it originally takes its beginning. And from this principle and foundation of the art original: "Principio & Fundamento artis." the reason is to be found why those are in error / who dissolve Common Gold original: "Aurum Commune." with Spirit of Wine original: "Spiritu Vini" or high-proof alcohol., Honey-water original: "Aqua mellis.", or common brandy / and then presume to pass off this foolishness as Potable Gold original: "Auro potabili." A legendary medicinal form of gold believed to cure all ailments.; for gold is in itself a compact body / and takes nothing into its nature / lets nothing foreign in / except its own mineral liquid original: "Liquorem." from which it grew from the beginning original: "à primordio."; with this, it naturally dissolves / grows / and becomes perfected to completion: But / because this Mineral Stone is of a considerably higher degree than the Vegetable Stone / it can therefore operate upon the Vegetable / and help toward its improvement / but the reverse is not true. original: "sed non è contra."

The third Universal Stone is the Animal Stone / otherwise called by the Philosophers