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

Master Thomas Kesler, Chemist & Citizen of Strasbourg, in Chemical Processes, published in Frankfurt, 1641. original: "M. Thomas Kesler, Chimicus & Civis Argentinensis, in Processibus Chimicis, Editis Francof. 1641." Kesler was a well-known 17th-century writer on "chymistry" (the overlap of alchemy and chemistry), particularly known for his medicinal recipes.

Process 334. To obtain a beautiful and lovely oil, like fine gold, from human bones.

Take human bone original Latin: "Offa humana." Here referring to bone material. from the arms and shinbones; calcine these to the highest degree Calcinating involves heating a substance to high temperatures in the presence of air to reduce it to a white ash or brittle state.. Afterward, pour spirit of wine original: "Spiritum Vini." Ethanol or high-proof alcohol. over them and let it digest A process of gentle, steady heating to aid extraction.. The spirit of wine will then become colored. Pour fresh spirit of wine over it again and let it extract; do this for as long as the spirit of wine continues to take on color and extract something. Afterward, pour the colored spirits together and draw off Distill away. the spirit of wine. A mass will remain at the bottom; then drive it strongly with heat A high-temperature distillation., and a beautiful, lovely oil will come over.

335. How to prepare the Oil of the Fat of the Microcosm. original: "Oleum Axungiæ Microcosmi." In alchemical philosophy, the "Microcosm" (little world) refers to the human body, as opposed to the "Macrocosm" (the universe).

When the human fat original: "Axungia humana." has been melted into a lard, I took as much of it as possible and placed it into a small glass retort original: "Retörtlein." A glass vessel with a long, downward-pointing neck used for distillation.. I mixed into it a sufficient amount of dried and leached juniper ashes original: "Wachholder-Aschen." Ashes from which the soluble salts have been washed out; they act as a medium to prevent the fat from burning or foaming too much during distillation.. I then drove it distilled it in a sand bath A container of sand heated by a fire, providing even, indirect heat to the glass vessel. into a large receiver-flask. I repeated and reiterated this with the ashes five times, until it became very subtle and clear.

337. How one should distill urine.

One must [leave] the urine for 6 weeks or longer The text cuts off here, but this refers to the "putrefaction" or fermentation of urine, which was a standard first step in alchemical urine distillation to release ammonia.