Preface.

...truth may be. But whoever does not well and rightly understand these first three chapters—namely the generation of Salt and metals, the fiery water and watery fire, as well as the Magical System of this universe original: "Systema Magicum hujus universi", along with the Kabbalistic characters and signatures of salt, metals, minerals, the Macrocosm original: "Macrocosmi"; the "great world" or the universe as a whole and Microcosm original: "Microcosmi"; the "small world" or the human being as a reflection of the universe—will be able to understand or judge little or nothing of the last three chapters.

An often-praised person of noble rank has on this occasion told of a curious signature Signatura; the alchemical belief that the outward appearance of a substance reveals its hidden properties or divine purpose of the Salt of the Earth which they themselves found; for when they had the salt entirely purified of its earthiness, it crystallized into nothing but pyramids, like those of Egypt. The most wonderful thing was that among them were some which possessed the very same proportions as the Egyptian pyramids. They possess the most accurate drawing of this: namely, if one divides one side of the base original: "basis" into 500 parts, the height would amount to exactly 682 parts, just like the largest Egyptian pyramid, which has just as many feet in its foundation and height. Indeed, all the steps and the joints of the square stones were as precisely and well-formed as any artist could ever have made them. This salty, transparent original: "diaphane" pyramid also remained that way constantly and did not draw any moist air to itself. From this, it can be seen very clearly and plainly that the ancient Egyptians—who were known to be the greatest and most experienced natural philosophers and chemists original: "Chymici", though they were accustomed to hiding their secret science—did not take the model for these magnificent pyramids from their imagination, but from the very foundation of nature itself. After the pyramids had been constructed with those steps, made of nothing but marble and square stones polished smooth as mirrors and laid without cement, they then covered them with a cement to make them look completely smooth on the outside, in order to hide the art and the actual structure—but above all, the signature that was represented by these pyramids.

In the Herbal original: "Kräuter-Buch" (to which this chemical writing is attached), it is noted throughout that the quality of every herb consists in the fixed or volatile salt, or in the sulfurous original: "Sulphurischen" oil, or in the spirit original: "Spiritu". That all of this can be reduced to a fixed salt is well known to those practiced in chemistry, and it is also proven with true and irrefutable reasons in this attached Kabbalistic Chemical Work original: "Opere Chymico Cabal.". This is mentioned on leaf 10 and 17, and almost throughout the first three chapters, especially on leaf 24 and 34, where the effects of salt and the fact that a fixed medicine original: "fixe Medicin" can be prepared from it are discussed.

We are also assured that all those who make a profession of medicine, chemistry, and natural philosophy, when they read through this writing with good deliberation, without prejudice or harmful preconceived opinions, in the fear of the Lord, and examine it closely/