The Archidoxes and Medico-Chemical Works of Paracelsus

appear sometimes with complexions, such as water as water, air as air, earth as earth, and fire as fire. These are to be understood subtly, then finally it can be well done by likeness, if they are taken by that provision of elements, not visibly or in act, nor according to the nature of the element of fire, but as a hot and dry complexion, just as fire. In this way, its nature, essence, and condition are attributed to each element, without a corrupted property. For it is not thought, because some herb might be very hot, such as a nettle, that for this reason it contains more fire in itself; but rather it is estimated that its Fifth Essence is hotter than the Fifth Essence of chamomile, which indeed has less heat. But the elements of the body receive less or more from their substance, just as wood contains more fire in itself than herbs; similarly, stones have in themselves more dryness and earth than resins.

Nettle, how it is hotter than chamomile.

Note thus equally that the multitude and quantity of the degree in the Fifth Essence arises from the predetermined element. And the intension of the degree of the bodily elements emerges from the species of the substance, which is dissimilar.

Practice of separation is twofold.

But we must come to the practice of making the separation of bodily elements from all other things, which is held to be twofold: One indeed teaches how to elicit three elements from pure elements, such as from burning fire, from invisible air, from true earth, similarly from natural water, which do not have a similar origin like the preceding.

The other, indeed, is that of those from which those four exist, as we said above, with such difference, however, that this exhibits more of the element of fire, water, earth, or air, with the likeness of the forms of the essential elements. When they have been separated in this way, they can never be dissolved again, so that they might be corrupted beyond their complexions.

The essence of the elements is found formally through separation.

It must also be noted that elements are found formally through separation to the likeness of essential elements. For air appears as air, which can least be concluded—which some falsely think—for this reason: because it exalts itself immediately at the moment of separation, and a wind also breaks forth sometimes, when water ascends upward, sometimes with earth, and other times with fire. For the exaltation or elevation in air is most to be wondered at. Just as if air is to be separated from the essential element of water,
Air is separated from water by boiling.

it is done by boiling. With that beginning, the air is soon separated from the water and carries with it the lightest substance of the water, and as much as the water is diminished, so much the air itself is also diminished according to its proportion and quantity.