Curious Chemical Library

Manget. Chemical Library.

BOOK I. SECTION III. SUBSECTION I.

Chemical Lexicon, by the author William Johnson, Chemist. Original: "Gulielmo Johnsoniô." Johnson was a 17th-century English chemist whose dictionary was a standard reference for the complex jargon of the art. Vol. I. 217

SUBSECTIO II.

A Manuscript by Pierre Jean Fabre, Original: "Petri Joh. Fabri." Fabre (1588–1658) was a celebrated French physician who viewed alchemy as a divine science of nature. the most famous Royal Physician of France, formerly sent to His Serene Highness the Duke of Holstein, Lord Frederick; explaining the obscure matters of the Alchemists with extraordinary clarity. Vol. I. 291

Chap. I. Whether the Philosopher’s Stone exists in the nature of things. 292
Chap. II. What the Philosopher’s Stone is in the nature of things. 293
Chap. III. What kind of Body the Philosopher’s Stone has, and in what garment it is clothed. Ibid.
Chap. IV. By what names the Philosopher’s Stone is designated. Ibid.
Chap. V. Whether the Philosopher’s Stone, with its own Earth and Spirit, is sufficient in itself to obtain ultimate perfection? 294
Chap. VI. Whether gold, or silver, or any other metal is required to achieve the perfection of our Stone? 295
Chap. VII. Why our Stone is made three and one? This refers to the alchemical trinity, often symbolizing the union of Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury. Ib.
Chap. VIII. What kind of thing is the Philosophers’ Mercury, which contains within itself all things necessary to achieve the Philosopher’s Stone? Ibid.
Chap. IX. What kind of thing is the Philosophers’ Sulfur, which completes our Work together with the Mercury. 296
Chap. X. What kind of thing is the Philosophers’ Salt, by whose help the Mercury and Sulfur are perfected into the Philosopher’s Stone? Ibid.
Chap. XI. On the solution of our salt, so that by sublimation and distillation we may be able to have our Mercury and Sulfur. Ibid.
Chap. XII. At what time in the cooking of our Mercury the perfected metals must be added to it. 297
Chap. XIII. Whether in the preparation of our Mercury there are various and distinct operations. ibid.
Chap. XIV. Whether in our Butter and fatness The "Butter" of a metal usually refers to a soft, oily chloride or a specific consistency during the chemical process. the Mercury, Salt, and Sulfur are inseparably joined? ibid.
Chap. XV. Why common gold and silver are called "dead," and by what path they are said to be raised from the dead? 298
Chap. XVI. Whether putrefaction can occur in the Ashes or in the Bath of our Mercury, so that our Butter and fatness may be extracted from it? Ibid.
Chap. XVII. Concerning the Ferment of the Philosophers: what and of what kind it is? ibid.
Chap. XVIII. What and of what kind is our Dragon, devouring its own tail? Ouroboros A central alchemical symbol representing the cyclic nature of the universe and the unity of matter. 299
Chap. XIX. What and of what kind is our Sea, in which there are two fishes endowed with wonderful fatness. ibid.
Chap. XX. What and of what kind is the Chemical Hydra having seven heads? ibid.
Chap. XXI. What kind of thing is that Wife and Woman who kills and slays all her husbands? 300
Chap. XXII. Concerning the Alchemists' Salamander: what and of what kind it is? The salamander was a symbol for the "Fixed" or fire-resistant substance in the furnace. ibid.
Chap. XXIII. What it means that there is a black beast in the Woods, which while it sheds its blackness, is clothed in wonderful whiteness? ibid.
Chap. XXIV. What is meant among Chemists by a winged Lion, and another without wings, and that from two Lions one ought to be made? 301
Chap. XXV. On the making of the Stone. ibid.
Chap. XXVI. Concerning Pure Nature: what and of what kind it is, and of how many types? ibid.
Chap. XXVII. How the Pure Mineral and Metallic substance is to be prepared and obtained? 301

Chap. XXVIII. By what path the Philosophers’ Mercury is elicited from the three kingdoms? The "three kingdoms" refer to the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral. Ibid
Chap. XXIX. Concerning the Liquor Alkahest: what it is and of what kind it may be? Alkahest A hypothetical "universal solvent" capable of reducing any body to its first matter. 303
Chap. XXX. Whether the Philosopher’s Stone can be made from the simple or compound liquor Alkahest? Ib.
Chap. XXXI. Why the Liquor Alkahest reduces all things into first matter without any diminishing of its own action? Ibid.
Chap. XXXII. Whether the liquor Alkahest, after it has reduced the perfected metals into first matter, should be separated from the dissolved metals, or left with them, so they may be cooked together to ultimate perfection? 304
Chap. XXXIII. Whether the Liquor Alkahest has within itself the Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury of the Philosophers? Ibid.
Several Letters of the aforementioned Lord Fabre follow. 304. & seq.

SUBSECTION III.

Chemical Oedipus, opening and resolving the mysteries of the more obscure Chemical Terms and Principles; by the author Johann Joachim Becher of Speyer, Doctor of Medicine. Original: "Joh. Joachimo Becherô." Becher (1635–1682) was a famous German physician and scholar, best known for his theories on the elements that led to the Phlogiston theory. Vol. I. 306.

Title I. Concerning the First Matter of the Chemists. Ibid.
Title II. Concerning the Principles of Substance, namely Sulfur and Salt. 312
Title III. Concerning the Principles of Quality, namely Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt. Vol. I. 315
Title IV. Concerning the four Elements taken Chemically, namely Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. 324
Title V. Concerning Generation, Seed, Menstruum, Matrix, Weight, and Heat. 326
Title VI. Concerning the six real operations of the Chemists: Secretion, Decrection, Solution, Coagulation, Destruction, and "More-than-perfection." 328
Title VII. Concerning the Seven requisites of the Artisan, namely: Terms, Instruments, Materials, Operations, Chemical Writings, the Method of studying Chemistry, and the Method of philosophizing chemically. p. 331

BOOK I. SECTION IV. SUBSECTION I.

A Book on the Difficulties of Alchemy, in which is taught what a student of true Chemistry aspiring to perfection ought to know and what to avoid; by the author Theobald van Hoghelande. Original: "Theobaldo de Hoghelande." Hoghelande wrote extensively to defend alchemy against its critics while warning practitioners about common pitfalls and frauds. Vol. I. 336

Part I. Concerning the obstacles delaying the artisan so that he cannot reach the knowledge and end of this precious science. 340
Part II. In which the difficulty of understanding the books is discussed. 346
Part III. In which the difficulty of the Practice is discussed. 355
Part IV. Which concludes that the Chemical Art should be avoided by everyone This likely refers to the "false" or "sophistical" art mentioned in the following section.. 365

SUBSECTION II.

The Chemical Cato, Named after Cato the Censor, the Roman archetype of strict judgment. a Treatise in which the characteristics of true and genuine Hermetic Philosophy and of false and sophisticated Pseudo-Chemistry, and of the Teachers of both, are accurately delineated. Vol. I. 368

Chap. I. Concerning the Origin of Chemistry. ibid.
Chap. II. Concerning True Chemistry. 369
Chap. III. Concerning the Writers of True Chemistry. 370
Chap. IV. Concerning the Aids of True Chemistry. ibid.
Chap. V. Concerning False Chemistry. 371
Chap. VI. Concerning the Diagnosis of the Frenzied Original: "Phreniticæ." This refers to those driven mad by the pursuit of gold or those practicing "mad" chemistry.. 372
Chap. VII. Concerning the Prognosis of the Frenzied. 375

†† 3