The Chemical Writings of Brother Basilius Valentinus: The Treatises of Heinrich Eschenreuter

...so the good lead The symbol for Saturn (♄) is used here to represent lead. settles at the bottom, and the quicklime original: "Calx viva" lies upon the top; let it lie for one hour in the salt-water represented by the symbol for salt (🜔), then wash it off well, and when you have washed it, then take one quintel A small unit of weight, roughly 3.9 grams. of the Lunar Tincture original: "Tincturæ Lunariæ"; a tincture associated with the Moon and used to produce silver., and mix it for so long in water (🜄), until the beautiful colors appear which showed themselves in the Great Work within the fixation vessel A vessel designed to withstand heat until the substance inside becomes "fixed" or resistant to fire., except for the redness, which you will not see here, even if you let it stand for a hundred years in the fire (🜂); but a bright-shining color, as completely white as crystals, you shall see and keep in your sight. And when you take this out, preserve it well, and use it for the benefit, health, and welfare of yourself and your neighbor; say thanks be to God original: "Deo gratias" and give to the poor original: "da Pauperibus". If you wish to use some of it for the sustenance of yourself or your poor neighbor, then proceed in tincturing The alchemical process of transmuting a base metal by adding a small amount of "tincture" or powder. thus: Take two pounds of the best lead (♄), put it into a crucible original: "Schmeltz-Topff"; a ceramic or graphite container used for melting metals at high temperatures., let it flow, and when it has been melted for half an hour, then cast a half-quintel of this tincture wrapped in white paper upon it. It will enter the metal in such a way that you will not even perceive whether you have applied it or not. Pour it out, and there you will find the best silver represented by the symbol for the Moon (☾) for your neighbor's livelihood. Use this in secret, otherwise you will not be safe in your life; for I also did this once in my cell, when one of my brothers came to visit me, who found me thus engaged and wanted to know what I was doing,