Sun Without Clothing or Thirty Experiments to Extract the Purple from Gold

eight different times; then, when we wished to draw it over completely dry for the eighth time, at the last, under the strongest governance of the fire, several red droplets revealed themselves in the neck of the small retort original: "Retörtlein," a glass vessel with a long, downward-pointing neck used for distilling liquids., which, because of their excessive weight, did not quite wish to come over. We poured everything that had distilled back over it, digested it much longer than before, and finally drew everything off with such a strong fire that everything might have cracked or melted; thus several—though few—red drops passed over, resembling a Butter of Antimony Butter of Antimony original: "Butyrum Antimonii." This refers to antimony trichloride, which has a thick, oily consistency; here, it is used as a visual comparison for the gold substance., which, however, allowed themselves to be very easily dissolved in the distilled spirit of salt spirit of salt original: "Spiritu Salis," known today as hydrochloric acid.. This we now cohobated The alchemical process of repeatedly pouring a distilled liquid back onto its residue and re-distilling it to concentrate the "spirit" or essence. frequently, until finally we had a fair quantity of this Butter of Gold Butter of Gold original: "Butyri Solis." "Sol" (the Sun) is the alchemical name for gold. This substance is likely gold(III) chloride.. The dead head dead head original: "Caput mortuum," the "worthless" solid residue remaining in the retort after all volatile components have been driven off., however, which remained behind, we thought should be white; but we were mistaken, for after we had turned it back into gold—though with great effort—I must confess it was very pale. Our butter, however, we kept well for further use; and before I continue with its description, I wish to include this incident so that no one may accuse me of any untruth, should it not succeed for one or another at the start.

When I was with a distinguished chemist chemist original: "Chymico." At this time, chemistry and alchemy were part of the same discipline of "Chymistry." excellently experienced in chemical matters chemical matters original: "Chymicis." (whom I intentionally do not name), I spoke of this among other discussions original: "Discursen."...