Alchemiae Gebri Arabis philosophi solertissimi, libri, cum reliquis, ut versa pagella indicabit

have thought, which was never the intention of the philosophers. They do, however, say many things by way of similarity. And because all metallic bodies are composed of quick-silver and sulphur, pure or impure, by accident, and not innately in their first nature, it is also possible to remove them through convenient preparation. For the stripping away of accidents is not impossible. Therefore, preparation is to remove the superfluous, and to supply the defect in imperfect bodies, which cannot be done without the help of the work and purifying things. However, preparation is diversified according to the diversity of the things in need. For experience has given us the modes of acting, namely, calcination reduction to powder, sublimation vaporization and condensation, descension distillation downwards, solution liquefaction, distillation, coagulation solidification, fixation, and ceration making wax-like/soft. Concerning each of which we have made sufficient narration in the Summa perfectionis magisterii. For these are the works that assist in preparation.

On things that assist preparation, and their purification. Chapter IV.

The things that assist preparations are these, namely, all kinds of salts, alums, vitriols, also glass, borax, and those which are of this nature, and the sharpest vinegar, and fire. And with these we propose to prepare the imperfect bodies, but it is fitting to purify them first, if any impurity exists in them, according to our experience, in which we were certain through the aforementioned.

Purification of common salt.

Common salt is purified by this method: First, let it be burned; once burned, let it be dissolved in common warm water; once dissolved, let it be distilled through a filter; let the distilled [liquid] be frozen in a glazed dish over a slow fire,