THE
GREAT WORK
OF THE
LAPIS SOPHORUM
ACCORDING TO
LAMSPRING'S
PROCESS
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN
by
SIGISMUND BACSTROM,M.D.
1804
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Preface..................................................3
Introduction.............................................5
The Work
Purification of the Mercury...........................6
Sublimation of the Mercury............................6
Humid calcination of the mercury......................6
Exuberation of the above mercury......................7
Fixation of the Exuberated mercury into
Gluten Aquilae....................................8
Solution of Exuberated mercury into Mercurial water
or the Lac Virginis...............................9
Distillation and Purification of the Lac Virginis....10
Union of the Spirit with the body of mercury.........11
Digestion of Gluten Aquilae with Lac Virginis........11
Solution of the White Corporeal Sulphur of Nature....12
Spiritual fermentation of the Sulphur naturae
album or indeterminated White Tincture...........13
Multiplication of the Lapis Albus or White
Tincture in quality or virtue....................13
Multiplication in quantity...........................14
Projection...........................................14
How to prepare the Lunar ferment and to Spiritualize it into the true Oleum Lunae, to determine therewith the sulphur naturae album ex Mercurio towards Luna.......15
Calcination of the Silver............................16
Further solution and subtilisation of the oily
liquor of silver.................................17
Further subtilisation, and Putrefaction of the Oleum lunae................................................17
Reduction of the Lunar or Sophic ferment into an oil.18
Of the Rubification of the White sulphur naturae
ex mercurio......................................19
Solution of the red sulphur naturae into an oil......19
Use of the Quinta essentia medicinalis...............20
Distillation of the Ruby-red transparent solution
of the red sulphur of nature.....................20
Composition of the Principles........................20
Multiplication in quality virtue and power...........21
To Prepare the Solar ferment.........................21
Digestion............................................22
Rubification of the white sulphur of gold............22
Solution of the Solar ferment and reduction of
the same oleum Solis.............................22
Notes on the foregoing process, by Dr. Bacstrom
On the Introduction.................................24
On the Dragon that devours its own tail.............25
On the extensibility of the Elixir..................26
On Alkahest.........................................26
On mixing the oil of silver with spirit of wine.....26
On the operation of natural elements................27
Recapitulation
Preparation of the sublimate........................29
Preparation of the Gluten Aquilae...................29
Preparation of the Lac Virginis.....................30
Preparation of the white sulphur nat................30
Preparation of the Oil of white sulphur.............30
Preparation of the white or lunar ferment...........31
Conversion of the same into a white or Lunar oil.......32
Fermentatio of the white mercurial oil with
the Lunar oil, for the White Stone.................32
Multiplication of the White Stone in power.............32
Multiplication in quantity.............................32
Projection for Silver..................................33
Manipulation for Red Elixir............................33
Preparation of the Red Sulphur natur...................33
Conversion of the same into Oil........................34
Preparation of the Red or Solar ferment................34
Fermentation of the Red Sulphur of Nature ex mercuri Composition of the Red Elixir......................34
Exaltation of the Red elixir in Power..................35
Multiplication of the Red Elixir in quantity...........35
Glossary of Latin Terms................................36
Appendix A, illustration...............................37
Appendix B, illustration...............................38
PREFACE.
The subjoined processes for the manipulation of the Lapis Sophorum are those that were actually followed by a German nobleman, a great Philosopher and a real possessor of the name of Lamspring. He left behind him his process in hieroglyphical figures which were very well engraved on copper plates by Merian and published in a treatise in 1625 which is very scarce.
Whether Lamspring himself, or someone to whom he communicated his secrets, wrote the German original from which the following pages are translated is not know, but it is highly valuable.
As this author gives plain instructions respecting the true Lac Virginis or mercurial water or oil of Paracelsus other Philosophers, and stands highly recommended by Dr. Becher (Vide Stahl’s Chemistry translated by Shaw p. 421 --
27), and as the work upon Mercury per se, with a Solar or Lunar ferment, in forma olei, is the greatest of all mineral or metallic works, I do not wish that it should be lost with me. In case of my death, therefor, I have translated it for you from the German copy of the process which I have in my possession.
I shall only observe farther that Lamsprings treatise above mentioned is written in a kind of Emblematical verses, which becomes perfectly intelligible, as do even the hieroglyphics themselves when the following pages are employed as a key.
The present work is perfectly intelligible and is free from all ambiguity, but the process, taken in all its parts~ (for the various manipulations described have but one ultimate object) is laborious and expensive, and demands an able operator.
It appears from the Writings of Basil Valentine that he was acquainted with this work, as was also Paracelsus who is plainer, but not plain enough. Isaac Holland seems also to have known it. It was known also at the Court of Saxony by Prince Elector Augustus about the year 1580 to 1590, and by Rudolphus Secundus
3
Emperor of Germany some few years after; and likewise by Christianus IV, son and
successor to Augustus of Saxony, all which facts seem to be well attested by documents and writings which I have examined.
April 1804
Lamspring’s Process
INTRODUCTION
He that knows how to elaborate the Great work from Mercury alone will be the most profound Indugator of science and Art! beacuse in mercury alone is to be found what the Wise Masters look for
"ist in mercurie quidquid quaerunt Sapientes.”
Mercury, understand me literally, is the mother of all the ductile Metals the femine sperm, the body, the menstruum and N. B. the nearest matter.
Mercury is not only a Spiritual Essence but also an Essential Body —- a Natura Media, containing a tinging sulphur and mercury indeterminated.
Mercury dies and resuscitates, and is fixed by its own depurated elements.
N. B. But it is highly necessary that Mercury be depurated of its impurities, which are Earth and Water--the two passive elements. (Vide Philosophical Canons, which teaches the same doctrine).
Mercury may be extracted out of Metals, and out of some Marcasites, such as Antimony, Zink, Bismuth, Red golden ore &, as likewise from common running mercury itself. They are all of a nearly similar nature, excepting only that the mercury of Gold, Antimony, Zink, Iron, and Copper is of a solar nature, and that of Bismuth, red golden (colored) ore, Lead, Tin, and Silver is of a Lunar nature. You may prepare the Lapis from a lunar as well as a solar, or from an indeterminated mercury, if your mercury be but highly pure, so that you have the mercury out of the mercury. Then with a lunar or a solar spiritualized ferment you may lead your mercury which may you please; and even if you use a solar mercury you must absolutely make it pass through the perfect Lunar White Tincture before you can possibly obtain the Solar Red Tincture. Thus you may find our pure mercury and sulphur above ground, composed of the self same elements as those which in the mines generate silver and Gold.
THE WORK
PURIFICATION OF THE MERCURY
Take good Spanish Mercury, or that from Istria in Italy, one or two pounds,. Rub it in a wooden, or in a porphyry mortar, with sea salt and sharp vinegar, until the salt and vinegar become black. Then wash the mercury with water. Continue thus to rub with more salt vinegar until the greater part of the external Filth is gone. Wash it again, dry it and then strain the cleansed mercury through chamoi leather. The mercury being thoroughly dry should be passed repeatedly through the leather till it appears very bright and beautiful.
SUBLIMATION OF THE .
Rub and unite your cleansed mercury with an equal weight of good mercury sublimate corrosive, in a porphyry mortar, until it becomes a grey mass. Weigh the mass and mix it with an equal weight of pure nitre* and roman vitriol, of each Rub all well together until the ingredients are well incorporated and appear like a paste.
Put the paste into a strong subliming glass, whereon place an alembic, leaving the pipe open for the evaporation of the humidity. Place your subliming body pretty deep in sand; increase your fire under the sand gradually, and sublime all the mercury upwards into the alembic, white as snow. When you observe this taking place shut the pipe of the alembic.
This sublimation must be repeated three times: that is, once with the ingredients and twice after per Se, in order to obtain the as pure as possible.
HUMID CALCINATION OF THE
Take one pound of this finely powdered, and put it into two pounds of
6
I
good Aqua fortis, not all at once, but gradually, in a glass body. Project only 2 at once into the aqua fortis, and so proceed until the 16 are all dissolved, as sugar dissolves in wine. Shut the glass close, and place it in a warm balneum, in such a heat that the glass may feel pleasantly warm, but not hot, and let it stand so for ten days to insure a true solution p~ minima.
Now apply an alembic to the glass body, and with a little more heat, in a hotter balneum, distill the aqua fortis from the mercury into a luted receiver, and the mercury will be left at the bottom of the glass body white like Hogs lard: then cease distilling. This is the true philosophical humid calcination of the mercury.
EXUBERATION OF THE ABOVE
The mercury that has undergone the humid calcination must be exuberated and rendered fusible, which is accomplished in the following manner:
Cover the bottom of your glass body with a good tough luting. Lute on a roomy alembic and leave the pipe open. Place your body pretty deep in sifted ashes or very fine sand. Increase.your fire under the iron pot gradually until the humidity is all gone, and then again till you have sublimed your mercury into the alembic. Beware of the poisonous invisible fumes, which are mortal when received into the lungs by inspiration.
When no more ascends let the fire die away, and leave the vessel in its place to cool.
Next morning (defending your mouth and nose with a towel, moistened with good vinegar) take off the alembic, take out your sublimate and put it again into the glass body, previously cleansed, washed and dried, or put it into a new one. Then proceed as before and sublime the mercury per se. Repeat the sublimation per se once more (that is three sublimations in all) and the sub
*See Note (a) Page 25.
limate will appear of a most brilliant glittering white, and will be much more visible than before. This is our exuberatus, or fusibiliS.*
FIXATION OF THE FOREGOING EXUBERATED , THAT IT
MAY BECOME THE GLUTEN AQUILAE OF PARACELSUS.
Of your foregoing Exuberated you ought to have one pound and a half at least prepared. Nor will you have cause to grudge your labour.
Take of your Exuberated sublimated Mercury, which has now lost its internal humidity and external earth by the sublimations, a third part, that is half a pounds put it into a glass of this form
which must have a glass stopper, and ought to be pretty strong and roomy enough to be able to admit of subliming and fixing the half pound of your~.. . It ought to be blown with a flattish bottom, without any knob.
This glass is not to be placed on its bottom but sideways, with that part of the belly which contains the sublimate buried in fine sand, in an iron pan, over a charcoal furnace, in this manner.
Increase your heat gradually, and continue until the sublimate has ascended into the upper side of the bottle; then let the fire die away.
*have this Dryway.
Next morning turn the upper side down into the sand and bury in the sand that part which contains the sublimate. Light the fire sublime again --and so continue to do everyday for a fortnight or three weeks, until your Sublimate, even in a very strong heat will ascend no more, but remains below, fixed and fusible.
Or you may fix your sublimated mercury in a double glass, like two deep cups in this form.
The mouth of the one cup must be nicely filled and ground into the other. This vessel as well as the former one (whichever of them is made use of) must be heated to expell the cold air and all humidity, before the previously warmed is introduced. Then the joining, or the stopper if the first mentioned vessel is used, must be luted outside with stripes of linen pasted over the joining five or six fold.
You could likewise fix your in such a double glass as has been just described by applying the heat to the upper...
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