Antimony 'Speisglas' - photo courtesy of C. R.

Garden

Tinctures of Antimony of Basilius Valentinus

according to The Triumphal Chariot of
Antimony

Calcination of Galena in terracotta and Antimony ore in iron frypan.

 Calcination of antimony
continued.

Samples of different stages of

calcination.
 Making glass of antimony using gas and air mix blown by a
reverseable vacuum cleaner for more oxygen and a higher temperature. (1200 C.)

Pouring yellow glass of antimony

 Pure glass of antimony two times vitrified

Preparation of Kerckring's Menstruum

 Sublimated sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride) and ground
sublimate in a sandbath on low heat to prevent moisture absorption. Digested with pure spirit of
wine to make the Kerckringius Menstruum to extract the oil/tincture of antimony.

The Unfixed Tincture of Glass of Antimony

The Fixed Tincture of Antimony

Soxhlet extraction of the glass by rectified red vinegar.

The solution after extraction.
Fixed solution

Fixed powder of the glass after evaporation

Regulus - the little king - of antimony

Regulus of Antimony
 The Dry Distillation & Sublimation of Zinc

THE ACETONE
(From Das Aceton - Dr. C.A. Becker translated: Schuck & Nintzel 1981 RAMS)

The wine spirit is chemically always the same, but technically and physiologically it is different
depending on its preparation from grain, rice, potatoes, wine, etc.; the same holds true for the
acetone depending on the various bases of the acetate salts; that is why I will give the individual
descriptions as follows:

1. ACETONE FROM ZINC (RESPUR FROM MINERALGEISTE - p 116)

Zinc flowers were dissolved in a distilled wine-vinegar, then filtered and evaporated to oil
consistency; when removed from the fire, the substance coagulates forming a salt. This was put
into a glass retort and distilled. First it was flowing, then it started to pass over like a secret wine
spirit in fine veins, however tasteless; then followed a thick and reddish water. With strong heat
the whole substance swelled up and from it rose a ghostlike (spirit) snow which deposited in
large amount, a thumb's thickness, and which fell down in some parts due to its volume. That
which penetrated the receiver's paper seal had a smell as pleasant as Bernhard von Trevis has
described it in his "left-out word,"* and I was quite surprised. After everything had cooled off, a
thin coat with silverwhite shine and prettier than Oriental pearls appeared all around; it could be
touched with the fingers and had a smell like camphor.

Glauber (Furn. Phil. 2 Th. p. 99) also mixes the zinc acetate with sand, distills, notices however
only that first a tasteless phlegm, then a subtle alcohol, and finally a yellow and red oil pass over.

*"Left-out word," Verbum Demissum, is the name omitted by the adept of the secret material which is not
named in it, and it is therefore note-worthy that Respur often names the Zinc, thus explaining the secret
Fontina Bernhardi, his solvent.

Zinc Pyrolisis
Calcined Sphaelerite (zinc sulphide ore) or white zinc oxide powder from a pottery supplier
which dissolves readily in strong vinegar. Filter through coffee filter and evaporate to crystalline
acetate.

The crystal "flowers" of zinc acetate

Place in appropriate size flask to allow up to three times expansion with minimum B34 neck.
Bury flask in sand to three quarters in an old stainless steel pot.
Use a hotplate capable of 450 - 500 degrees C. (the sandbath will absorb more heat) and
gradually raise heat every half hour to maximum over eight hours.
Use a torch to inspect the progress of leavening and liquifaction.
The ghost or fume
The volatile gas flows into the ice cooled receiver.
The flask after cooling
The volatile salt in the still-head (B34)

The sublimate: left- from condensor; right- upper flask & stillhead
The Golden Water distillate - unrectified acetone and oil
Rectification of the Golden distillate
The beginning of re-crystalisation with the phlegm (water of crystallisation) and fresh vinegar.
Zinc golden water distillate with sublimate added and digested.
Separated zinc oil in pure spirits of wine.
 The Acetate Work

Dry distillation train

Equipment
B34 1 litre flask for the acetate and 1 B24 1 litre for the water trap
Two 1 litre doublenecked flasks
Water-cooled longish condensor
Basic still-head
End piece
Glass and plastic tubing
Hot-plate 450oC plus
Steel saucepan
Clean sand
Ground charcoal

Place your chosen acetate salts into the one litre B34 flask to no more than half full. Place on
sand bed of 2 cm. in steel saucepan and pour rest of sand around up to the neck or 2/3 of flask for
insulation and thermal shock prevention upon cooling.
Grease the joints and connect still head and condensor to end piece and double necked receiver.
The second neck is the outlet for any volatile vapors to be passed through into the second flask
via a glass tube into a water trap.
After bubbling through the water any toxic fumes are passed through charcoal in the third flask.
From there a plastic tube can be led to the outside.
After the train is sealed raise the heat incrementally every half hour until the liquifaction. Then
the dry land appears and grows like leavened bread. The first distillate is the phlegm or water of
crystallisation. (After this passes the flask can be emptied or replaced). It will then give up the
ghost-like smoke that flows along the condensor and fills the receiver condensing into a pale
golden water. As the heat is raised a reddish-brown oil ascends and perhaps a sublimate of
volatile salt. When no more drops come over and no more bubbles pass through the water, turn
down slowly. Disconnect water trap or vacuum will suck up water into the distillate.
The distillate is either circulated or rectified by fractional distillation.

Dry distillation train

Dry distillation of Lead acetate
Dry distillation train
The remainder of the Golden Water of Saturn after the spirit is distilled.
 Primum Ens
The Primum Ens of Melissae
From The Life and the Doctrines of Paracelsus
Franz Hartmann, (1891) reprinted 1963, Health Research, Mokulumne Hill,
California. pp 352/4

Paracelsus stated that nature provides substances that could rejuvenate, to some degree, the well
being and vitality of the body by attracting and concentrating the source of spirit and soul that
was found in particular remedial substances.

"'Such a remedy is the Primum Ens, the source of all life. As the fabulous halcyon1 becomes
rejuvenated and its own substance renewed by drawing its nutriment from the Primum Ens, so
may man rejuvenate his constitution by purifying it so that it may be able to receive without
any interruption the life-giving influences of the divine spirit.'

'But the vehicle that forms the medium through which life acts consists of elementary
substances that are found in Nature,and which forms the quintessence of all things. There are
some substances in which this quintessence is contained in greater quantities than others, and
from which it may more easily be extracted. Such substances are especially the herb called
melissa, and the human blood.'

'The 'Primum Ens' of a thing is its first beginning, its Prima Materia; an invisible and
intangible spiritual substance, which may be incorporated in some material vehicle. 'He
who wants to separate the Primum Ens from its Corpus must have a great deal of experience
in the spagyric art. If he is not a good alchemist his labour will be in vain' ('De Separat.
Rer.')

'The Primum Ens Melissae is prepared in the following manner: Take half a pound of pure
carbonate of potash, and expose it to the air until it is dissolved (by attracting water from the
atmosphere). Filter the fluid, and put as many fresh leaves of the plant melissa into it as it will
hold, so that the fluid will cover the leaves. Let it stand in a well-closed glass in a moderately
warm place for twenty-four hours. The fluid may then be removed from the leaves, and the
latter thrown away. On the top of this fluid absolute alcohol is poured, so that it will cover the
former to the height of one or two inches, and it is left to remain for one or two days, or until
the alcohol becomes of an intensely green colour. This alcohol is then to be taken away and
preserved, and fresh alcohol is put upon the alkaline fluid, and the operation is repeated until
all the colouring matter is absorbed by the alcohol. This alcoholic fluid is now to be distilled,
and the alcohol evaporated until it becomes of the thickness of a syrup, which is the Primum
Ens Melissae; but the alcohol that has been distilled away and the liquid potash may be used
again. The liquid potash must be of great concentration and the alcohol of great strength, else
they would become mixed, and the experiment would not succeed.'"2

Comments:

'And the Spirit moved upon the face of the waters.'

'The waters above were separated from the waters below.' Genesis

Halcyon days: the Winter solstice; The long Winter nights are an ideal time for the collection of
angel water and it is the pivotal time for the rebirth of the spirit of vegetation that then appears in
the Spring. The fixing of this spirit in the salt magnet is the means to manifesting the Primum
Ens

Pure grape spirit that was circulated initially on its own wine and/or sharpened over potassium
carbonate to ensure the spirit is dry. The fresh herb will add water; hence the need for a saturate
salt solution.
The water etc., is drawn out of the plant cells by a difference in salt concentration in order to
create a balance. In this way the essence is transferred to the angel water. The green tincture may
appear after a few minutes or if left to macerate for several months or even years the resulting
alcohol tincture may become amber.
The spirit receives the tincture from below by using a form of osmotic pressure and diffusion
from the high concentration salt sol~. to the concentrated spirit which allows the soul to cross the
membrane but not the body/salt that served as its medium.
It may be difficult to remove all the colour from the salt. Regular shaking can help. There may be
no choice in the end but to dry the salt and recalcine it to burn out the carbon so it can collect
fresh dew (angel water).

When the discarded leaves are dried they reveal a coating of precious soluble salt. This can either
be rinsed with distilled water and collected after evaporation or the body dried and calcined. The
soluble salt of the melissa can be added to the rest when dissolved and leached with distilled
water and recrystallised.

Any herb can be subjected to the Ens process, although the results will vary according to the
differing symbiotic relationship and virtues of the herb. It is useful on herbs with minimal oil
content. Melissa is said to have 0.1 % volatile oil.

R.D.
A few minutes after the addition of the tartarised spirits of wine produced the green tincture.
Fresh leaves were added to the solution immediately after chopping and no heat was applied.

The fresh leaves of melissa were macerated in the saturate solution in

a digestive summer heat for three days and removed using a sieve. Pure spirits of wine from
circulated wine (1 month) was added and settled on top of the salt solution. In this example a
pale green tincture appeared within a few hours.
 Fresh leaves and flowers of melissa were added to 500ml of
saturate solution and macerated for two years. It was sieved and the body dried and calcined to
recover any soluble salt. Circulated spiritus vini was added to cover the salt solution by approx.
two centimetres.

1 Halcyon - a bird, perhaps kingfisher or pelican, anciently fabled to brood about the time of
winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea, and to charm the wind and waves so that the sea was
then specially calm. Hence, halcyon days or alcyonides (Gk.) (Editor-D. E. Foster:
Parachemica, Aust. Spring 1978)

2 Lesebure, a physician of Louis XIV of France, gives, in his 'Guide to Chemistry' ('Chemischer
Handleiter.' Nuremberg, 1685, page 276), an account of some experiments, witnessed by himself,
with the Primum Ens Melissae as follows:- 'One of my most intimate friends prepared the
Primum Ens Melissae, and his curiosity would not allow him to rest until he had seen with his
own eyes the effect of this arcanum, so that he might be certain whether or not the accounts
given of its virtues were true. He therefore made the experiment, first upon himself then upon an
old female servant, aged seventy years, and afterwards upon an old hen that was kept at his
house. First he took, every morning at sunrise, a glass of white wine that was tinctured with this
remedy, and after using it for fourteen days his finger and toenails began to fall out, without,
however, causing any pain. He was not courageous enough to continue the experiment, but gave
the same remedy to the old female servant. She took it every morning for about ten days, when
she began to menstruate again as in former days. At this she was very much surprised, because
she did not know that she had been taking a medicine. She became frightened, and refused to
continue the experiment. My friend took, therefore, some grain, soaked it in that wine and gave it
to the old hen to eat, and on the sixth day that bird began to lose its feathers, and kept on losing
them until it was perfectly made, but before two weeks had passed away, new feathers grew,
which were much more beautifully coloured; her comb stood up again, and she began again to
lay eggs.'

From The Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus Vol.II Edit. A. E. Waite
The Book concerning Renovation and Restoration p.135
The First Entity of Herbs.
Take celandine or balm; beat them into a pulse, shut them up in a glass vessel hermetically
sealed, and place in horse dung to be digested for a month. Afterwards separate the pure from the
impure, pour the pure into a glass vessel with dissolved salt, and let this, when closed, be
exposed to the sun for a month. When this period has elapsed, you will find at the bottom a thick
liquid and the salt floating on the surface. When this is separated you will have the virtues of the
balm or of the celandine, as they are in their first entity; and these are called, and really are, the
first entities of the balm or of the celandine.

From The Book of Formulas John Hazelrigg 1904 p.22; Rams collection.
Aries - calcine
Cancer - deliquese
Leo - digest
Scorpio - separate
Pelican for circulation.
Laboratory Equipment
Fermentation

Fermentation lock, 10
litre demijohn, 25 watt brewing pad, yeast, sugar, (nutrient optional)
Distillation

Straight jacketed (Liebig) condensor B24 ground-glass joints (can also be used
upright for circulation, reflux and steam distillation)
B24 1 litre boiling flask
Still heads; various joint sizes
 Still
Head with thermometer insert
End pieces with an outlet tube (stopcock optional)
 End piece
with receiver flask
Ground glass stoppers Steam distillation
 Steam Distillation
oil separatory unit preferably with stopcock (B24).
Separatory funnel
Retorts
Any size is useful

Small 25, 50 and 150ml approx. retorts with B10 fittings

B24 1 litre (use standard fittings - B24 from 250 ml up)
Clamp and Boss head

Water cooling for condensors

Plastic tubing from hardware stores
25 litre container
Immersible pump (see Water circulation for condensors)
Heating Portable electric hot plate - distillation; bain mariae
Electric frying pan for sandbath - circulation, distillation, evaporation, etc.
Gas bottle and burner - calcination
General- any & all sizes are useful
Sealable jars
Mortar and pestle
Stainless steel & pyrex bowls
Coffee filters and/or Whatmans lab. grade
Funnels - plastic, glass & ceramic
Bottle brushes
Tooth brushes
Sieves

pH papers - Universal Indikator pH 0-14 or Red & Blue

 Silicon Hi-Vacuum grease for ground glass
joint lubrication.