Probably out of the pulse of the forum, but that's what I'm working on now, hope it won't bother

you much. So: 1) 120 gr of natural Tartar was put into a 500ml distillation flask and distillation started with the help of gas flame. 2) Soon, a watery liquid condensed into the condenser and flask (probably just water). I threw it away. 3) Fire was risen and suddenly a thick white fog filled the system. Very difficult to condense. The whole system was closed airtight and the distillation continued for some hours. 4) Finaly, inside the receiver, two liquids have formed; a yellow one at the bottom and a black floating. 5) The condenser, contained some crystals also. Here some of them, washed:

6) The distillate was distilled again in low fire. It separated to a clear fraction, a yellow oil and a black residue. The clear fraction is the Alkahest. 7) The Alkahest dissolves Sol and gets a dark yellow color.

I wonder what kind of compound is contained in this liquid able to do this thing. The boiling point is fairly low. I think it is organic. It is not aqua regia for sure. Cyanate salt maybe (but then, I would smell it)? The crude distillate smells like phenol (highly toxic) but the Alkahest has a nice odor. Congratulations! Little do you know, in that bottle of dissolved gold, you essentially have the Philosopher's Stone already! All you need to do now is distill out the Alkahest so the gold becomes an oil, then digest

that oil according to the instructions of the Dew process. After 40 days in Baleno Mary, it should go through the color changes and end as a blood red, which will become like a cinnabar powder when you put the oil on a sand bath for 2 weeks. And thus you will have the stone of the 1st Order. That's all you did is heat raw tartar? No use of lime or alcohol? I have indeed seen the white fog you describe when heating tartar when I tried to calcine tartar to make potassium carbonate, and it filled the lab with the smell of burnt paper. And the tartar turned black and bubbled, then became hard and nasty. I had no idea you can just collect and condense that smoke to obtain an Alkahest for metals! I will try this out immediately! Perhaps the Paracelsus method with lime and alcohol is just a cleaner way of doing it, but he used already calcined tartar. But as the PON courses teach, there are many Alkahests made from many salts, and each has the power to dissolve different metals and stones. Oh man, I just realized this is the reason why the Ruesenstein document on the dew distillation process says to smoke the dew first! He must have smoked it by burning tartar and letting the dew absorb the smoke. But to for a much cleaner method, Paracelsus used already calcined tartar (potassium carbonate) and used pure alcohol to absorb the white fumes and needed lime to help get the Alkahest out of the potash, because apparently just heating the potash won't give up the Alkahest. It seems that when calcining the tartar, most of the Alkahest escapes in the smoke, but a small amount remains behind which can be forced out of the potash using caustic lime. But also in alchemy text, usually when they indicate to use the "clear and pure salt of tartar" they mean calcined tartar (potassium carbonate) so there is some confusion that arises. But if the Alkahest can be obtained from both, then we can see why a couple different methods were developed to obtain it from tartar, calcined or not. But perhaps the dew is needed for the gold solution to actually putrefy and go through the color changes to become the completed stone. Maybe the Alkahest from tartar is only complete with morning dew, and indeed it seems to be the key that unlocks the DRY PATH which instantly makes the Alkahest from the DRY salt of tartar! If this works, then nobody on this forum will have to wait 9 months to make the stone by the slow digestion path. And think about this --- what if the Cappucine monk got his recipe for the procedure from a document that said something like "the salt is the key to unlock the dew, and without it your attempts will be in vein" so the monk concluded that sea salt must have been what the document was referring to, but in fact it was the salt of Tartar that was the key? I bet we could also just take pure denatured alcohol, and heat tartar and lime together in the distillation flask, with alcohol in the receiver and that flask in ice, with ice water going through the condenser of course, and the white smoke can be better absorbed by the alcohol and will be cleaner than just condensing the smoke by itself.

>Congratulations! Little do you know, in that bottle of dissolved gold, you essentially have the Philosopher's Stone already! Hm, you think heh? Actually, a part of me still thinks that this is only a highly corossive toxic compound. >All you need to do now is distill out the Alkahest so the gold becomes an oil, then digest that oil according to the instructions of the Dew process. Unfortunatelly, I could not proceed this way with this Alkahest, distillation does not seem to lead to the red oil. If possible, I would like to see a photo of this oil obtained by other path (acetate or calx of gold) in order to make color comparisons and verify that I have the correct product. >That's all you did is heat raw tartar? No use of lime or alcohol? I have indeed seen the white fog you describe when heating tartar when I tried to calcine tartar to make potassium carbonate, and it filled the lab with the smell of burnt paper. Yes, I just followed step by step Robert Bartlett's instructions in "Real Alchemy". >I had no idea you can just collect and condense that smoke to obtain an Alkahest for metals! I will try this out immediately! Take care of the very toxic fumes. Outdoors is not enough as I learned by myself. Especially near the end of the process I think phenol is produced, judging from the smell. And then, you must clean carefully your equipment from all those toxic compounds. Phenol is very toxic by inhalation or skin absorption and, among others, may cause permanent CNS damage. Effects can be delayed up to 18 hours after exposure to a small amount of it. >But also in alchemy text, usually when they indicate to use the "clear and pure salt of tartar" they mean calcined tartar (potassium carbonate) so there is some confusion that arises. Yes, we usually say that this salt is potassium carbonate but it seems it is not exactly that. Potassium carbonate from a "live" material may be different from store bought. >But perhaps the dew is needed for the gold solution to actually putrefy and go through the color changes to become the completed stone. Actually, the tartar had accidentally drawn some moisture before going into the process, but I think this is not so important. Nice, I'd be glad to see sb replicate the process. Very interesting.. We could be on the verge of a major breakthrough. I happened to have a copy of the book Real Alchemy by Robert Bartlett. In the book he writes the following about the Tartar Alkahest: "If a living mineral is extracted, the Alkahest may be recovered by a gentle distillation and reused. In fact, it is said to become stronger with frequent use. The oily residue that remains behind in this distillation is dissolved into rectified wine spirits and allowed to stand. Decant the clear liquid tincture for use" (page 105-106)

Just because the gold doesn't turn instantly red when you distill away the alkahest, that doesn't mean it's not the correct oil of gold. In that process, he seems to be making a medicine of Tartar and is unaware an Alkahest can be made from it which dissolves metals. Such a shame. Probably you are correct here. The specific Alkahest maybe didn't have enough power or just is not in a great amount. I should repeat the distillation but I am not confident at all with the crapy equipment I have, concerning safety. Maybe someone more adventurous or better equiped will make it to the suppossed oil successfully. I still wonder, has anyone here seen this mythical oil in his experiments on other paths (acetate, calx, ..)?

Also Bartlett says that this Alkahest has great healing powers. But in the french text, he uses it homeopathetically only.

TARTARUS Distillation of tartar, by Jean Dupont-Davygnon Tartar! Here is a beautiful subject of experimentation for the apprentice alchemist. Indeed for the person who does not fear some nauseous odors, for instance, old cold pipe, this work on the tartar is very interesting because it easily highlights the 3 principles which are the Spirit, Oil and Salt. We will let more qualified persons the care to develop the possible interest of the tartar in Alchemy (refer to the excellent articles of association : the Friends of Alchemy). We will focus ourselves rather on its interest in Spagyrie, therapy, carrying out its distillation, according to the teaching of Manfred Junius and Siegfried Folz. If one believes certain authors, its turned out that this strange body, semi-plant semimineral, would have an extremely invaluable curative capacity when one could prepare it in the form of Elixir! It would be even higher than drinkable gold (gold dyeing)! It is initially necessary to have a tartar of quality, for example resulting from barrels of oak bio having contained a high quality wine in Aquitaine. Or simply some tartar This one will be crushed coarsely. Dont reduce it out of powder so that it does not agglomerate in a too compact body. The composition of the tartar varies from one area to another. It contains biochemical hundreds of compounds like tartaric acid. If one purifies the tartar by solve-coagula and by creaming one obtains potassium tartrate or cream of tartar. The salt of tartar is the fixed part. It is obtained by calcination and contains especially carbonate of potassium, just like salt plant. Besides, It will be our principle SALT. This salt is very dliquescent : it attracts the moisture of the air easily and is solved in a very basic water (prudence!), the Water of the Angels; it would be a kind of magnet. It is also used to concentrate Spiritus Vini having already reached the 96. Van Helmont advised us, if you dont success in making the Philosopher's stone, volitilize the salt of tartar! An advice, alas, that was not followed enough In any case, what a good reason to go and practice!

Distillation of the tartar It is absolutely possible to distil the tartar in a pyrex balloon but the probablity to recover it intact is rather weak. Having for a few weeks steel retort of Friends of alchemy association (http://alchimie-pratique.org), it is obviously this tool which will be useful for the demonstration. Spread out in the content of the retort the piece of tartar. One can of course put a few kilos of it, but distillation will be longer and will exceed the day. The heating will be done with gas thanks to a tripod. Heat gradually. Like any distillation, do not close the system hermetically! At the beginning only the central line of the tripod will be moving. At the end of a certain time, a phlegm will make its appearance. Lead the fire so that this phlegm run out quietly, drops by drops. A blackish oil will also pass with phlegm. As soon as phlegm seems to run dry, increase gradually fire, at this point in time will appear a whitish smoke which will invade the balloon of reception and will escape outside. Then, Change of balloon of reception. This nauseous smoke is the SPIRIT of the tartar. It is very difficult to condense it. At this step, several options are possible: - Manfred Junius created a alambiqu system where the vapors met several balloons connected to each other by long tubes of glass, to trap a maximum of Spirit. - Jean Dubuis, in his lesson on Alkaest of tartar, proposes hermetically circuit cooled at -15C. - As the latter system seems unrealizable to me in full summer of Provence, I chose simplicity, i.e. a single balloon of reception which will recover what it will be able! Perhaps that the more important quantity of tartar in the retort will correct the most important losses? A probably contestable point of view! The junction nozzle/balloon will be corvered with cotton or a lut to try to retain smoke a little. gradually some drops of spirits condense. Increase fire if the need arose, and finish at maximum in end of day. It will also run out a red oil which is yellow-gilded by transparency, it is it SULPHUR of the tartar. This oil do not mix with the Spirit but floats there on its surface. I obtain finally, after a few hours, approximately 150 ml of Spirit, which satisfies me already. But a storm being very threatening in the evening, I see a sign of the Sky there to stop the operation and I dismantle everything before the beating rain. The 3 Principles Here I am in possession of the Spirit (Mercury) and the oil (Sulphur) which I transvase in a bottle to let them rest, elutriate, decant and then I separate them. The tartar which remained in the retort will be calcined in the open air, completely classically, until the light gray color in order to extract a perfectly white fixed salt from it. The Spirit will be rectified several times until obtaining a liquid yellow-clear. Yellow-red Oil has skin healing properties . One can made an ointment by mixing 3 drops in 30 ml of a neutral cream. This pure oil, penetrates very easily in the skin, like an essential oil of plant, and seem to have an energetic effect. On the other hand it is said that this oil, like all the tar, is carcinogenic if it is absorbed by internal way!? Thats the reason certain authors push it out completely. I find this point of view rather contestable, because, even so, it is about the Sulfur principle! For my part, I chose to use it, even if it means to be careful in the consumption of the Elixir!

The white salt of the plant will be calcined with the enamelling kiln, until obtaining bluish reflections, signs of the Sulphur of Salt appearance. Conjunction of the 3 Principles Initial phlegm, as well as the first oil, less beautiful, will not be used. Salt is poured into a bottle. We will soak it with a certain quantity of Sulphur. The whole thing is let digested with the sun a few days until there is a good oil absorption by salt. Then pour, little by little, a certain quantity of Spirit, such way that the mixture remains homogeneous, salt allowing the union of the 2 opposite (and nonmiscible) principles which are Oil and the Spirit. Let digest a few days braised or with the sun. When the result appears homogeneous, pour in this mixture good Spiritus Vini, approximately the equivalent of 5/6 times the initial mixture or until filling half of the bottle. We then obtain a dark red elixir of tartar. Let digest a few days why not 40 days? Use Do not use it pure ! Would be this only because of the taste! For the reasons mentioned above, it seems advisable to use it in low homeopatic dilution, by example D2 or D3, i.e. hundredth or thousandths diluted. Not to forget to dynamize with each dilution. Test 1 to 3 drops per day. Properties If one believes certain old or modern authors, the Elixir of tartar would remove all calculations and crystallizations of the body. It would thus be indicated for various rheumatisms, calculations, encumbered arteries. It would thus seem useful in prevention of the myocardial infarction Let us note that ageing would be due to crystallizations and acidity The tartar would give again also energy united with the antimony dyeing, it would have an anti-infectious action (see the composition of the remedy Epidemik of Soluna). Of course, we let the responsibility for these assertions to their authors!

travelingman777 wrote: TheFool and anyone else, Do you think it is possible to use sodium hydroxide with the lime method? Also where is a good place to get potassium bicarbonate? I have my lime. Jamar

No you can't substitute with sodium hydroxide. And you need potassium CARBONATE not bicarbonate. There is a huge difference. One has a pH of nearly neutral, the other has a pH of 11 because it's that much more alkaline. For comparison, Sodium bicarbonate is baking soda, and when you calcine it in the oven at high temperature, it becomes sodium carbonate, which has a much higher pH. And you can obtain potassium carbonate from "Cream of Tatar" which is probably in your spice cabinet. You need to calcine the tartar until it's white, which can be difficult. And if you are going to do that, you may as well do the calcination in a a distillation system and condense the smoke to obtain the Alkahest of tartar that dissolves gold, as theFool as shown us.

Or you can just buy potassium carbonate off eBay for really cheap. Every alchemist should have the 7 basic salts in their lab: 1-Ammonium Chloride - Sal Ammonica: can be used to make the stone by the dry path using sublimations with powdered chloride salts of the metals, can also be made into ammonium nitrate by dissolving it with nitre in water, and the nitre becomes potassium chloride. 2-Potassium Carbonate -Potash, Salt of Tartar: can be used to make the Alkahest with lime, and can be melted with sulfur to make a red potassium polysulfide that can be heated with powder metals to dissolve them and make the stone by a dry path 3-Tartar - Potassium bitartrate: can be used to make the Alkahest and potash 4- Nitre - Potassium Nitrate: can be used to make nitric acid, and can also be used to make the stone by another dry path 5- Alum - Potassium Aluminum Sulfate: used to make an amalgam of things which normally won't combine 6- Salt (sea salt: used to make the Alkahest with dew, used for making hydrochloric acid, and used for many other things throughout alchemy texts. It can be dissolved with other salts in water to make them into chlorides and to make itslef into another salt, like sodium nitrate when it's dissolved with ammonium nitrate)) 7- Blue Vitriol - Copper Sulfate: can be used to make sulfuric acid when heated with sulfur, can be used to make the stone via Paracelsus' path. Also it should be noted that Paracelsus is the inventor of the word VITRIOL . When blue vitriol is dissolved in water, then precipitated with potash, is goes through several color changes in a 15 minute period -- light blue cyan, dark royal blue, light green, dark green, grayish green, gray, brown, dark brown, then when dried, it's like clay when still moist, then like dirt when completely dry. This is then dissolved in nitric acid and it becomes copper nitrate which dried to form blue crystals, which are then dissolved in strong vinegar and when the water is evaporated, a green oil remains which Paracelsus calls VITRIOL. This then dissolved in putrefied dew and alcohol, digested for a short time, then all the liquid distilled out to leave a green oil again, which is then digested for 40 days and goes through several color changes, ending in a beautiful red. This is then distilled to yield a red oil, and a white salt remains in the distillation flask, which is then dissolved again with the red oil and digested for a few weeks in a sand bath until it hardens into a the Stone of the 1st order. Although it's made from copper, it can be 'fermented' with gold by projecting it on molten gold to create a glass-like material which is pulverized to make the "powder of projection" that transmutes metals to gold. The red oil itself made from the Vitriol can be multiplied by simple digestions in water bath and sand bath to make it into a stone, then into an oil, back and forth, until it begins to glow by it's own light like a fiery coal or ember.