This extraction is of many virtues which are impossible to believe for those who have not experienced it. It purifies the blood and it is for this good for many diseases. The dosage is three or four drops in a suitable vehicle.
Chapter IX. Liquor of Sulphur of Antimony.
Of the Tincture extracted from vinegar (which is the Sulphur of Antimony) when dry, and powdered, as I said before, set in the cavity of an egg white, that’s to say where the red was, and inside a dish you will put in a humid place, and it will resolve in a liquor, but I warn you not to break the film in the egg which separates the white from the red because in that case the white will absorb all the liquor and so masterly remove the red.
This liquor removes any wound, either pointed or cutting. Basilius says that this liquor restore without putrefaction, inflammation and the likes. Good for old sores and ulcers. With this Liquor I removed the cancer in the head from a forty years old woman, in a two months time.
Chapter X. Oil of Antimony Glass by Basilius.
Take some glass of Antimony, made of its mine, and powder subtly then extract the tincture with distilled vinegar of Antimony, as above mentioned, and similarly sweetened, then with the Spirit of Wine extract again the tincture, put in a pelican to circulate for two months (1) and distill with skilfulness without any addiction, you will have a wonderful oil of astonishing value, which the most value you can get from antimony.
Its virtues can be compared with potable gold and this is the base of the Lapis Ignis (2) which he wrote about in his Currus Thriumphalis, page 161: ” Hoc oleum est Quinta Essentia, Quae summum est, quod de Antimonio scribi potest……..This oil is the Quinta Essentia, which is the top I could write on Antimony and which also I wrote short declarations in other books, I said that Antimony requires four instruments for its perfect preparation, the fifth is the useful work in human being body. The first work is the calcination and liquefying in glass. The second is the digestion through which the extraction is made. The third is the coagulation. The fourth is the distillation in oil in which very subtly is separated, and after the separation the fixation for the last coagulation in which the Lapis (stone) is reduced. Since we work on metals we need the right fermentation to make them penetrative, this Lapis is Philosophorum ( of Philosophers), which is not Universal yet, and can only tinge in particular, of which will be said when treating of Lapis Ignis. We need to be very careful with distillation. After that it is a God’s creation and before the coagulation can be used in wine with eight grains as a rejuvenating remedy and every melancholia makes disappear. As the phoenix it gets rejuvenate by means of fire. This medicine doesn’t burst in fire as the salamander. It removes all diseases and expel all evil, as only the potable gold could.”
To enjoy such a treasure it is necessary spare no effort during the distillation and being very skillful, as Basilius said, and the follower must be content of what I have said about the time necessary to have the matter circulated (1), and what kind of vinegar, since Basilius simply said distilled vinegar, which in a sense it is wine vinegar, which is not good to extract such a tincture, and those who don’t’ want to believe it must try it, as I did, and concerning the skillfulness must consult Kerkringer in his commentary, where with an enigma teaches how to do this operation and to make the things easy for the readers, now his words: ” ……Festina lente pingit Alciatus, et ancora Delphinus Implicat…….Run slowly paints Alciatus and the dolphin winds around the anchor (2), this consideration to you, which can turn useful in every life, even in this can be useful,…….canis enim festinans ut scis, caecos parit catulos………even the hurried dogs, as you know, born blind puppies ……..(Lancillotti merely transcribes the entire Kerkringer’s paragraph, while in the original Commentarius in Currum Triumphalem, page 159, the phrases I have translated from the Latin has been printed in italics ). Here below the entire Kerkringer’s paragraph. from Commentarius
Next part at Lancillotti: Glass and Oil according to Currus Thriumphalis 2.
- Both Basilius Valentinus and Kerkringer say to circulate for one months, Lancillotti doubles the time to two months ;
- The volatile shall be fixed. See also Aldus Manutius Printer’s Mark and Alchemical Fixation ;
- The chapter on Lapis Ignis can be found at Lancillotti and the Starry Regulus according to Basilius ;