The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

74240

Title

The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

John Rudolph Glauber presents a comprehensive collection of secrets in medicine, alchemy, and metallurgy. This 1689 compendium details methods for refining metals, creating universal medicines, and improving agriculture, blending practical chemistry with mystical alchemical philosophy.

Summary up to 500 words

In this extensive 1689 work, Johann Rudolf Glauber, a renowned chemist, compiles a vast array of practical and theoretical knowledge for the lover of art and industry. The text is divided into multiple parts covering philosophical furnaces, mineral works, spagyric dispensatories, and treatises on the nature of salts and metals. Glauber begins by addressing the reader, recounting his own experiences with the elusive 'universal medicine' and the 'poisonous dragon' of alchemy, ultimately concluding that while great riches and honor are sought, nature's arcana often remain hidden from the ungodly. He advocates for a focus on particular, useful medicines rather than the elusive philosopher's stone. The book offers detailed instructions for creating spirits, oils, and flowers from various materials such as nitre, flints, sand, tin, zinc, and lapis calaminaris. These processes often involve distillation with salt nitre and coals to extract volatile substances useful for purging metals or treating ailments like scabs, ulcers, and fevers. Glauber provides specific recipes for making spirits from chalk, tin filings, and zinc, noting their external applications for wounds and internal uses to provoke sweating and urine. He also details the creation of a green salt from lapis calaminaris, which acts as a powerful purgative and possesses alchemical properties. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the extraction of tinctures from gold and other metals. Glauber debates the nature of a 'true tincture,' arguing that while some processes extract color, they do not necessarily extract the 'soul' or life of the metal, which can be restored by certain minerals like antimony. He describes processes for making gold appear silver or brittle, and how to restore its color. The work includes instructions for growing trees from metals using a special liquor of sand, demonstrating the hidden tinctures within seemingly inert stones. Glauber also covers the preparation of vitriol (sulfuric acid), its various species, and its applications in medicine and alchemy. He discusses the virtues of tartar, vinegar, and wine, offering methods to improve poor wines, create brandy from lees, and preserve wines from corruption. The text extends to agricultural improvements, such as making barren land fertile and causing vines to bear fruit in hard rocks. Throughout, Glauber maintains a tone that is both instructional and cautionary, warning against the dangers of improper operations with sulfur and the folly of seeking hidden knowledge without divine guidance. The work concludes with advertisements for his other published books on pancreatic juice, universal remedies, and chemical aphorisms.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Philosophy
• Science