62. The Testimony of van Helmont.

John Baptist van Helmont (see 57), who was celebrated alike for his skill as a physician
and chemist and for his nobility of character, testified in more than one place that he had
himself carried out the transmutation of mercury into gold. But, as we have mentioned
above, the composition of the Stone employed on these occasions was unknown to him.
He says: " . . . For truly, I have divers times seen it [the Stone of the Philosophers], and
handled it with my hands: but it was of colour, such as is in Saffron in its Powder, yet
weighty, and shining like unto powdered Glass: There was once given unto me one fourth
part of one Grain: But I call a Grain the six hundredth part of one Ounce: This quarter of
one Grain therefore, being rouled up in Paper, I projected upon eight Ounces of Quicksilver made hot in a Crucible; and straightway all the Quick-silver, with a certain degree
of Noise, stood still from flowing, and being congealed, settled like unto a yellow Lump:
but after pouring it out, the Bellows blowing, there were found eight Ounces, and a little
less than eleven Grains [eight Ounces less eleven Grains] of the purest Gold: Therefore
one only Grain of that Powder, had transchanged 19186 [19156] Parts of Quick-silver,
equal to itself, into the best Gold."1
And again: "I am constrained to believe that there is the Stone which makes Gold, and
which makes Silver; because I have at distinct turns, made projection with my hand, of
one grain of the Powder, upon some thousand grains of hot Quick-silver; and the
buisiness{sic} succeeded in the Fire, even as Books do promise; a Circle of many People
standing by, together with a tickling Admiration of us all.... He who first gave me the
Gold-making Powder, had likewise also, at least as much of it, as might be sufficient for
changing two hundred thousand Pounds of Gold: . . . For he gave me perhaps half a grain
of that Powder, and nine ounces and three quarters of Quick-silver were thereby
transchanged: But that Gold, a strange man [a stranger], being a Friend of one evenings
acquaintance, gave me."2