THE ALCHEMIST’S HANDBOOK

Dried, nonpoisonous plants should be finely pulverized and with six

parts water digested for 3–4 days in a warm place. Then the entire pro-
cess mentioned before is repeated.
The well-known M.D. and Ph.D. Zimpel says in his “Taschenrezep-
tierbuch fuer Spagyriker” (Pocket prescription book for Spagyrists) in
part: After collecting wild-growing flowering medicinal herbs or their
respective medicinal parts and cutting them into small pieces, a special
yeast is added and everything subjected to fermentation. This fermenta-
tion yields the peculiarities of the plant and frees the ethereal oils. After
fermentation the newly formed alcohol is carefully distilled. The residue
dried and calcined and the calcined salt leached out with the distillate.
The liquor thus obtained is filtered—which contains the soluble miner-
als of the medicinal plant including its essence and volatile oil. The lon-
ger it is left undisturbed before using, the better—like wine when left to
“ripen” in the bottle is supposedly to increase its efficacy.
As can be seen from the two examples cited, there is little difference
except Dr. Zimpel leaches his salt right way with its first distillate.
Such minor differences here and there will be found all over in alchem-
ical literature. It is up to the practitioner to find his own way which only
experience will teach.

Essential Equipment—From left to right: Beakers, Erlenmeyer flasks, Cylinder (for

measuring), and Funnel. These items are in constant use in the laboratory.

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