On the Tincture of Gold or True Potable Gold

water, and it will communicate to it its soul, red as blood; by which vital process that greenness is deprived of its tincture and is changed into a red color, with the superfluous ash-colored body remaining behind.

One ought to decant the tinctured spirit, filter it, and in a water bath, through a glass alembic, distill it off from the red Tincture, which draws the fiery essence of the spirit of wine, so that they may be joined most closely and inseparably, on account of which the water merely drips off tasteless, leaving behind the virtue of the spirit of wine with the Tincture of gold like a red, fiery, fusible, and volatile salt; of which 1 grain can tinge an entire ounce of spirit of wine, or of some other liquid, with a blood-red color. For it is soluble in any humidity, and therefore it can be kept in liquid form as a Panacea for many most desperate diseases.

Now I shall also communicate the properties of the true Tincture, by which true potable gold is distinguished. This Tincture is, after the stone, the most excellent of all medicines; between which and the stone there is no difference other than this: the soul of gold is volatile and has no entry into imperfect metals, and therefore cannot transmute them into pure, refined gold, which virtue is attributed to the Philosopher's stone. Although the soul is the most potent and excellent part of gold, it is not fixed in the fire but volatile; the Philosopher's stone, however, is fixed in the fire and permanent because of a longer digestion. Whether or not that soul, or volatile Tincture and red lion, can be fixed by the help of fire and converted into a Universal Medicine, and a tinging stone, this I do not know; because I have hitherto attempted nothing further, etc. Therefore, he who has extracted the soul of gold may make further trial as to whether he can find something better. For this writing teaches only the best medicine of gold, but the rest remains unknown to me.