Prosperitatis Germaniæ Prosperity of Germany

its leaves are pierced with many small holes, and thus marked by Nature, they teach that its powers are significant in removing and curing external and internal stabbings and wounds of the body, which experience itself testifies.

For what reason do some herbs bear the name Saxifrage original: "Saxifragæ", meaning stone-breaker? Their nature is, by growing, to penetrate piles of stones and old walls and to split and break them apart by the outgrowth of their hard roots. Their seeds also, similar to the finest sands, in some way break up and bring out the stony and gravelly matter in the kidneys and bladder of the human body.

Thus the serpent serpens creeping thing derived its name from creeping serpendo to creep, because lacking feet, it creeps and crawls along the ground.

The cobbler sutor shoe-maker gained his name from making and sewing shoes.

We shall not call a Blacksmith Fabrum Ferrarium Iron-worker a Goldsmith Aurifabri Gold-worker, because he does not construct his work from Gold but from Iron, and he acquired his name from the Iron with which he is occupied.

The same must be understood regarding the word Alchemy, which denotes nothing other than the smelting and liquefaction of Salt, and thus it teaches for what reason the Ancients called the Transmutation of Metals "Alchemy": namely, because of the smelting or liquefaction of Salt, without which the transmutation of baser