152 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [jUNE 6, 



in the face," fistulas, etc And be alludes to a preparation of gold 

 in honey which " doth gently loose the belly if the navel be anointed 

 therewith." And in conclusion Pliny quotes Marcus Yarro, who 

 "saith that gold wil cause warts to fal off. (Holland's translation.) 



Yarro was a friend of Cicero, which carries back this belief in the 

 efficacy of gold to the first century before Christ. 



The Arabian physicians, who for hundred of years possessed 

 almost exclusive knowledge of chemistry, often record the virtues 

 of gold as a remedial agent in disease. Geber, who lived in the 

 eighth century, wrote: " Gold is a medicine rejoycing and conserv- 

 ing the Body in Youth." (Russell's transl., London, 1678, p. 76.) 

 Avicenna is said to have written in its praise; also Arnold de 

 Yillanova (1235-1312). 



The. preparation of gold in a potable innocuous form occupied 

 the attention of the alchemists during several centuries; they com- 

 monly called it aurum potabile, and ascribed to it not only remedial 

 virtues, but the power of prolonging life. The quotation from Geber 

 shows he shared this opinion. 



To this elixir of life they gave many fanciful names; Elias Ash- 

 mole, in his " Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum," says Saint Dun- 

 stan calls it the "Food of Angels," and others the "Heavenly 

 Yiaticum." Ashmole himself adds: "It is undoubtedly the true 

 Alchochodon or giver of years, for by it man's body is preserved 

 from corruption, being thereby enabled to live a long time without 

 food ; nay, 'tis made a question whether anv man can die that uses 

 it." (Written in 1652.) 



The alchemists argued that this golden elixir is not to be made of 

 vulgar gold, but only from philosophical gold prepared by hermetic 

 art. Recipes for manufacturing this panacea abound in alchemical 

 works; they are mostly very tedious, requiring endless repetitions 

 and much faith on the part of the operator. One of the simplest 

 methods of preparing aurum potabile is given by Samuel Bolton 

 in his curious little 16mo. " Medicina magica tamen physica," 

 published at London in 1650. " Put foliated gold into a vessel 

 well sealed with Hermes' seal; put it into our fire till it be 

 calcined to ashes ; then sublime it into Jiores, having his caput 

 viortuum or black terra damnata in the bottom. Then let that 

 which is sublimed be with the same degree of fire united to the 

 same caput mortuum that it may be revived by it, so that all may 

 be reduced into an Oyle, which is called Oleum Solis. The dose 

 hereof is two or three grains." 



This description leaves much to the imagination, and in this 

 respect differs little from others that we might quote. To non- 

 chemists, we may add that few of the recipes yield a product con- 

 taining gold, the metal often remaining in the part thrown away. 



Roger Bacon, the F'ranciscan Friar of the 13th century, to whom 

 so many wonderful discoveries and itiventions have been ascribed, 

 had deep faith in the virtues of potable gold. Bacon in a commu- 

 nication to Pope Nicholas lY, informs his Holiness of an old man 



