The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony. 137 



the substance becomes blue like a sap- 

 phire ; from this is precipitated a white 

 powder by the effusion of common water. 

 This powder is an emetic and purgative 

 like the red^ extract of glass of\Ajritimony. 

 In the first solution made of the caput 

 mortuum, you may subject thin plates of 

 iron to coction, and will then truly trans- 

 mute Mars into Venus, as experience 

 shews us. Again take the distilled oil 

 or water before mentioned, pour over it 

 crocus of Mars, reverberate with sulphur 

 until it becomes red, expose to heat, 

 and the tincture of iron, like blood, will 

 be extracted. Take one part of this ex- 

 tract and three parts of the red extract 

 of Antimony, which was prepared with 

 burnt saltpetre and spirit of wine.* 



* In the next sentence Basilius asks us to use water of 

 Mercury, whose preparation he describes in the tract called 

 Supplement. Moreover, there must be an opening in the 

 retort, through which the water of Mercury is gradually 

 poured in. If you put in too much of the Mercury at once, 

 it may burst and overturn the retort and the furnace as well ; 

 hence you should have a succession of retorts (as on page 

 136) all in communication with each other. But as every 

 true chemist is familiar with the potency of this Mercury in 

 the resolution of metals, I will not enlarge on this point. 



