DECEMBER 10, 1897.] 
a lighted cigar and the paper will acquire a 
chestnut-brown color like that of the deu- 
toxid of gold. Little by little metallic 
flakes of a golden yellow color appear, form- 
ing a non-solid (non-fizé) gold, when the 
sulfate of iron produces an auto-fecondation 
by self-precipitation. However, the golden 
flakes amalgamate with mercury, which 
property is not shared by iron. Aftershow- 
ing by appropriate tests that iron is still 
present the hermetic chemist proceeds ta 
explain the reaction by assuming the forma- 
tion of the hypothetical Fe,S = 196 = Au, 
or of the imaginary compound 
Fe,O, + 2H,0 = 196 = Au, 
or of the 
 ferrous-ammonium-sulfate = 392 = Au, ; 
and he adds, ‘The chlorid of gold is reduced 
by the nicotine of the cigar.’ Since, how- 
ever, no reagent containing chlorin in any 
form was used in the experiment, this ele- 
ment must have been created at the same 
time with the gold, which, however, is ‘ in- 
complete’ gold soluble in unmixed acids. 
A preacher should never be judged by a 
single sermon, and to do justice to these 
nineteenth century alchemists, one more 
‘recipe for gold’ may be transcribed. 
“Put into a erucible layers of sheet iron — 
and of powdered vitriol; place over it an- 
other crucible pierced with a hole for respi- 
ration. Heatinanintense fire. Buta flux 
must be added to the crucible to prevent 
melting, viz: One kilo litharge, one kilo 
clean white sand, mix and add to the cru- 
 cible ata red heat. Remove with an iron 
spoon the yellow oil and put it aside. The 
two compounds have not lost weight. This 
oil is dry water, a fire, a salamander. * * * 
You obtain a metal of a golden yellow, 
having a density of 24, not capable of being 
minted. This is changed into ordinary 
gold.” With the exception of a few unim- 
portant sentences, this is the entire recipe, 
_ SCIENCE. 
861 
but how the final transformation is to be 
effected is not given. 
To acquire knowledge and power for 
successful hermetic labors, to become eligi- 
ble for initiation in the occult societies, is 
no easy task. The aspirant must strive 
valiantly against the passions that assail 
him, casting out of his soul pride, anger, 
jealousy, hatred, avarice, hypocrisy, idle- 
ness. Ifthe candidate for honors desires to 
become worthy of the name hermetic 
philosopher he must prove himself a Ma- 
gian ; he must learn to exercise his will on 
matter in all its forms, and to acquire 
this power he should practice crystal-gaz- 
ing and reading in magic mirrors; to learn 
to perceive the invisible he must with- 
draw from the visible, imposing on him- 
self psychic sleep, called by some hypnosis. 
As adjuncts to the attainment of the ideal 
mental state he should use perfumes, music 
and light; and eventually the astral body, 
separated from the physical body, will sup- 
ply the intellectual, moral and material 
illumination indispensable to the Great 
Work. 
It is rather discouraging to learn that, 
even after fulfilling all these hard condi- 
tions, no one can realize the perfection de- 
sired until he has passed through several of 
our planetary existences. The would-be 
alchemist must also follow the percepts of 
Albertus Magnus; he should be discreet, 
silent, and must not reveal the result of his 
labors; he must reside in an isolated place 
and choose the time and the hours for his 
tasks; he must be patient, assiduous and 
persevering, and he must be rich enough to 
bear the expenses of his pursuit. Besides 
ordinary chemical apparatus he should pro- 
vide several objects indispensable to his 
work, a magic wand, a sword to dissolve 
the astral coagulations, a magic mirror, a 
brazier for perfumes, a wooden altar covered 
with a white cloth, and an alchemist’s robe 
of white linen to be worn with a girdle 
