54 MESSRS. H. E, STAPLETON AND R. F. AZO 



Some include among them Malachite, Lapis Lazuli, 'Stadanj,' 1 ' Tutia ' 2 and 

 ' Usrunj,' 3 but exclude Qily, Lime, Salt, Zaj and Alum. 



They are also divided into three other classes : ' Spirits,' ' Souls,' and ' Bodies.' 4 



The Spirits are Mercury, Sal- Ammoniac, and similar things. 



The Souls are Sulphur, Arsenic Sulphide, and similar things, 



The Bodies are Gold, Silver, Iron, Maghnisiya, and similar things. 



He therefore who desires to prepare any one of the Elixirs must take of the Spirit, 

 one ; of the Soul, two ; and of the Body, one proportion. For example, you take of Mercury, 

 i dirham ; of whitened Sulphur, or of Arsenic Sulphide, 2 dirhams ; and of Iron, one dirham. 

 The Body — which must be completely dissolved — forms, therefore, one-fourth of the whole. 



Any elixir which does not contain a Spirit, viz.: mercury, and a Soul, which is either 

 sulphur or arsenic sulphide, and a Body, either in a dissolved or coagulated condition, is 

 valueless. 



The Spirit and Soul may impart colour, even in the absence of a Body, 5 but the 

 colour they impart disappears on melting. If, however, all three are conjoined, the colour 

 is permanent. 



1 Haematite, other names for it being ' Shadhanah,' and ' Hajaru-d-Dam ' (bloodstone). Cf. MafdtiTi., ed. cit., II, p. 262-; 

 Ibnu-1-Baitar, trans, cit., II, p. 315. Qdnun ;" Some of it comes from the mine, and some is obtained by the combustion, in a 

 special way, of magnetic iron ore." 



2 A substance of doubtful composition, but most probably impure oxide of zinc, cf. Stapleton, Memoirs, A. .B., I, p. 39, note (1). 

 Q&niin : " It is produced from the smoke that rises up when copper is being purified from the stony matter, or lead, that is mixed 

 with it." Hunayn (f 873), in his translation of Dioscorides, similarly identifies Tutia with I\c>iJ.<t>6Kv£, the volatile deposit that 

 collects in copper furnaces. 



S Red Lead. Cf. Mafdtih., ed. cit., p. 263 : " Lead is burnt, and heated in the fire until it becomes red." 



* The following extract from the Margarita Pretiosa Novella of the Italian alchemist Bonus (c. 1330 A.D.) affords an ex- 

 cellent summary of the opinions of Arabian alchemists regarding the meaning of the terms ' Body,' ' Soul,' and Spirit.' 



" Notandum est, quod antiqui Philosophi hujus artis appellaverunt corpus omne illud, quod secundum sui potentiam 

 naturalem habet fixionem et permanentiam ad pugnam ignis, cum continua perseverantia, et super hoc habet potentiam retinendi 

 secum in commixtione illud, quod non est corpus, et est de sui natura. Incorporeum autem, sive non corpus, sive animam appel- 

 laverunt omnem id, quod secundum sui potentiam naturalem, non habet fixionem, nee permanentiam ad pugnam ignis, sed evola- 

 tur, et evolat ab igne, et super hoc habet potentiam elevandi in fumum corpus in eo occultum, quod est de sui natura. Et hoc 

 est anima, de qua quidam Philosophorum dixerunt earn esse aerem : quidam ignem : quidam nubem : quidam vaporem incorporalissi- 

 mum : quidam substantiam tenuissimam : quia secundum analogiam locuti sunt. Spiritum autem appellavererunt omne illud, quod 

 subtiliatum, vel solutum, vcl liquefactum ad ignem, secundum sui potentiam naturalem, habet potentiam resolvendi corpus cum anima 

 in vaporem, vel retinendi animam cum corpore ad pugnam ignis, ut non evaporent : quia spiritus cum aequalis fuerit, facit corpus 

 retinere animam : et cum fuerit fortis facit animam separari a. corpore, et cum corpore, quoniam sine spiritu nee anima cum corpore 

 manet, nee a. corpore separatur cum sit ipsorum vinculum. Una tamen et eadem res in subjecto est habens omnes istas proprietates 

 et operationes. Dum enim in liquefactione permanct ratione subtilitatis dicitur spiritus, sine quo spiritu non potest fieri generatio 

 animae et corporis, nee conjunctio animas et corporis. Unde in toto magisterio dominatur spiritus in actu, usque quo generetur anima 

 et corpus. Dum autem volare potest ab igne, dicitur anima : dum autem manere potest in igne, et perseverare, dicitur corpus. Si 

 igitur tempore generationis anima steterit in igne, et pravaluerint vires per vim spiritus, tunc volat ab igne, et trahit secum corpus ad 

 volatum, et permanet operans vacuus a proposito, et expectat quod jam venit, et jam recessit, et nunquam de caetero est venturum, et 

 videtur ei mirabile. Si enim pravaluerint vires corporis, tunc super vires animae per sequalitatem spiritus, conversum de actu in hab- 

 itum, tunc corpus retinet animam omnino, nee unquam habet anima vim fugiendi ab igne, et operans tunc habet propositum quod 

 habuerunt tunc antiqui : et tunc spiritus permanet cum eis semper, quandoque in actu, quandoque in habitu : quod totum recipitur 

 ex verbis Platonis in Turba Philosophorum, et in Stellicis ex verbis Senioris, et Haly, et Rasis, et aliorum omnium. Quia igitur hoc 

 corpus perficit et retinet animam, et dat esse sibi et toti operi, et anima in hoc corpore suas vires demonstrat, et per spiritum fit hoc 

 totum, ideodigne, quamvis metaphorice dixerunt, corpus formam esse. Unum igitur et idem secundum substantias, quandoque anima, 

 quandoque corpus diversis respectibus "... (Manget, Bibliotheca Chemica Curiosa, II, p. 41, Note.) 



6 I.e., when the Elixir only consists of 'Spirit' and 'Soul.' 



