72 
MESSRS. H. E. STAPLETON AND R. F. AZO ON 
Afratls and Afratun. * 1 
Mahrarls. 51 
Sergius Rasu-l-‘AinI, in his Kitabu- 
l-‘Adad (Book of Numbers). 
Abu Zufair. 3 
Salim Al-Harranl. 4 5 
Andria. 6 
In the majority of cases only short extracts are given, followed by a few explana- 
tory remarks by Ar-RazI, but a conspicuous exception is the quotation from Salim 
Al-Harranl which extends from f. 86 r., 1 . 9, to f. 90 r 1 . 5. It is quoted by Ar-RazI 
without comment and appears to include the passage from Al-Harrani quoted by 
Ibn Khaldun in his Muqaddamah ( vide De Slane’s trans., Vol. Ill, p. 218). 
The following quotations will indicate sufficiently well the character of the trea- 
tise and its connexion with other alchemical writings, whether in Arabic, or the Latin 
of mediaeval Europe. 
(a) “ Aristatdlis (Aristotle) said to ZausL , f Take the Egg, and cause separa- 
tion between its ‘ Soul,’ ‘ Spirit ’ and f Body.’ When you have brought 
about the separation of the water from the salt, the salt from the 
oil, and the oil from the earth, then the work will be possible.’ 6 
cc He then adds : f I do not mean, O Za’ush, the Egg of the Hen — the name of 
which is deceptive — but I mean the Egg of the Philosophers wherein is found the 
Hot and the Cold, the Moist and the Dry. This is the f Black Stone,’ known to the 
Philosophers.’ 
“ By the word f deceptive ’ (kadhibah) he simply wishes to belittle the egg in 
comparison with the c Stone,’ not to reject it altogether.” 
( b ) “ Sergius Rasu-l-‘Aini says : f Look at the small mountain which has two 
caves, one on its right and the other on its left. Ascend it, for there 
is in it, and in a mountain that is opposite to it, all the ‘ Aqdqir (Sub- 
stances).' This points to the Hair, the two caves being the two 
ears. ' 
Olympiodorus, the Theban historian and alchemist who wrote in the first half of the 5th Cent, (idem, I, p. 96). It is note- 
worthy that Pelagius apparently differentiates between two alchemists of the name Zosimus, just as also there is a clear 
distinction in the Shawahid. 
1 Perhaps only a variation of Aflatun (Plato). 
2 An alchemist mentioned by An-Nad m as Mahdaris (p. 35 3), who was probably also a doctor. Leclerc (Histoire de 
la Medicine arabe, p. 343) states he is quoted in Ar-Razi’s Ilawi as well ; while Ibn Abi ‘Usaibi‘ah’s ‘ Uyunu-l-Anbd ’ 
(A. Miiller’s ed., p. 21) says he was a relative and disciple of Asclepios but denounces him as untrustworthy for alleging 
in his first book that he had once met David. Under the title Tractatus Micreris sno discipulo Mirnefndo , one 
of Mahraris’ alchemical treatises passed into the hands of Buropean alchemists (B. La Chimie , I, p. 236). 
3 No reference can be found elsewhere to this alchemist. 
The alchemist referred to in Flugel's ed. of the Fihrist as Harbi. Fliigel mentions on p. 190 that in the margin 
of the Leyden MS. of the Fihrist, a note is found stating that ‘ Harbi Yamani ’ was companion to Ja'far As-Sadiq and 
that J abir ibn Hayyan before he entered Ja‘far’s service read philosophy under him. 
5 An alchemist of perhaps the 9th Cent. A.D. (Cf. Stapleton and Azo in Mem. Asiatic Soc. Bengal , I, 4, p. 52, 
note (2). 
3 This is an exact epitome of the longer directions of Aristotle to Rufus, sou of Plato, quoted in the Arabic treatise 
of A l- Habib (B., La Chimie, III, pp. 96 and 97). 
I The fact that a bad translation of this saying is found ascribed to Rasis in the treatise entitled Rosinus ad Sarratan- 
tam Episcopum, on p. 317 of the Artis Auriferae which was published in 1593, supplies a direct proof that the Shawd- 
hid was translated into Latin or Greek in the Middle Ages. 
