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177
The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry
·
M. M. Pattison Muir
61
FIG.
V.]
The
author
of
The
Open
Entrance
speaks
of
the
various
stages
in
the
perfecting
of
the
agent
as
regimens.
The
beginning
of
the
heating
of
gold
with
mercury
is
likened
to
the
king
stripping
off
his
golden
garments
and
descending
into
the
fountain;
this
is
the
regimen
of
Mercury.
As
the
heating
is
continued,
all
becomes
black;
this
is
the
regimen
of
Saturn.
Then
is
noticed
a
play
of
many
colours;
this
is
the
regimen
of
Jupiter:
if
the
heat
is
not
regulated
properly,
"the
young
ones
of
the
crow
will
go
back
to
the
nest."
About
the
end
of
the
fourth
month
you
will
see
"the
sign
of
the
waxing
moon,"
and
all
becomes
white;
this
is
the
regimen
of
the
Moon.
The
white
colour
gives
place
to
purple
and
green;
you
are
now
in
the
regimen
of
Venus.
After
that,
appear
all
the
colours
of
the
rainbow,
or
of
a
peacock's
tail;
this
is
the
regimen
of
Mars.
Finally
the
colour
becomes
orange
and
golden;
this
is
the
regimen
of
the
Sun.
The
reader
may
wish
to
have
some
description
of
the
Essence.
The
alchemists
could
describe
it
only
in
contraries.
It
had
a
bodily
form,
but
its
method
of
working
was
spiritual.
In
The
Sodic
Hydrolith,
or
Water
Stone
of
the
Wise
we
are
told:--
"The
stone
is
conceived
below
the
earth,
born
in
the
earth,
quickened
in
heaven,
dies
in
time,
and
obtains
eternal
glory....
It
is
bluish-grey
and
green....
It
flows
like
water,
yet
it
makes
no
wet;
it
is
of
great
weight,
and
is
small."
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