THE ALCAHEST

The Arcana of medicine is performed with the Alkahest

The celebrated Alcahest is an universal medicine whose preparation was also known to Helmont and tosome Eosicrucians. It was considered by them as one of the greatest mysteries. It is prepared as follows :

" Take freshly prepared caustic lime, if possible still warm ; powder it quickly in a dry place, and put it into a retort. Add as much absolute alcohol as the powder will absorb, and distil the alcohol at a moderate heat, until the powder in the retort is left perfectly dry.

The distilled alcohol is now to be poured again upon the lime, and distilled, and this operation repeated ten times. Mix the powder with the fifth part of its own weight of pure carbonate of potash. This must be done very quickly and in a dry atmosphere, so that it will not

attract any moisture.

Insert the mixture of the two powders into a retort and heat it gradually, after putting about two ounces of absolute alcohol into the recipient.

White vapours arise from the powder, and are attracted by the alcohol, and the heating is to be continued as long as this takes place. Pour the alcohol from the recipient into a dish, and set it on fire.

The alcohol burns away, and the alcahest remains in the dish. It is an excellent medicine, and is used in the same manner as the Primum Ens Melissa. On account of the great powers contained in the

limestone, Paracelsus says that "many a man kicks away with his foot a stone that would be more valuable to him than his best cow, if he

only knew what great mysteries were put into it by God by means of the spirit of Nature".

(from a book by Hartmann)