Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 41.djvu/486

470 the navel be anointed therewith." And in conclusion Pliny quotes Marcus Varro, who "saith that gold wil cause warts to fal off." (Holland's translation, London, 1634.) Varro was a friend of Cicero, which carries back this belief in the efficacy of gold to the first century before Christ.

The Arabian physicians, who for hundreds of years possessed almost exclusive knowledge of chemistry, often record the virtues of gold as a remedial agent in disease. Geber, who lived in the eighth century, wrote: "Gold is a medicine rejoycing and conserving the Body in Youth." (Russell's translation, London, 1678, p. 76.) Avicenna is said to have also written in its praise; also Arnald de Villanova (1235-1312).

The preparation of gold in a potable, innocuous form occupied the attention of the alchemists during several centuries; they commonly called it aurum potabile, and ascribed to it not only remedial virtues but the power of prolonging life. The quotation from Geber shows that he shared this opinion.

To this elixir of life they gave many fanciful names: Elias Ashmole, in his Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, says Saint Dunstan calls it the "food of angels," and others the "heavenly viaticum." Ashmole himself adds: "It is undoubtedly the true Alchochodon or giver of years, for by it man's body is preserved from corruption, being thereby enabled to live a long time without food; nay, 'tis made a question whether any man can die that uses it." (Written in 1652.)

The alchemists argued that this golden elixir is not to be made of vulgar gold, but only from philosophical gold prepared by hermetic art. Recipes for manufacturing this panacea abound in alchemical works, they are mostly very tedious, requiring endless repetitions and much faith on the part of the operator. One of the simplest methods of preparing aurum potabile is given by Samuel Bolton in his curious little 16mo, "Medicina magicatamen physica," published at London in 1650: "Put foliated gold into a vessel well sealed with Hermes' seal; put it into our fire till it be calcined to ashes; then sublime it into flores, having his caput mortuum, or black terra damnata in the bottom. Then let that which is sublimed be with the same degree of fire united to the same caput mortuum that it may be revived by it, as that all may be reduced into an Oyle which is called Oleum Solis. The dose hereof is two or three grains."

This description leaves much to the imagination, and in this respect differs little from others that we might quote. For the benefit of non-chemists we may add that few of the recipes yield a product containing gold, the metal often remaining in the part thrown away.

Roger Bacon, the Franciscan friar of the thirteenth century, to