Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Facing Pages · Branch 99 of 175
Philosophical Discourse · Passage 4
German
Hierin ist Signatura naturalis omnium Vegetabilium, Theophrastus gedencket solches mit keinem Wort; und wie man in copia ex quo libet Vegetabili sol ein Saltz machen / welches hat des Vegetabilis Farbe / Geschmack und Geruch / das hat mir die einfältige Natur zu wissen gethan / und vor etlichen wenigen Tagen gelernet. Es werden hinc inde die Cadavera mit grossen Unkosten / wiewol mit schlechten Nutzen anatomirt / besser wäre es / man anatomirte Fleisch und Blut / Bein / Urin / ingeniosè absque violentiâ & corruptione Naturæ. Ich kan anjetzo ex Sanguine Cervi eine edle Medicin præpariren / so in puncto dolores podagricos stillet. ex Spiritu Microcosmico & sanguine fit Panacea universalis. Alle Partes corporis humani sind dienstlich zur Medicin, quia omnia secum fert, auxilio alterius non indiget, Gleichwie man nun ex Vegetabilibus, ohne Hülffe eines materialischen △ers / aus und durch Hülffe des blossen Wassers aus jedem Speciatim kan bekommen odoriferum liquorem, so in sich hat den Liquorem, Calorem & odorem innatum; also müssen auch die Corpora Sicca Metallica & Mineralia beneficio △is materialis elementaris in primam substantiam reducirt werden / daß sie lieblich seyn / wie oben von den Vegetabilibus gemeldt / wolriechend / wolschmeckend; das ist der gantze Handel; daß wer diese harte Nuß kan aufbeissen / der hat gute Zähne und Verstand. Mit wenigen viel zu melden. hi Liquor / lieblich süß und wolschmeckend / extrahirt, corrigirt ♁ geht ihm gleich / dieses halte ich sey die schlechte einfältige Art ex tribus Regnis in Praxi & Theoriâ zu reden.
English
In this lies the natural signature of all vegetables. Theophrastus says nothing of it. Plain nature has made known to me, and taught me only a few days ago, how to make an abundance of salt from any vegetable, possessing that vegetable’s colour, taste, and smell. Here and there cadavers are dissected at great expense and with little benefit. It would be better to analyse flesh and blood, bone and urine ingeniously, without violence to or corruption of nature. I can now prepare a noble medicine from deer’s blood which immediately stills the pains of gout. From the microcosmic spirit and blood a universal panacea is made. All parts of the human body serve for medicine, because it carries everything with itself and needs no help from another. Just as one can obtain from each vegetable separately a fragrant liquor containing its innate liquor, heat, and smell, without material fire and through the help of plain water alone, so dry metallic and mineral bodies must be reduced to their first substance by the benefit of material elemental fire, so that they become pleasant, fragrant, and well-tasting, as was said above of vegetables. This is the whole business. Whoever can crack this hard nut has good teeth and understanding. To say much in few words: this pleasant, sweet, well-tasting liquor extracts and corrects antimony and becomes its equal. This I take to be the plain, simple way of speaking of the three kingdoms in practice and theory.
Socrates
Reading Centrum Naturae Concentratum · Philosophical Discourse · Philosophical Discourse · Passage 4
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
The complete supplied German–English edition of the 1682 collection: the main treatise attributed to Ali Puli, Helbig’s preface, distinct companion discourses, the short potable-gold preparation and the anonymous Father’s Last Testament, with four historical figures, 103 annotations and the full Diotimos study apparatus.
Historical Text and Translation
The governing German witness is the complete 1682 collection in Badische Landesbibliothek Karlsruhe, shelfmark 87 B 76050, with an unnumbered title and printed pages 1–80. The historical title’s Arabic and Portuguese antecedents and its authorial persona are retained as claims, not authenticated originals. Johann Otto Helbig (Hellwig), Martin de Delle, J. J. F. and the anonymous testament retain their distinct historical roles.
About Diotimos Editions
This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.
Rights
The historical German source text and engraving are in the public domain. The English translation and editorial material were prepared with AI assistance for Diotimos Editions in 2026, with a supplied translation and sign commentary identified separately, and are published with the site owner’s authorization.