Nine Books on the Nature of Things

A considerable error occurs among false physicians who have given people the leprous calx of the Sun instead of potable Gold, the quintessence of gold, the tincture of Gold and so forth, without considering the difference and the resulting harm. Two important and necessary points must be observed. If calcined or powdered Gold is given to people, either it gathers in one heap in the stomach or passes out again with the dung and is taken vainly and uselessly; or it is reduced by the great inner heat of the human body and encrusts and gilds the intestines and stomach. This obstructs digestion, causing many different illnesses and finally even death. What you have heard about the Sun must also be understood of the remaining seven metals: take no metallic arcanum or medicine internally unless it has first been made volatile and cannot be reduced to any metal. This is the first stage and beginning of preparing potable gold. Such a volatile substance can then be dissolved through spirit of wine, so that both rise together and become volatile and inseparable. As you prepare gold, you can also prepare potable Silver, Copper, Iron, Tin, Lead and Mercury.