Bones and broth

Meaning

Gebein and Suppen supply a culinary contrast inside the Summary’s enigmatic account of philosophical Mercury. Bones are to remain, while the broth arising from them is characterized as pure and clean and sufficient for much of the work. The contrast emphasizes a desired subtle product against what is left behind; it does not identify literal animal bones as the source material.

The image follows the mountain of seven and the royal Saturnian herb, after an explicit rejection of badly treating common gold, silver and mercury. The English ‘broth’ preserves the familiar kitchen image without solving those surrounding riddles. No modern extraction process or ingredient identification can be derived from the words alone.