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From: Adam McLean
Date: 19th May 1998

Yesterday I was looking at the late 16th century book on
distillation, Conrad Gesner, 'New Iewell of Health', 1576.
The last section of this book contains some methods
for making potable gold.

Although a number of present day practical alchemists
work with metals, there seems to be a bit of a focus on
Antimony, and I wondered if anyone had tried to make
'potable gold' or explored some of these early recipes.

Adam McLean

From: Jean-Pierre Valjean
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998

I have seen gold made "potable" in the following ways;

1) Basil Valentine's wine spirit circulated over gold salts and
subsequent sublimation. Product consumed by myself.

2) Partial Separation done by what appeared to be a proto-circulata
major. Product not consumed.

3) Gold prepared by calcination with deerhorn and extraction with wine
spirits. Product not consumed.

4) Gold extracted by mix of Spirit of Saturn and a sublimate of
pyrotartaric distillate. Product not consumed.

5) Gold bhasma made in ayurvedic fashion. Product not consumed.

6) Ayurvedic preparation of gold using clarified butter as extractive
agent. Small sample absorbed without ill effects.

The gold used was purified by antimony. The process described on your
webpages that discusses this is faulty. I hope this helps.

Jean-Paul Valjean