The Quintessence of Wine, Its Philosophick Preparation

Revived Lynn Osburn © 2014

The term, Philosophic, as used by the old adept alchemists covers the entryway to a deeper understanding of the mysterious, paradoxical and transcendental, first matter at the core of the Alchemical paradigm. These Philosophical matters are two in one, Mercury and Sulphur, we are often told; not ordinary mercury and sulfur, but Philosophic Mercury and Philosophic Sulphur. If that isn’t mysterious enough we are told there are Philosophical waters and earths and airs and fires as well. For many years I studied the classical alchemy treatises of the old adepts trying to find a concordance or common thread between them that could somehow reveal the secret to knowing what made the matters Philosophical. I was not alone in this endeavor to “connect the dots” of congruency among those old masters that had written the corpus of this Arcanum. Fortunately the advent of the Internet allowed many of us journeymen students of this art to communicate our hypotheses and experimental findings in virtual forums of debate across the Earth almost instantly. One operator communicating in the forums had been working with mineralized organic matter that seemed to fit the general descriptions given by the various adepts pertaining to the starting matter for the Great Work. Working with that operator through the Internet comparing the results of experiments lead to what seemed to be a critical discovery concerning the source matter for the Philosophical Wine of the sages. The discovery happened when the focus was on ancient dyeing technology and its connection with color changes noted by the alchemists. I had stumbled upon the possible source matter for the “heavenly spirit” so often mentioned by the old ones. I began finding concordances between all of them concerning the production of the Philosophical waters. I went to work in the lab and produced, Philosophers Spirit of Wine, as a result of that initial work. The blue spirit was quite amazing and affected me in a manner that I found similar to that of the fabled celestial nymph as told to us by the adept, Cyliani. Because of this I became convinced that Philosophical Wine of the adepts was not derived from grape wine at all. From the lab practice I began to see that this Philosophical wine could be produced from just about anything that had lived. Each thing would give a very similar Wine with slightly differing nuances. I continued exploring these possibilities concerning the commonality of preparation of the starting matter for the Magnum Opus. Along this path I was reading every old recipe for the preparation of Quintessence of Wine that I could find. All of them as far as my hypothesis was concerned could be interpreted in an either/or fashion: either the work was about grape wine and the Quintessence produced that way was not Philosophical

in my understanding, or the work was about pyrolytic wine which did exhibit characteristics the adepts used to describe Philosophical Wine. Then I read Edwardo Bolnest’s, Quintessence of Wine, Its Philosophick Preparation, in his treatise, Aurora Chymica, published in 1672. There to my amazement he described a process to make the quintessence of grape wine Philosophical. His process differed from the other grape wine processes in that it included the crucial pyrolytic purifying technique as part of the work. I had to find out for myself, so I set my lab to repeating Bolnest’s procedure. As a result my understanding of the Central Matter of this Great Work has evolved to my good fortune. Searching after this Knowledge I have become my own carver in a greater progress. Thank you, Edwardo: Aurora Chymica, Edwardo Bolnest; 1672 To the Ingenious and Candid Reader: The manner of Preparation which I intend to declare in this following Tract, is not now Commonly used in the making up of Medicines; for it will require not onely an expert and diligent Operator, but also Time and Expence. ... I only offer to the Consideration of the Learned and acute, the difference between Men and Angles (Mortality and Immortality) which certainly is no other but in degree of Purity, the one (viz. Man) having his active Soul yet drowned and imprisoned in a dirty Body, the other, viz. Angels, being free from the Clogg and burthen of such Corruptible Mansions. Chymical Medocines (if rightly prepared) are made active by Purification and a Separation of the quintessential part from its debilitating faeculencies; and the greater the Purity of such Medicines, the greater their Efficacy and Power, and consequently more fit for the Restauration of the decayed Nature. ... In short then, Chimia is the Art and onely Art that truely teacheth the Purification of those things and Physical subjects which God and Nature hath liberally given us to make use of in time of need; and the often Repetition of Purification must needs raise what we so purifie to a much higher degree of Purity and Perfection, then one single purification can set it in. ... I have some thought of giving this Age one small Piece more as my Farewell, it will be an Essay towards the Discovery of a Medicine though not Universal, yet of very large extent, if we dare believe the Writings of the Ancient Philosophers and Physicians. I shall not assert my Experience (but give my thoughts and reflections on the instructions they have left us) as to the Subject, or the way of Preparation. ... It is a Subject that hath both Elemental, Coelestial, and & Super-coelestial virtue, and that because from both Coelestial and Super-coelestial influence, falling into this World, they are Concentrated

in it closely, and with an indisolvable bond gathered together and shut up in it...is not unlike the Arabians Halicali, it is Domus signata, a House shut up, and this Spirit of such inexpressible worth that resides in it. ...is closely imprisoned, and he must be a very prudent man that can free and set it at liberty to act and exert its Miraculous Virtues. I shall not at present say much more of it, I shall onely add that for the full perfection of this Medicine by preparation, there is required a triple Mercury, a triple Sulfphur, and a triple Fire. An universal Mercury preparative, and two particular Mercuries; and each of these last per se called also Philosophical Mercury; the one mature fixed and fixing, the other crude and volatile, and conjoyned they make but one Philosophick Mercury, or Rebis... The Sulphurs are also three and yet make but one in Nature, for being joyned they become (by due Decoction) but one noble and vivifying Medicine. The Fires are also three, a fire Contra Naturam, Preparative; a fire Natural, and a Calinary Fire; which last serves onely to excite the internal Natural fire, and so is onely as an instrument to help forward the perfection of this admirable and most desirable Arcanum. I would not that any should by this understand me to drive at, or mean any thing relating to that transmuting Elixir of the Philosophers: I hereby declare, I intend it not. I mean onely a Medicinable Elixir for humane bodies and no other. ... The Tract will be indeed but small, yet shall it be such as that the ingenious Searcher after knowledge of this kind, may by it be taught to be his own carver; in what else he shall further desire in it; I shall give both general Instructions and particular examples in each kind, and of each Kingdom, which though not many, will be as sufficient guides to a larger progress. True Wisdome is a Universal, Experimental Knowledge of each Nature, of what it is Compounded; and into what this Nature may again be resolved, that by the Resolution the Pure and Impure of each thing may be known, and consequently, the Seeds of perfection and Imperfection will be made manifest; the impurities rejected, and the Pure made more pure and perfect. This is to be obtained onely by Chimia, and her purifying Operations and Preparations, so that Chimia related not onely to Metallick Preparatives, as some would needs interpret, and many do yet believe; but contains in it the true preparation of Medicine, for to Cure Diseases, and to restore to absolute and perfect Health, is truly to perfect imperfect things; Which is the onely Intent and design of noble Chimia. The Purity of each thing lies in its Center, or is so conjoyned with its impurities that it is not to be separated and made truly pure, but by such Chymical Operations as the true Fathers of Philosophy have excogitated; such are Putrefactions, Distillations, Calcinations, Sublimation, & c. and at last a true Union, coagulation and fixation, being by these purifying and perfecting preparations brought to this pass, it then becomes most potent and efficacious in its actions. And hence it is, that Chimical Medicines are the most powerful and noble, seeing they consist onely of the Purity of Nature and the first Central matter.

In all Herbs, Plants and Trees, and all others that are of the Vegetable Kingdom, doth there lie hid a most Subtle and pure aethereal and fixed Substance, the cherisher and Support of Life; the Food and Nourishment of Natural heat, the Root and Foundation of all its faculties; these substances abounding Trees flourish, germinate and bring forth fruit; these once decaying they grow unfruitful, wither and dye: these substances are worthy your search and enquiry after; for in them lyes the Virtue of every Vegetable; and the manner of their extraction is as followeth. “Take of pure Spanish (or any other generous Wine) Distill its Spirit by Alembeck; the Spirit being all come over, which you may easily know, either by the veins in the head of your Alembeck, or by it taste; change your Receiver, keep your Spirit in Glasses close stopped until you have further occasion for it. Having changed your Receiver, Distill the remaining substance of your Wine as long as any thing will rise, even to dryness;”

We begin with “generous” California red wines: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, five bottles each. The wines were poured into a five gallon stainless steel (ss) kettle in which an inverted ss colander had been added. When the wine volume rose to the level of the inverted colander a stainless steel mixing bowl was placed on the colander as a collection vessel for the wine spirit during the process of sweat distillation. A larger ss bowl was placed on top of the kettle and filled with tap water. It served as the condenser for this Mongolian type still. The rig was slowly heated to no more than the palm of the hand could tolerate. The process of sweat distillation continued for 43 hours until the liquid level in the kettle was near the bottom. “Take of generous Wine about twenty Pints, or else what quantity you will; Distil it in a Glass Alemlbick, the Spirit being all come over, change your Receiver and draw off the Phlegme.”

The spirits from the Mongolian still were tested for ethanol percentage. First distillate: 25%, second and third distillate: 15%, fourth distillate: 10%, fifth distillate: 5%. At this point the volume of dark wine menstrum was too low to continue without burning the solids showing in the matter. Transferred the wine dregs from the kettle into a 6 liter flat bottomed boiling flask; attached a 5 liter helmet to it. Started slow temperature climb to distillation at 1 drop per 3 seconds. Go slow to avoid blister boiling of the dregs on the bottom thus preventing any tars from erupting into the helm. During the same time the spirits collected from the Mongolian still were rectified in a 2 liter flat bottomed boiling flask through a 2 liter aludel expansion chamber to raise the proof. On first rectification the spirit was raised to 74% ethanol, second rectification: 89%, third: 92%; this spirit was sealed and set aside for later. Reddish pigmented solids and lighter colored crystalline material remained in the bottom of the flask after the phlegm water went over the helm. The last cloudy distillate of phlegm was used to dislodge the wine tartar from the flask.

“the Phlegme being all over, Distill with a stronger degree of Fire, and you will have a stinking red Oyl, and in the bottome of your vessel you will find the faeces or Caput Mortuum of your Wine,” [Aurora Chymica]

The wine tartar that remained after the spirit and phlegm were lofted over the helm was placed into a 2 liter retort with a wide mouth high lid and set over a propane burner. Changed receiver as yellow distillate started coming over and the matter in the retort was almost dry; bubbles, signs of boiling, are seen in the porous openings in the solid material in the center of the retort.

The material inside is dry asphaltum (still has dry tar whereas basaltum is dry like lava, brittle and flaky) and dark but does not smell bad like the Yerba Santa asphaltum. The white smoke distilling over is also not as bad pungent as the YS asphaltum; the temperature of the receiver is lower also by observation comparison. The red oil floating on the surface of the yellow red-brown water looks the same as in the YS work. White smoke evolved at 3500 F. At 4500 F yellow vapors developed. The wine tartar became first asphaltum as the tars liquefied, then transformed into a lava-like basaltum when the tars volatilized. The wine tartar basaltum was a black amorphous honeycombed rock that separated easily from the retort bottom. A respirator is necessary for this work with the stinking red Oyl. All work here was done in a closed chamber under a fume hood.

Now we pound and grind the wine basaltum into powder and put it into a 500ml. round bottom flask and set it horizontally over the propane burner. Then attached a one gallon receiver to it and lute it with wet-formed paper. The fire was increased gradually. Water-like droplets formed in the neck of the flask; temperature at midlevel on the flask, 4500 F. Next white smoke evolves from the massa condensing in the neck and forming clouds in the receiver with a clear yellowish liquid running down the sides; yellow-red oil forms on bottom of receiver. Then yellow smoke evolves in the flask; baslatum temperature 7500 F.

And here we have the evolution of the stinking red oyl. Aurora Chymica dictates: “Distill the remaining substance of your Wine as long as any thing will rise, even to dryness;” so we take the 500ml. flask with the wine feces basaltum and place it into the kiln furnace and reattach the 1 gallon receiver through the kiln door. Raising the temperature in the kiln gradually, at 9000 F a clear cloud of vapor enters the receiver. At 10000 F, a red oil sublimates in the upper neck of the receiver. Beyond 12000 F there is no more.

The wine tartar basaltum has been transformed into the Philosophical Earth of the wine, which Aurora Chymica calls the “Caput mortuum,” which is further transformed into a “calx.” And everything that rose from the basaltum is in the stinking red oyl which contains the crude Philosophical mercury and sulfur of the wine.

“the dry Caput mortuum beat to a powder and put it into an Earthen vessel not glazed, and set it into a Potters or Glass Furnace to Calcine until it be very white, but put it not so hot as to melt... until they become a white Calx.”

The Philosophical Earth of the Caput mortuum was ground to a powder and calcined between 10000 and 13000 F for 20 hours. Often taking it out of the furnace and mixing and grinding in the open air until it was light yellow-white in color. Each time until the last, the calx glows as the carbon takes on oxygen: a breath of air energizing the Philosophical Earth. “Rectify your Oyl, several times from this Calx. Calcining each time the Calx or Calcined Tartar or Salt of your Wine until it become very pure and have totally lost its faetidness; keep this Oyl until the other parts of your Wine are purified and united.” We pour the stinking red oyl liquid tars in the one gallon receiver onto the calcined calx: the purified Philosophical Earth of our wine Quintessence. Make a pasty dough of it. Wear a respirator so the stinking vapors don’t influence you. Take the Philosophical dough and put it into a 500ml. long neck flask. Position it horizontally over the burner, or set it horizontally into a heating mantle. Attach a receiver to it, and lute it with wet-formed paper.

Clear liquid begins condensing in the top of the flask and in the receiver at 1800 F. A greenish liquid forms in the bottom of the receiver at 1880 F.

At first clear, then white vapors evolve into the reaction flask at 2450 F.

The white vapors stream up the low side of the barrel mouth and rush into the receiver at 4500 F; receiver temperature is 750 F, cooled with a wet cloth wrap. Some smoke escapes through the paper lute relieving pressure preventing the vessel from bursting. As the vapors evolve from 2450 to 4500 F the smoke erupts from the dough in plumes filling the flask, happening in pulses or intervals, not continuous. At 4500 F, the vapor stream is continuous flowing low along the bottom of the flask into the receiver. Though the smoke is white the liquid condensing in the receiver is yellow.

At 5200 F, no more smoke evolves in the reaction flask and maximum output of the heating mantle has been reached. The distillate in the receiver is lighter in color and more translucent compared to the initial stinking red oyl in the lower photo below. However it still stinks of concentrated stale cigar smoke and creosote, with a penetrating quality hard to describe.

Our Philosophical dough still needs the fire to loft the remaining wine mercury and sulfur in it. This will have to be done within the kiln furnace so the heat will reverberate equally on all sides of the spherical flask. That being done, at 5000 F, clear vapors again evolve into the receptacle. No more vapors enter the receiver above 9250 F.

Observe, entertaining the clarification and separation of the mercurial waters from the sulfurial red oil floating upon it, happening on its own as it plays in the new world of the receptacle. All the while the Philosophical dough whitens in the glowing 11000 F furnace air below the melting point of the glass flask.

After one hour at 11000 F the calcined dough balls in the flask had turned white on the top and black on the bottom. The pieces were removed and ground down into a coarse powder and placed in a Corning ware dish and put back in the kiln then heated to 1100 F for close to an hour. The calx turned a creamy white with a hint of pink.

With the second rectification of stinking oils mixed into the calx the mix is dryer than the first iteration and is more like pie crust dough that crumbles easily. This dough is lighter in color than the first one. The crumbled dough goes into a 500ml. flask and a receiver is attached through the kiln door as before, then heating begins. A clear yellow liquid condenses in the receiver at 5000 F. Clear colorless droplets appear at the top of the receiver; vapors are white. A clear yellow oil condenses in veins on the sides of the receiver, and droplets on the receiver ceiling turn yellow at 6500 F. Red oil forms at the mouth of the receiver at 7500 F. No distillates evolve between 7500 and 11000 F. The calx is light grey eggshell color. This new calx will not have to be broken up and calcined separately after being removed from the flask. The oil is more uniform yellow and some of the fetidness is gone.

The yellow oil comes over first then the red. The red floats on the yellow as seen in the first photo below from the initial rectification of the dough balls. Very little red oil comes over from the dryer pie-crust like dough in the second rectification as seen in the lower photo.

We grind the new calx into a powder, then add the yellow-gold oil and macerate. The calx absorbs all of it and is dryer than the pie-crust like dough of the second iteration. It is more like a moist crumble and will not hold together.

The third iteration of the distillates on the calx yields a clear distillate becoming light yellow at 4250 F in the kiln. When the distillate is very thin it appears to be clear. As it builds up it looks light yellow with a green tint. It condenses in streams on the receiver walls, at 4500 F in the kiln. A light yellow condensate collects in the bottom of the receiver at 5000 F. A clear liquid with some yellow edges and spots pools in receiver bottom at 7000 F. The receiver sides and top are clear of condensates by 8000 F. No visible vapors form in this rectification between 8000 and 10000 F in the kiln.

The oil is nearly clear like water with a bit of yellow oil floating in drops and near the edges of the pool as seen in the top photo below. No red oil is apparent compared to the bottom photo which is from the first iteration. Looks like the red oil is getting lighter each rectification and the yellow oil it floats upon is getting lighter as well. The pH of the oil is 9; reading taken on the 2nd rectified oil was 7.

The calx from the 3rd rectification is light gray in the flask as with the 2nd iteration. This calx has no fetid smoke smell and the yellow oil in the receiver has much less fetid smell compared to the 2nd iteration oil. The calx was ground up and calcined to 10000 F then stirred in the open air; no glowing occurred. The kiln was shut down. Upon examination the calcined calx of this 3rd iteration appears to be the same color as it was before this calcination. Top photo below is calx removed from flask after distillation; lower photo is calx after calcination and stirring at 10000 F.

The calx of the 3rd iteration is light gray like 2nd rectification. When mixed with the oil the mass is dryer than the 2nd iteration. Macerated the 3rd iteration yellow oil into the 3rd iteration calcined calx. The oil was not able to saturate all of the calx as seen in the photo below.

The 4th iteration was placed into the kiln rig and heating began. Clear watery element forming drops in receiver, kiln temperature 3500 F. Light yellow liquid with slight greenish tint pooling in the receiver, temperature 5000 F.

Shut rig down at 7000 F, as no more distillate action was observed above 5000 F. The oil is clear translucent with some light yellow oil drops floating in it, pH is 9, same as last iteration. Since there is no change with the calx or oil after the 3rd and 4th iterations this phase of the work is done. The change in distillates from the crude stinking red oyl at the beginning of the work through the last purification is presented in the photos below.

The purified Philosophic oils of the grape wine thus prepared are set aside as advised by Bolnest. Now the spirit will be imbued with the secret salt within the calx just prepared. “Take now your Tartar after the rectification of your Oyl upon it; Calcine it again gently and proceed with it, with your Spirit of Wine of your first distillation, as you did with the former process even to the union of the Spirit and Salt, until it have imbibed all its Spirit and be fit for sublimation, which you may then sublime as in that process, if you please, if not, dissolve it thrice in Spirit of Wine of the first distillation.” Set up distillation rig for next phase of the work: distill ethanol spirit on the calx. Placed the calx from the 4th iteration calcined to 7000 F in the flask in the 4th iteration into a 500ml flask and added the 92% spirit, then swirled in the flask until thoroughly mixed. Set flask in heating mantle for horizontal train using one gallon jug as receiver. Ran rig until all spirit had gone over and the calx was beginning to dry. Some water drops had condensed in the dome of the flask. Did not calcine the calx open in the crucible to 10000 F as before; hoping this is what Bolnest meant by gently calcine after oil rectifications before starting the spirit rectifications on the calx. The calx and spirit do not mix into a dough like the oil and calx did.

Recharged calx in flask with 77% spirit and distilled. All the spirit then has been distilled on the calx in the horizontal train.

Transferred spirit of 1st rectification from above (combined 92% and 77%) to one liter flask, with calx in it. Set one liter helmet on for 2nd rectification. The spirit is 87% with pH 5. Calx does not dissolve into ethanol spirit as Bolnest seems to suggest. In 1st rectification I only added sufficient spirit to soak the calx then distilled; Bolnest may call this “sublimation, or he is talking about something else: not the carbonate ash. Then he gives an “or” process which is to dissolve the calx in the spirit then filter, which indicates that the calx is not soluble in the spirit. I put the spirit on the calx in the 1liter flask and swirled to mix and then let it sit over night before distilling in the morning. Shut rig down when all spirit had gone over and the calx in the flask was dry and hard on the bottom. The spirit was 85%, down 2% from the 1st rectification; ph still 5. Put a blind head on flask containing the calx after placing 85% spirit in it and breaking up and mixing with the solid calx. Set to warm heat. Further meditations on the text leads me to think Bolnest is referring to the first method when he says to proceed as with the former process: “...put your Salt into a Glass Body, and pour your S.V. upon it; shut well your Glass, and set it into B.M. to digest the time of two days; this being done, Distil it in heat of Ashes, into a large Receiver, continue your distillation until all be come over, and if any Salt remain yet behind, pour again your Spirit upon it, and again Distil it until it be all come over;” This being so, the spirit is heated with the calx, then filtered off, and then distilled to dryness. This is repeated 3 times looking for a residue in the distillation flask.

Swirled 1350 F spirit in flask mixing with calx, then poured through coffee filter into a receiver and capped. The saturated spirit is a very light yellow gold color.

Poured the filtered saturated yellow spirit into the one liter boiling flask and attached one liter helmet and started distillation. No more veins in the head; water droplets condensing in neck of flask and in upper barrel of helmet. Thin layer of clear yellow liquid remains in the flask along with some small clear crystals.

Put dried calx into a one liter Erlenmeyer flask added spirit of 1st rectification that distilled off leaving the yellow crystals behind. Swirled and put blind head on and started 2nd heating to extract more of the yellow solute from the calx. No yellow color in the solution.

Filtered clear solution in photo above into a one liter 55/50 flask containing the yellow salt crystals in the photo below. Then attached a one liter helmet and began distillation. When the spirit had gone over a yellow crystallized salt remained in the flask.

Dried calx to 300 F for several hours in the one liter Erlenmeyer flask, then added spirit distilled off the sal above to it and heated to simmering boil for 6 hours. Filtered solution and placed it back into the one liter 55/50 flat bottomed boiling flask and attached a one liter helmet and began distilling. The dry sal in the bottom had increased in volume over the last iteration indicating that more salt was dissolving into spirit after the boiling process before the distillation. The last two boiling cohabitations produced no color as the first one had done. There seems to be an increase of the reddish brown material.

Poured the spirit on the sal from above photo into a one liter flask with one liter blind helmet and heated to warm. This sal has a pleasant aroma that I’ve noticed before with the cannabis work, tincture to elixir. When the salt was still moist retaining some water after the spirit had gone over and I raised the temperature to distill off the water, a salt came over with this smell. It’s a sweetish, earthy, bony aroma. Stopped the iterations as the total spirit volume was diminishing, probably by evaporation through the coffee filters. The spirit-sal solution in the photo below is a deeper yellow gold color than the first iteration.

Added the purified oyl to the spirit-sal solution in the one liter boiling flask seen in the photo below. Attached a one liter blind head and started circulation on warm heat.

Rig ran all night; temperature at bottom of rig, 1470 F. Some clear distillate in the helm canal, no veins in head; 820 F in the helmet. Water droplets condensing in top of flask neck where the temperature is 1030 F.

Bottled the light golden Philosophick Quintessence of Wine, pH 7. The aroma of the finished Quintessence is close to neutral almost earthy with a smoky hint. One drop on the tongue spreads rapidly and the smoky element expands with a sharp oily penetration.

Bolnest makes three different comments at the end of each of the three ways to make Quintessence of Wine. Only the first way is called its Philosophick preparation; it is by far the longest but some parts are vague and the vagueness is somewhat cleared up in the next two methods. However it seems that all three preparations include the same methods only each gives a more detailed description of different stages of the same procedure. The first method gives the most detailed description of how to process the wine tartar calx and unite the hidden salt with the spirit. At the end of the first method, the Philosophick preparation, he says: “...you have then

the Menstruum Vegetabile of R. Lully, and a Noble and high Medicine, which you ought

to keep safe and esteem as a great Arcanum, and a true Philosophical Menstruum, &

c.”

Immediately following that method he produces a second one titled, Another

Quintessence of Wine, Which is quite a bit shorter but reveals how to collect and purify

the “stinking red Oyl.” The processing of the Oyl is not mentioned in the first method. All

that is said is, “Distill the remaining substance of your Wine as long as any thing will

rise, even to dryness;”

At the end of the second method he says, “and you have a very pure Quintessence of

Wine, and a powerful and Cordial Medicine, & c.”

After the second method he goes on with the preparation of nine other plants and herbs before coming back to, A Quintessence of Wine, his third method. Interestingly the first herb after the Wine work is, The Quintessence of Damask Roses. I’ve done many alchemical experiments with roses and have found the Rose Work to be well worth the while, producing some amazing elixirs. What stands out about this is, The Quintessence of Wine, and its Philosophick Preparation, and Another Quintessence of Wine, are the first two entries in the section on the Vegetable work. The third method for wine, A Quintessence of Wine, is the tenth entry in the, Second Part, of Aurora Chymica, Chapter 1, Of Vegetables. This third method for the Wine work is a different approach that highlights the secret salt

preparation from wine putrefied for two months. Of this Quintessence he says, “This is a

Cordial and cleanser of the whole Body, Its dose is half a scruple [ one scruple: 1.296

grams, 20 grains] fs. [half] to a scruple j fs.”

So in his last method for the Wine work he gives a dose range as well as extolling the

virtues of the Medicine produced this way.

I was not satisfied with the purity of the quintessence in the preceding photo. The aroma

was still a little too smoky and pungent. I let it sit for months pondering what to do. Then

while working on this draft aimed to revive Bolnest’s work I was lead by Intuition to

various statements from his Aurora that caused things to fall into place, and inspiration

came to me. So I set up the experimental purification process.

Our seeded Quintessence must be put to its Earthly calx and Sublimated to elevate its

Purity. The Earthly calx from the last iteration whereupon the wine spirit had been

further purified, and had drawn out the secret salt as well, was ground into powder. It

easily broke up and was quite friable. I poured the Philosophic Quintessence upon the

Earthly calx in a one liter long neck round bottom flask, then attached it to a two liter

round bottom flask receiver through the kiln port and began to slowly heat.

The first sign of spirits condensing in the receiver happened at 2500 F; some droplets of clear liquid and some vertical running veins appeared as well. Clear spirit pooled in the bottom of the receiver.

A clear white cloud mist formed in the 1300 F heat in the receiver when the kiln temperature reached 4500 F. Spirit in the receiver turned a light yellow. Copious vertical veins of spirit streamed down the receiver like longitudinal lines on a globe. A transparent oil formed in drops that meandered down to the bottom of the receiver as well. The misty cloud was gone by 6000 F, and the receiver temperature was down to 900 F. No more spirits evolved into the receiver after that. The rig was shut down at 7000 F. The Quintessence distillate from the first iteration has lost most of the smoky smell and is light yellow color somewhat iridescent. The calx taken from the kiln after heating to 7000 F is light gray with some darker areas dull like lead in color. The dark deposits are in thin rings starting at the high liquid level in the one liter flask when it was put in the kiln horizontally. The darker deposits are also seen interspersed with the light gray calx.

This was encouraging. The smoky element in the aroma is diminishing. And the distillate has a quality that reflects even in dim light. So another iteration was done. The Quintessence spirit in the receiver from the second iteration is clearer that the first and has no smoky aroma. It is lighter in color with only a hint of yellow and it is more iridescent with a mirror-like reflective quality.

One tiny drop of the Quintessence spirit on the tongue is sharp and penetrating with a cold heat; earthy with an element I associated with the smokiness of the Quintessence before this purification process, but the smoky aroma is gone. The earth calx has lost the smoky aroma as well, and it has an almost sweet yet earthy aroma.

Poured the Quintessence from the second iteration back onto the earthly calx or Philosophic Earth (PE) to let them cohabitate. The Philosophic Quintessence (PQ) turned a beautiful ruby red.

One might have quit right here with this ruby red Philosophic Quintessence of Wine and be quite satisfied with the results. But I wanted to know more about that red element. So I put the ruby PQ into a 500ml. flask, positioned it horizontally in a heating mantle then attached a one liter Erlenmeyer flask as a receiver. First drops appeared, receiver temperature 1700 F. The spirit came over the helm light yellow as before. And then without any warning as the spirit was nearly gone the mass erupted into the dome of the reaction flask without violence, more like a sublimation. The temperature at the neck of the flask was 2500 F.

The spirit in the receiver is yellow as before but the aroma has less of the element I associated with the previous smoky quality and is almost bony. The reaction flask has a constellation of red oily specks above the bottom peppered with some solid matter that is mostly pitted on the bottom. The aroma is rich earthy almost a hint of smoke. Poured PQ above into the one liter flask containing the PE and let soak (cohabitate) for two days then circulated with a blind head for two hours. There was a slight color change. The PQ had picked up some more red color from the PE once again but not as much as before, and it had washed down the material sticking to the flask. Passed the PQ through a coffee filter then added it to the 500ml. flask containing the red oils and solids from above right photo. The black earth of the PE in the one liter flask from the reflux cohabitation in the blind head was wet after the PQ was decanted. The flask was positioned in the kiln and a 2 liter receiver attached. The PE contained some liquid after the filtration and was distilled to collect it. Distillate runs in oily veins down the sides of the receiver between 2500 F and 3500 F in the kiln.

Water begins condensing in the receiver when the kiln reaches 4500 F. No more water above 5500 F. I ran the kiln up to 12000 F then shut down before the flask in the kiln melted. A wispy white sublimate had formed in the neck of the receiver. There remained small whitish translucent circles looking like Fresnel lenses one eighth to one quarter inch diameter in the slight yellowish white residue on the side of the 2 liter receiver where the yellow spirit had pooled, lower right photo below. The smell of sulfur and then hard boiled eggs was in the enclosed fume hood work area.

The clear yellow spirit smelled a bit rubbery and like old food kept in the fridge too long. Wine has sulfur in it and these aromas have been identified as dimethyl sulfide for the cooked old veges aroma, and diethyl sulfide for the rubbery smell. Also mercaptans known as thiols have aromas of cabbagey, rubbery, struck flint qualities. The PQ also had an aroma of smoky flint associated with benzenemethanethiol with a sweetish finish, and it has a rubbery smell perhaps from diethyl sulfide which has an autoignition temp range of 3720 F to 3900 F. The PE that remained in the one liter flask had the smell of burnt match which is indicative of ethyl mercaptan. These compounds occur naturally and carbon disulfide is used in industry as a building block in organic chemistry. The work thus far has three elements: the dark earth PE, the yellow distillate PQ, the red earth residue from the ruby PQ distillation. The one liter flask on the left in the photo below contains the PE after the distillate in the two liter flask on the right had gone over. The half liter flask in the center contains the residue from the ruby PQ distillation and the PQ from the second circulation of the PQ on the PE.

Poured the clear yellow spirit in the two liter flask into the red PQ in the 500ml. flask in the center photo above. The 500ml. flask containing the combined distillates of the PQ and the red earth residue was mounted horizontally in the heating mantle and attached the one liter Erlenmeyer flask as a receiver and set heat to low. Clear oily veins appeared on reaction flask walls at 880 F. Walls and dome of flask lightly coated with clear oil and the veins have moved to the neck of the flask; temp in flask is 1500 F, temp at neck is 1150 F. Veins also appearing in receiver lower neck temp. 90 F and running down into the bottom. Droplets are forming in upper neck of flask; temp there is 990 F. Surface of PQ starts to bubble at 1680 F. A very fruity sweet aroma develops in the chamber. Then a slightly flinty aroma becomes noticeable at 1730 F. New clear veins appear in the reaction flask lower half at 1800 F. Volume has been reduced by about half and red material is plating out where the PQ has gone down. In the right light vapors can be seen dancing over the smooth surface of the PQ, temp 1850 F. Surface of remaining PQ is lightly bubbling, no aroma, temp 2000 F. Then as the last PQ liquid goes off red oily specks appear all over the dome of the flask.

At 2480 F white sparse mist of droplets float in receiver air. Receiver temp 930 F. Fruity smell like pears in a savory dish. White vapor streams up the bottom of flask neck and into the receiver full of vapor. Yellow oil runs down the sides of the receiver temp 820 F, flask temp 2880 F.

Vapors from the mass in flask continue streaming up the bottom of the neck at 4480 F. Heating mantle on high. Yellow oil that formed on the bottom of flask neck is red at 4820 F in flask and 2600 F at the neck where the red oil is forming. Receiver temp is 820 F under the wet cloth. No more vapors streaming up the lower side of flask neck. Back of receiver temp is 720 F. Cloud is condensing and yellow oil is on the sides of the receiver. Shut heating mantle down at 5000 F.

Continued distillation in kiln. Clear oil streaks formed just above the PQ line in receiver, temp 950 F; temp in kiln 10500 F. Shut rig down.

I opened the kiln when cooled down after disconnecting the receiver. With great surprise and delight I discovered clear white salt crystals had sublimed over the inside of the flask radiating out from the bottom where the red residue had collected from the previous operation in the heating mantle. The inside of the flask has a rich fruity aroma quite pleasant. The PQ in the receiver has a pungent yet pleasant savory or spicy aroma and a penetrating quality on the nose; no smoky element at all.

Poured the PQ into the flask containing the salt in the above photo to dissolve what it will for a day. Ground the PE from the one liter flask to powder and poured it into the 500ml. flask with the PQ and sublimed salt. Then attached a blind head and began digestion circulation in heating mantle on low for 6 hours. PQ picked up a green color from the PE. Set flask with circulated PQ and PE horizontally in the 500ml. heating mantle. Attached a receiver and began heating. PQ boils in flask at 1490 F. First moisture looks like water appearing on the walls of the receiver; temp 1680 F; receiver 820 F. The film of moisture begins at the neck and moves to the back of the receiver and is followed to the rear by a clear oily matter. At first it is like a clear film with some amorphous blobs formed on the ceiling of the receiver, then halfway down veins begin streaming to the bottom like ethanol. Liquid distills over leaving a cratered black earth; temp. 1900 F. Distillate is clear with slight light yellow; receiver temp 1250 F. Placed a wet cloth over it to cool it down. PE in flask has turned white where it stuck to the sides of the flask above the main body at the bottom. In the white areas a clear glassy salt has formed; this whitening started at 2000 F and increased to 2500 F. On closer examination it seems the white above the

dark gray matter is sublimated salts from the darker stuff. Two salts are apparent. One is the translucent crystalline glassy one the other is solid white and amorphous.

The PQ is slightly yellow with small spheres floating in it, not on the surface. When the PQ is rotated the little dots can be seen also on the sides of the receiver and they sparkle like stars in the back light. There is a whitish line along the sides of the bottom of the receiver where the distillates collected. The line is on the glass at the height where the surface of the distillate settled. The aroma is earthy at first then finishes with an almost sweet penetrating quality. The PE now consists of the antimonial earth or Saturn with the darkness, and at least two sublimated salts mostly formed above the antimonial body. These sublimated salts are white. One is more translucent and scintillates through crystalline formations that resemble shattered glass. The other one is a white amorphous material somewhat like chalk in appearance. The aroma of the PE is pleasantly earthy with a bony sweetness that reminds me of the aroma of the last waters to come off the ashes of earths after all the ethanol spirits have gone over in rectification. Those last waters were taken from the spirit by the ash earth further purifying the ethanol. Those waters are very pleasant aromatically and when added to the spagyric elixir much improve it.

Poured PQ back into the flask containing the PE with the sublimed salts. Swirled the PQ over the celestial salts; some began to dissolve into it. After eleven days cohabitation carefully decanted the saturated PQ off the PE and into a new 500ml flat bottomed flask. The color is a rich vibrant translucent gold.

Set the flask containing the saturated PQ into the 500ml heating mantle horizontally and attached a receiver then began heating. First clear distillate appearing in the dome and the neck of the flask temp 860 F.

First clear distillate in two veins at the bottom neck of the receiver; flask temp 1400 F. Clear distillate running in veins down the sides of the receiver; flask temp 2000 F; receiver temp 780 F. Liquid in flask thickening and water droplets forming in dome of flask, temp 2300 F. Shut rig down, temp 4000 F. All liquid has distilled over leaving behind a light gray matter that rose 1/3 up the sides of flask; also particles have formed here and there in the dome of the flask.

The distillate PQ is translucent light yellow with a slight green element. The aroma is very rich and earthy with a very penetrating finish that is like a thin line of energy running abruptly up the olfactory lobes and into the optic nerve like a whiff of horseradish only far more refined and attenuated.

Poured the new PQ from the golden cohabitation/distillation into the flask containing the PE and celestial salts not absorbed from the ruby PQ operations. Now there are two 500ml. flat bottomed flasks containing in one the PE and ruby PQ salts, and the other one contains the earth residues and sublimated salts of the golden PQ operations. Several rectifications were performed with the PQ being put back on the PE and celestial salts. At first the sublimed salts increased. Then with every iteration the distillate PQ brought more salts over with it changing it from translucent to opalescent. The celestial salts declined in formation and the dregs or feces increased. I was seeing in these operations the same happenings as described by Bolnest:

“Take then your impregnated Earth or Salt, ...put fire under, which at first must be

gentle, increase it directly and gradually, until your bolt head be in a good heat; if

nothing yet rise, increase your fire until you see your matter sublime... A noble

Medicine, and that which R. Lullius calls Mercurius Vegetabilis, Sal Armoniacum and

many other names.

“Distill until all the Salt be distilled over with the Spirit...and you have then the

Menstruum Vegetabile of R. Lully, and a Noble and high Medicine, which you ought to

keep safe and esteem as a great Arcanum, and a true Philosophical Menstruum, &ec.”

The distillate PQ is milky with a slight greenishness and some few scant yellow oil drops in it. When tilted slightly and settled clear oil runs down the glass into the distillate. The aroma is subtle earthy waxy warm with a dry penetrating quality.

The PQ in the photo above made one more cohabitation on the dwindling sublimed salts in the PQ flask. It soaked up something with a yellow orange element. Then it was poured into the other flask containing the earth of the golden PQ and distilled to dryness. No sublimates formed but the PQ distillate was less opalescent Clear distillate formed in veins in the neck of flask; temp 780 F.

Clear distillate running in veins down the front portion of receiver; clear droplets in the rear of receiver giving way to veins; flask temp 1260 F; receiver temp 660 F. Watery droplets condensing in the dome of flask and front of receiver; temp 1300 F; receiver 760 F. Watery drops profuse in receiver and dome of flask; temp 1500 F; receiver 980 F. Placed cold wet cloth on receiver to cool it. As last liquid left the flask the solid matters formed thin sheets over the liquid then broke up as spherical bubbles rose up through the sheets. The brown-reddish solid matter turned light flesh beige color as the liquid dried out of it; temp in flask 2250 F; receiver temp 780 F under the cloth.

Shut rig down; temp 3100 F. No more distillates after the waters vaporized from the mass. Last sheets of matter remained brown. Flask was not sitting on bottom of heating mantle and 3100 F was highest temp at next to last setting that usually runs near 4000 F. No sublimates formed. Inspected the earth and distillate. PQ looks and smells like the previous iteration only the volume has greatly reduced. The 2nd earth residue matter in the flask has increased; the aroma is complex though somewhat sweet. The PQ has only a faint earthy aroma and no taste but an oily feel on the tongue, no sharpness, no penetration; it just disappears on the tongue leaving no taste behind. It will not ignite when put to a flame. The pH is 7. I learned a lot from this experimental project. The spirit with pyro-oils is capable of breaking down the solid matter earth molecular structure and changing its own molecular structure in the interaction. After several iterations the spirits lose the stinking smell and become lighter in color. A complex sublimate evolves from the earth/spirit rectifications as the old literature describes.

Mistakes were made. I lost some of the stinking red oil from the retort work after a receiver cracked. And next time start with 10 gallons, not 10 bottles. As a result I could not continue the Philosophical purification process any further. I have just enough for a little exploration into what it is at this point. This process works on all plant matters in the same way only the end products somewhat differ in molecular structure, similarly to the differences in qualities found in fats and essential oil terpene complexes from one plant species to another. I continue exploring what this Philosophic Quintessence of Wine can do. Appendix

The Quintessence of Wine, and its Philosophick Preparation Aurora Chymica, Edwardo Bolnest; 1672; pages 40 – 47, 69 – 71

Take of pure Spanish (or any other generous Wine) Distill its Spirit by Alembeck; the

Spirit being all come over, which you may easily know, either by the veins in the head of

your Alembeck, or by it taste; change your Receiver, keep your Spirit in Glasses close

stopped until you have further occasion for it. Having changed your Receiver, Distill the

remaining substance of your Wine as long as any thing will rise, even to dryness; the

dry Caput mortuum beat to a powder and put it into an Earthen vessel not glazed, and

set it into a Potters or Glass Furnace to Calcine until it be very white, but put it not so

hot as to melt; being thus well Calcined, take it, and beating it to a powder, put it into a

large Matrace, pour upon it your Spirit of Wine of the first Distillation not rectified, so that

it overtop it eight or nine fingers breadth; shut well your Glass and set it into a heat of

ashes, give it such a heat that it may gently boyl, or simper for six hours; let it cool a

little; what is dissolved in the Spirit pour gently into another large bolt Head; dry the

remaining Tartar, put more Spirit of Wine to it and boyl it as before; pour out the

Dissolution yet warm, and dry again the remaining Tartar, put fresh Spirit again upon it

and boyl it as before; pour off the Spirit to the former solutions, dry again the remaining

Tartar, if any be, and again Calcine it, and again dissolve it with fresh S.V. of the first

distillation as at first; continue this operation until all our Tartar, except its faeces, be

wholly dissolved in your S.V. Take now all your solutions and put them into a Glass

body, apply its Head and Receiver and Distill in B.M. as long as any thing will rise, and

the matter be Congealed; remove then your Receiver and shut it well that nothing

expire; put your Body then into a heat of Sand and distill it that if any corruptible part

remain still in it, it may by that heat be Calcined; let it continue in that heat for six hours,

let it cool; being cold, powder it, and proceed with it as at first with the Spirit you drew

form it, until it be again all dissolved by boyling in the said Spirit. Distil it then again by B.

as much as will so rise, the rest in Ashes, or Sand. Then again dissolve it as at first by

boyling it in its Spirit; again Distil it per Balneum, as long as any will rise; and again per

Arenam totally to dry the Salt.

And this process of dissolving it by boyling it in its Spirit, and distilling it per B. and per

Arenam, you shall so long and often repeat until in the dissolution it emit no faeces or

terrestreity, and remain after distillation of its Spirit, like an Oyl keep safe this Salt till you

have this Spirit further prepared.

Take now of your Spirit used in the preparation of your Salt, or other the like Spirit;

rectifie it rightly so often until it be totus ardeus, that is, totally burning, so that it will also

burn a linen Clothe dipped in it. Take your Salt; weigh it, pour upon it six times its weight

of your rectified Spirit; shut well your Glass and set it into a lent [sic] heat of B. for two

days; then Distill it in gentle heat of Ashes, which distillation continue as long as no

veins appear in the Head of your Alembick, the veins appearing, change presently your

Reciever and shut it close, for it is an Animated Spirit, having power to vivify its Body;

continue then your distillation increasing your Fire, that if any Phlegme remain, it may by

that degree of heat be driven out and removed; let then your Fire cease and your Glass

being cold take out the matter, powder it, and put to it four times its weight of pure S.V

as before, digest or putrefie it again; distil it again as before; receive the Animated Spirit

rising without any veins in the head of the Alembick by it self, and the other by it self.

This operation repeat four or five times, and you will have your Spirit fully Animated, and

our Body Exanimated and Calcined.

This Spirit with its Body is fit for all Physical operations: but here we will use it for the

vivifying of its own body.

Take therefore the Faces and Salt or Earth out of your Glass and grind it to powder, put

a little of it upon a red hot plate of Iron, if it flows as Wax and fume not, ’tis perfect, but if

it emit any fume, repeat the former operation with fresh Spirit of Wine, until you find it

flows like Wax upon a hot plate, and fume not at all.

Having brought it to that pass that it be fully Examinated and fume not , know exactly its

weight, put it into a fit Glass Body and put to it a fourth part of in weight of Animated

Spirit; shut well the Glass and set it into a gentile B. for three or four days until it be

Congealed, or have imbibed its Spirit; this being done, remove your blind Head, and

putting on a distilling head, Distil in heat of Ashes what will rise, which will be insipid as

common Water. Put on again a fourth part of Spirit, Congeal in Balneo as before; distil

off again the Phlegme in Ashes; and this operation or process continue until your Salt

have imbibed all its Animated Spirit and come to this pass, that if you put a little of it

upon a red hot plate it will go away all in fume; this is certain a sigh your matter is fit for

sublimation: Take then your impregnated Earth or Salt, put it into a bolt Head with long

Neck, strengthen the body of it with a strong lute, and the lute be well dryed, set it into

your Furnace, put fire under, which at first must be gentle, increase it directly and

gradually, until your bolt head be in a good heat; if nothing yet rise, increase your fire

until you see your matter sublime; continue that degree for 24. Hours, in which time all

your Salt will be sublimed. A noble Medicine, and that which R. Lullius calls Mercurius

Vegetabilis, Sal Armoniacum and many other names.

Take now of pure Spirit of Wine, that is, totus ardeus, and will burn a Linen rag one

pound; of this before sublimed Vegetable Salt four Ounces, put your Salt into a Glass

Body, and pour your S.V. upon it; shut well your Glass, and set it into B.M. to digest the

time of two days; this being done, Distil it in heat of Ashes, into a large Receiver,

continue your distillation until all be come over, and if any Salt remain yet behind, pour

again your Spirit upon it, and again Distil it until it be all come over; add to it four

Ounces more of the said Volatile Salt, putrefie as before, and again Distil until all the

Salt be distilled over with the Spirit; add yet four Ounces more of the sublimed Salt to

your Spirit, putrefie as before; distil again; repeat this operation until you have also

brought over these last four Ounces of Salt with your Spirit: and you have then the

Menstruum Vegetabile of R. Lully, and a Noble and high Medicine, which you ought to

keep safe and esteem as a great Arcanum, and a true Philosophical Menstruum, &ec.

Another Quintessence of Wine

Take of generous Wine about twenty Pints, or else what quantity you will; Distil it in a

Glass Alemlbick, the Spirit being all come over, change your Receiver and draw off the

Phlegme; the Phlegme being all over, Distill with a stronger degree of Fire, and you will

have a stinking red Oyl, and in the bottome of your vessel you will find the faeces or

Caput Mortuum of your Wine, which Calcine in a fit Furnace, until they become a white

Calx. Rectify your Oyl, several times from this Calx. Calcining each time the Calx or

Calcined Tartar or Salt of your Wine until it become very pure and have totally lost its

faetidness; keep this Oyl until the other parts of your Wine are purified and united. Take

now your Tartar after the rectification of your Oyl upon it; Calcine it again gently and

proceed with it, with your Spirit of Wine of your first distillation, as you did with the

former process even to the union of the Spirit and Salt, until it have imbibed all its Spirit

and be fit for sublimation, which you may then sublime as in that process, if you please,

if not, dissolve it thrice in Spirit of Wine of the first distillation; Filter it and distil off again

your Spirit to a Dryness; Dissolve it again, Filter and Congeal it; and thus do thrice; add

then to it, its rectified Oyl, and digest them together to a perfect Union, and you have a

very pure Quintessence of Wine, and a powerful and Cordial Medicine, & c.

A Quintessence of Wine

Take of good generous Wine what quantity you will, put it into fit vessels for

Putrefaction, which shut well that nothing expire; bury them in Horse-dung for two

Moneths, but changing as often as needful your Horse-dung, and putting to new. This

being done, put it to distil and separate gently in B. the Spirit, which being all come over,

as you will know by the veins ceasing; change your Receiver (keep close your Spirit)

and putting to another Receiver, distil the residue until its faeces be left of the

consistence of honey; set these into a Cellar fore some time ore until you see Christalls

generated, as in the faces of distilled Vinger. Take out these Christalls very carefully,

and wash them (but with a very nimble hand) in the distilled Phlegme of the Wine; if you

are not very quick in this action, the Christals will suddenly dissolve; the remainder that

shot not into Christals, Calcine to a white Calx or Ash; out of the Calx extract with the

Phlegme, the fixed Salt, which purify very highly by often solutions, filtrations, and

coagulations; let the solution after the first extraction, be made alwayes with Spirit of

Wine of the first distillation: joyn the Salt, I mean the first Christals and this fixed Salt,

and put them into a Bolt-head, or other fit Glass; pour upon them a good quantity of

Spirit of Wine of the first distillation, and stopping well your Glass, Dissolve them by a

gentle Decoction in heat of Ashes, distill of the Spirit in an Alembick or Retort gently, as

last increase our heat gradually unto such height as will raise the Salt; which will at last

rise Christalline and fair. Joyn this Salt with twice or thrice its weight of pure alcalisate

Spirit of Wine, and in a fit Glass Circulate into a Quintessence. This is a Cordial and

cleanser of the whole Body, Its dose is half a scruple [ one scruple: 1.296 grams, 20

grains] fs. [half] to a scruple j fs.