CONTENTS

PART I

HISTORICAL

CHAPTER

I.

BEGINNINGS OF ALCHEMY

19

II.

EARLY EUROPEAN ALCHEMISTS

25

III.

THE STORY OF NICHOLAS FLAMEL

30

IV.

BASIL VALENTINE

40

V.

PARACELSUS

46

VI.

ALCHEMY IN THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES

51

VII.

ENGLISH ALCHEMISTS

60

VIII.

THE COMTE DE ST. GERMAIN

71

PART II

THEORETICAL

I.

THE SEED OF METALS

79

II.

THE SPIRIT OF MERCURY

87

III.

THE QUINTESSENCE

94

IV.

THE QUINTESSENCE IN DAILY LIFE

103

p. 10

PART III

I.

THE MEDICINE FROM METALS

111

II.

PRACTICAL

119

CONCLUSION

129

'AUREUS' OR THE GOLDEN TRACTATE

131

THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION OF HERMES

149