Manuscrit hermétique du 17me siècle dont toutes les opérations du Grand Oeuvre sont expliquées avec la plus grande vérité

Apparently transcribed for E. H. C. Monckton [1812-1884] by an anonymous French 19th century alchemist. A marginal note on p. 11 states 'Je conseille Mons. Monckton de ne point entreprendre le travail des métaux impurs, parceque la purification en est longue: l'or et l'argent sont meilleurs.' Inserted is a folio leaf of different format 'Poudre Simpathique. Manière de la préparer et de s'en servir' written by the same hand. The reference to Thénard in the 'Introduction' suggests that the writer of this MS. may possibly have been C. Théodore Tiffereau, a Parisian alchemist who claimed to have a process for making gold, which was ridiculed by Louis Jacques Thénard [1777-1857]. Tiffereau's 'Oeuvres alchimiques' was published at Paris in 1888-1890 [cf. Caillet. Nos. 10696-10698]. His first work on artificial gold production was published in 1853.

c. 1860

1 volume 2 ll. + 18 pp. + 2 bl. ll. folio. 31 × 20 cm. Unbound.

Purchased 1920.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).

From the Monckton Collection.