balneum

Updated: June 21, 2025

Take the mixture of the Spirit of Wine, and of the Oil, set it into Balneum Mariæ; distil the Spirit of Wine only from the Oil with a very slack heat, so that you may be assured that there is no more of the Spirit to be found in this most precious Oil, which you may easily try; when you see some of the drops ascend over with the Spirit of Wine, it is a sign that the Spirit of Wine is separated from the Oil, then remove all the fire from under the Bath, how little soever it be, that it may cool the sooner.

Basilius Valentinus - Of Natural and Supernatural Things : Also of the first Tincture, Root, and Spirit of Metals and Minerals, how the same are Conceived, Generated, Brought forth, Changed, and Augmented.