Bezoardicum (

bezoar A bezoar stone ( ) is a mass often found trapped in the gastrointestinal system, though it can occur in other locations. A pseudobezoar is an indigestible object introduced intentionally into the digestive system. There are several varieties o ...

of) is a term applied to multiple substances used in

alchemy Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...

and other practices: *Bezoardicum joviale, or bezoar of Jupiter, is a

regulus Regulus is the brightest object in the constellation Leo (constellation), Leo and one of the List of brightest stars, brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation designated α Leonis, which is Latinisation of names, ...

made by melting three ounces of regulus of

antimony Antimony is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Sb () and atomic number 51. A lustrous grey metal or metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient t ...

and two of block

tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...

. This is then powdered and mixed with six ounces of corrosive sublimate and distilled off in a kind of butter. It is then dissolved in spirit of nitre (nitric acid) and distilled three times. The bezoar remaining at the bottom is powdered, washed, and mixed with

spirit of wine ''Aqua vitae'' (Latin for "water of life") or aqua vita is an archaic name for a strong aqueous solution of ethanol. These terms could also be applied to weak ethanol without rectification. Usage was widespread during the Middle Ages and the ...

, until it grows insipid. *Bezoardicum lunale, or bezoar of the Moon, is made by mixing eight ounces of rectified butter of antimony with one of fine

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

. This is dissolved in spirit of nitre, by gently pouring it on till the ebullition ceases. The spirit is then drawn off by a gentle heat, and the bezoar managed as in the preparation of bezaordicum joviale. *Bezoardicum martiale is a dissolution of Crocus Martis by reverberation in butter of antimony, with spirit of nitre poured on it. The rest is done according to the preparation of bezaordicum joviale.

References

#{{1728, title=Bezoardicum}

Alchemical substances