The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-25
THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE.
Former Belief I'm the medicine" Said
to Change Lead to Gold.

Mr.. NJ. NJ. Pattison Muir, who has con-
tributed the latest volume to Appleton's
Library of Useful Stories, entitled 1.-The
Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of
Chemistry" relates the following
example OF the evidence put forth to sup
port the belief in the existence of the
philosophers stone. The story is attributed
to John Frederick Helvetiuss Golden
Calf (seventeenth century,:
"On the 9th December, 1866, in the fore
noon. there came to my house certain
man, who was complete stranger to me.
but Of an honest, grave countenance, and
an authoritative mien, clothed in simple
garb. He was Of middle height,
his face was long and slightly pock-marked.
his hair black and straight. his chin
close-shaven, his age about forty-three or
forty-four. and his native province. as far
as l could make out, North Holland. After
we had exchanged salutations he asked me
whether he might have some conversation
with me. He wished to say something to
me about the pyrotechnic art. as he had
read one of my tracts directed against
the sympathetic powder of DR.. Digby), In
which | limited suspicion whether the
grand arcanum of the sages was not after
all gigantic hoax. He, therefore, took
that opportunity of asking me whether /
could not believe that such a grand mys-
terry might exist in the nature of things, by
means of which a physician could restore
any patient whose vitals were not irrepara-
bly, destroyed. 1 answered, Such a medi-
cine would be a most desirable acquisition
for any physician; nor can any man tell
how many secrets there may be hidden in
nature; yet, though 1 have read much
about the truth of this art, 1t has never
been my good fortune to meet with a real
After some further conversation the Artist
Elias (for 1T was he) thus addressed me:
| Since you have read so much in the works
| of the alchemlSts about this stone, It's
| substance, it's color and it's wonderful eff
| fects. may / be allowed the question.
whether you have not prepared 1t yourself?'
On my answering his question in the mega
tive he took out of his bag cunningly-
worked ivory box, in which were three
/ large pieces of substance resembling glass.
| or pale sulfur. and informed me that here
was enough of the tincture for the produc-
/ tiOn of twenty tons of gold. When l had
/ held the precious treasure in my hand for
| a quarter of hour during which time
| i listened to a recital of its wonderful cur
| alive properties), l was compelled TO re-
store IL to its owner, which could not
help doing with a certain degree of reluc-
| lance. My request that he would
/ give me piece of his stone Though ii were
/ no larger than a coriander Seed), he some
| what brusquely refused, adding, in mild
i er tone. that he could not give Ii me for
/ all the wealth / possessed, and that not on
| account of its great preciousness, but for
| some other reason which it was not lawful
| quired whether 1 could not show him into a
| room at the back of the house, where we
| should be less liable to the observation OF
passers-by. On my conducting him into
the state parlor (Which he entered with
out wiping his dirty boots), he demanded OF
me gold coin, and while was looking fol
IL. he produced from his breast pocket a
| green silk handkerchief, in which were
folded up five medals the gold of which
| was infinitely superior TO that of my gold
piece" Here follows the inscriptions or
ole Had r1xrafr tfr.v1
and asked my visitor whence he had OBJ
tanned that wonderful knowledge of the
| whole world. He replied that il was gift
freely bestowed on him by a friend who
had stayed few days at his house." Here
follows the strangers account of his
| friends experiments. when my strange
visitor had concluded his narrative, l be-
| sought him to give me proof of his as
sertion, by performing the transmutatory
| operation on some metals in my presence
He answered evasively that he could mo-
do so then, but that he would return In
three weeks, and that, If he was then a
| liberty to do so. he would show me some
thing that would make me open my eyes
| He appeared punctually to the promised
day, and invited me to take a walk will
him. in the course of which we discourseC
profoundly on the secrets of nature IN
fire, though / noticed that my companion
was very chary in imparting information
about the Grand Arcanum. At las
/ asked him point blank to show me th'
transmutation of metals. / besought hin
night at my house: / entreated; L expostu
| lated; but in vain. He remained firm. / re
minded him of his promise. He retorteC
that his promise had been conditional upor
his being permitted to reveal the secret Il
me. At last. however. | prevailed upor
him to give me a piece OF his precious stone
"a piece no larger than grain of RAPE
seed. He bid me take half an ounc,
of lead. and melt IL in the crucible
for the Medicine would certainly not ting,
more of the base metal than il was suffi
Client for. He promised to return a
9 o'clock the next morning. But a
the stated hour on the following day he di,
not make his appearance; in his stead how
ever there came a few hours later,
stranger, who told me that his friend, TIL
artist was unavoidably detained. but tina
| The afternoon came; L waited for him til
7:30 o'clock. He did not appear. Thereupol
my wife came and tempted me to try tn
| transmutation myself. / determined, how
| ever, to wait till the morrow. On the NOR
row / asked my wife 10 put tn
tincture in wax, and / myself pre-
pared six drains of lead; / then cast tn
| tincture. enveloped IL was in wax. on tn
| lead; as soon as IL was melted there was
| Kissing sound and a slight efferveScence
and after a quarter of an hour | found tina
| the whole mass of lead had been turne,
| into the finest gold. We immediately
took IL to the goldsmith who at once de
| clared il the finest gold he had seel
and offered to pay 80 forms ounce TO
it." He then describes various tests whicl
were made 10 prove the purity of the gold
Thus / have unfolded TO you the Who'll
story from beginning TO end. The gold
| still retain In my possession, but / canno
tell you what has become of the Arts
Elias