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Abstract: Spagyric tinctures and elixirs represent a traditional herbal manufacturing dosage form that has strong links to alchemy, which is believed by many historians to be the progenitor of modern chemistry. The first to publish extensively on the topic of spagyrics was Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus von Hohenheim (Paracelsus), who presented the idea of reincorporating the calcined herbal marc back into the herbal tincture. This paper seeks to discuss the evolution of spagyrics and its close links to alchemy, also touching briefly on foundational alchemical concepts to provide a basis of understanding for spagyric development. It will also highlight certain key manufacturing steps that are required in the making of the spagyric tincture, spagyric elixir and the highly prized Lapis vegetabilis (vegetable stone).
Introduction
Herbal medicine has a long history of use dating back approximately 60,000 years (Leroi-Gourhan 1975, Lietava 1992), with actual written evidence documented as far back as the Sumerians (ca. 5400BCE) and Akkadians (ca. 2270-2083BCE) of ancient Mesopotamia (Sinclair & Hechtman 2011, Estes 1989). During this evolving timeframe, multifarious posological formats of herb delivery have been utilised, from raw crude herb taken as a powder or burnt and inhaled, to highly sophisticated standardised extract pro extracts, oxymels, syrups and liquid extracts. Amidst this development, the concept of spagyrics was conceived, which represents an almost forgotten herbal manufacturing method that medieval period writings suggest was first expounded by Paracelsus (1493-1541CE) at a time in history preceding the scientific revolution (1550-1700CE).
To understand the historical development of herbal spagyric tinctures and elixirs, one must first explore some fundamental philosophies of the ancient science of alchemy. Alchemy has been practised in numerous and diverse cultures throughout history, with examples of its practice being found in Indian, Greek, Chinese and Arabic literature (Holmyard 1990). It began its slow infiltration into Europe via the occupation of the Iberian Peninsula by the Islamic Moors, and the various alchemical treatises were translated into languages other than Latin, Arabic and Greek.
Alchemy has numerous definitions that encompass various viewpoints depending on the individual academic authority. From a modem perspective, alchemy has been defined as a "medieval forerunner of chemistry, concerned with the transmutation of matter, in particular, with attempts to convert base metals into gold..." (Oxford 2013) or "a medieval...