Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS

[bi3mw]

What do you think was meant by “flowers”?  Herbs? Or words of wisdom?

That's a very good question. Based on the sentence structure, I would take the headline in M II 180 more literally, i.e., flowers / herbs. However, interpreting it as “words of wisdom” also makes perfect sense.

I once read somewhere that “flower” can also be the most refined, effective, and spiritual principle of a thing, whether physical (e.g., wine, metal) or spiritual (e.g., virtue, soul). However, I can no longer find the source.

Here is a hint:

Dissertation, Andreas Eckert, Zur Alchemie im Mittelalter, Graz 2016, page 28

Sublimation (Sublimatio)

A solid body is vaporized in whole or in part, and this vapor then condenses on cooler parts of the vessel without passing through a liquid phase. Sublimation was used to purify sulfur, cinnabar, and ammonium chloride (sal ammoniac). The sublimates were often referred to as flores (flowers) because their structure was very fine or crystalline.

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edit: There is also an edition that contains a glossary of medicinal herbs.
wellcome collection, MS.708, Johannes de Rupescissa, De consideratione quintae essentiae, 1443
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