Article: Eggs-o-tericism, Some Notes on the Egg in Spagyrics and Alchemy

by Russ House

Copyright, 1994, 1998, 2000, Russ House. All rights reserved.

Reprinted from Issue 27 of The Stone

The following is a collection of information regarding Alchemical experimentation on the lowly egg. For the most part, the egg has been overlooked in the classical Alchemical literature, just as it is presently seldom used in the modern pharmacoepia.

Chemistry of Egg Yolk:

"VITELLUS, Yolk of Egg, is the yolk of the egg of the domestic fowl, Gallis Bankiva, var. domestica. It is a viscid, reddish-yellow, opaque liquid, of bland taste, alkaline reaction, odorless, and may be regarded as a dense emulsion of oil suspended in water by means of albumen. It is coagulated by heat or by alcohol, and contains vitellin, which is a protein related to casein, also cholesterin and albumin, besides fat, inorganic salts, sugar, etc." Handbook of Materia Medica, Pharmacy and Therapeutics by Samuel Potter, 1894.

The Merck Manual, Eleventh Edition indicates, under the listing "Egg Oil", that the product is obtained by extraction of egg yolks with ethylene dichloride. It contains fatty glycerides, cholesterol and lecithin. The fraction containing glycerides is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The product is soluble in the common organic solvents, miscible in other oils, and while not miscible with water, will form emulsions when shaken in water. It is used in the making of hydrophilic bases for medicinal and cosmetic products, such as salves and creams.

Medicinal Use of Egg Oil:

Potter's Handbook, and other similar pharmacy books of the period mention the use of egg yolk with glycerine to form emulsions and indicate healing properties for the skin but do not use the oil per se.

My experience has shown that Oil of Egg, prepared by the process given by Sue House, or by use of a Soxhlet, accelerates the healing of the skin to a remarkable degree. My son was saved from possible skin grafts when a deep wound would not heal and the tissue began to die. Seven applications of oil of egg directly to the wound over a two-day period completely changed the situation - the skin that was turning black and dying became pink and healthy with good circulation and nearly complete healing by the morning of the third day.

This preparation also removes the 'fire' from burns. I have burned myself several times in the lab and dabbed on oil of egg at once. The 'heat' of the burn went away in each case, and burns that would normally have blistered and taken up to a week to ten days to heal if untreated were completely well in 48 hours. I will routinely use oil of egg for wounds, cuts, burns and abrasions, knowing of no better healing agent. A strong tincture or a purified oil will attack the rubber bulb and seal in medicine droppers, which will contaminate the preparation. If using these bottles, store them upright, and avoid overfilling the dropper.

Oil of the Yolks of Eggs:

Tyrocinium Chymicum - by Jean Beguinus, 1610: "Fry the Yolks broke in a frying-pan, with temperate heat, until they wax red, and send forth oil; keeping them continually moving with a stick, that they burn not. Then express the hot oil, and with a great quantity of distilled water, digest it for a month in Baln (water bath). Some take the yolks so fried, and enclosing them in cloth moistened with Oil of sweet Almonds, press out the oil with a press.

"Malthiolus writing to Dioscorides, commends this oil as useful for cleaning, and removing roughness of the skin, and clefts of the lips, hands and feet; and against dolours of Ulcers, of the joints, and all nervous places. It is likewise profitable in scaldings or burnings by fire, and in membranes of the brain, Malignant Ulcers it cicatriseth, and generates hairs."

For Gilding:

A Manual of Paracelsus: "Distill the yolk of eggs. It is converted into a red oil which gilds money and lasts for ever".

Note: I have known of individuals to get oil of egg on silver jewelry when they were working in the lab. The jewelry did temporarily take on a beautiful golden color.

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