Quicksilver is a watery substance, mixed with a subtle sort of earth in a strong and indissoluble mixture. This is on account of its great earthy dryness, which does not liquefy on a flat surface, “and therefore it does not adhere [to the surface]” like something watery. Its substance is bright, “from the brightness of subtle water” and from the “whiteness of earth” that is well refined and divided.  It also has whiteness from the “admixture of air” with these components. Quicksilver naturally has this as its own property, and it cannot be thickened on its own, without sulfur, but with sulfur and with the substance of lead it may be congealed. So it is said in the same place [Avicenna’s On minerals (De mineralibus)] that quicksilver and sulfur are elements -- that is, they comprise the principle[s] and matter of everything liquefiable, namely metals.  All of this is discussed in the book of Meteorology and indeed just as Aristotle put them forth.  So quicksilver is said to be the principle of all metals, and thus with respect to the others to be a simple element.

De sua autem virtute et natura diversi diversa posuerunt, quid autem de hoc sentiant medici, patere potest per haec verba, argentum (inquit Platearius) [Livre des simples medecines, ed. Malandin p. 249] vivum, calidum dicitur esse et humidum in gradu quarto, quamvis a quibusdam iudicetur frigidum et in eodem gradu, et quod sit calidum ostenditur per effectum, eo quod dissoluit, penetrat et incidit, sed quia actualiter sentitur multum frigidum abusive frigidum iudicatur.

Quod autem aliqui dicunt argentum vivum ex quadam vena terrae per excoctionem fieri, falsum esse patet, eo quod per calorem ignis facillime in fumum extenuatur, sed a terra gignitur et quasi aqua per fluens procreatur, diutissime etiam in vase frigido & solido conseruatur, tanta autem ipsius est cohaerentia et fortitudo, quod nulli rei potest admisceri, nisi primitus extinguatur. Extinguitur autem cum saliva, quando cum ea fricatur, et maxime, quando cinis saliuae additur, et maxime, quando pulvis ossis sepiae sociatur.

Est autem argentum vivum de facili in fumum evaporatiuum & resolutivum, cuius fumus maxime obest astantibus. Inducit enim paralysim et tremorem, relaxando nervos et remolliendo. Ore acceptum vel auri immissum occidit membra perfodiendo circa quod periculum maxime valet lac caprinum, in quantitate maxime epotatum cum continuo motu patientis.