Within the walls and upon the shelves of Special Collections lie many works, powerful and invaluable. At times, the stories about the books themselves are more marvelous than what appears on their pages.

One such work, devoted scholars, concerns alchemy. (For more, pursue this to that troth trove agreed, the OED, and its entry sub vivo “alchemy”.) What it purports to be, it is almost certainly not; what it is, more fantastic, is forgery.

The manuscript known as MS 117 is alleged, by its maker (or confabulator), to be a work of the alchemist Basilius Valentinus. But most every work of this renowned seeker is a fabrication – fabulous – a forgery. As almost certainly is this.

Read on, read on, sojourner, through the catalog record available anon, which but begins this work’s tale. Instead, good seekers, this is likely the work of another alchemist, under a pseudonym, who perhaps presented this as a work worthy of purchase, to be traded, like secrets.

This, dearest readers, is likely a seventeenth-century fabrication, or just of the century thereafter, and so much of the spirit of that time. So many eager buyers would know the unfolding of their times, fortunes, and fates, especially before uncertainty. So it was – or would be – on my island home, after my corporeal time, but not beyond one of my scrying.

A bit of knowledge revealed, with more left to the imagination, friends, does not sate those hungry for it. Rather, it renders them insatiable. And supple. And readily plied.

And, as we know, the scholar so driven will part readily with her or his money. Especially where a text or book, with its promise as yet possible and secrets as yet to be revealed, is concerned. Books before all comforts. So often books before our barest needs.

And what might we find within this work? A means to fortune, fame, or infamy?

For those alchemists of old, the search for gold oft is represented as the ne plus ultra of our pursuits. True, the means to make some other baser metal over into gold was most actively sought.

But other transformations, by those invested in the alchemical arts, were also pursued. One such transformation? The sweet breath of surety afforded by mouthwash (known here as “Aqua Dentifritica”.)

Yes, mouthwash, dear fellows of mystery! Herewith we present our most favored of MS 117’s many recipes and conjures, mouthwash, rendered in the learned language of Latin for your review. Click through! Click through the image herewith in small, so it might become large and readily read!

Beware, seekers, we do not commend this recipe to use! Merely upon it do reflect.

And, so, I depart, but do remain, and perhaps I shall return again …

- Dr. John Dee