Egyptian Secrets

This strange book goes in and out of print with nearly every generation. While appearing to be a book of long forgotten secrets and magic by its title, it is really a catalog of old remedies used for ailments throughout the centuries. It is not known how old the writing is or how old the remedies included are. It is even disputed that Albertus Magnus (aka Saint Albert the Great) of the 13th century is truly the author. This version is from an old book printed in the United States under the title Egyptian Secrets.

Some of the remedies are truly odd and laughable today, others are probably valuable recipes long forgotten for illnesses. Most of the purported magic is simple Prayer and Faith in God, which makes sense if the author was St Albert, then his Christian theolgy during the superstitious Medieval ages would shine through. Some remedies simply make you wonder, "how in the heck is that going to do anything?!"

Albert Magnus's Egyptian Secrets claimed to be issued as a "great service to mankind. ..in order to bridle and check the doings of the Devil." But it warned owners of the book, "not to treat the same lightly or to destroy the same, because, by such action, he will defy the will of God, and God will. in return therefore destroy him, and cause him to suffer eternal punishment and grim damnation."

Some of Magnus's methods are listed below:

To cure a rupture: Cut three tufts of hair from the centre of his head; tie the same in a clean cloth, carry it into another district, (county) , and bury it under a young willow tree, so that it may grow together.

For Epilepsy or Fits: Take some part of the hind leg of a calf, also part of a bone of a human body from a graveyard; pulverize both, mix the mass well, and give the patient three points of a knife full.

To know if cattle are plagued by Witches: The hair stand on end, or bristles on the head, and they generally sweat by night or near dawn of day. How to Wean Calves: On the third day before full moon, this should be done, and splendid large cattle will be the result.

To cause a Cow to become Pregnant: Take nine knots of an early tree in the spring of the year, pulverize them, and give to the cow on newly baked bread. To Relieve Horses or Cattle from being Haunted: Take the left-hand glove of a woman afflicted with rheumatism in the right arm, steep it in fresh water, and allow the animals to drink thereof.

To Avoid Danqer of Fire in a Dwelling House: Take in the evening or in the morning a bl.ack hen from its nest, cut its thro'at, throw it upon the ground, cut the stomach of the hen out of the body, but nothing else, and be careful to leave everything else inside. After this proceeding try to obtain apiece of gold quartz. The piece must be large as a saucer. These two articles wrap up together; take an egg laid on Green Thursday.; wrap the three pieces thus obtained up in bees'-wax and put all in an octagon pot of clay, cover the same tightly, and bury it under the housedoor sill. Such a house is protected from all dangers of fire, although the flames may surround it.

To Cure a Cough: Roast an onion, rub the soles of the feet therewith, and the ailment will cease; or take strong brandy, dip a soft cloth therein and wet the soles of the feet, mornings and evenings.

For a Swelling: Take hogs manure, put it in a left shoe and tie it over the place where the swelling is, and it will cease.

For a Toothache: Write upon apiece of paper, Quosum sinioba zenni tantus lect veri, and hang it on a string over the back.

To Determine if a Sick Person will qet Well: Cut a piece of bread, rub the patient's teeth therewith, and throw it before a dog. If the dog eats it, the patientwill recover. Otherwise, the disease is dangerous.

To Restore Manhood: Take a new fresh laid egg, if possible, one that is yet warm. Pour whale oil over it, and boil the egg in it; the oil then should be poured into a running water, stream downward, never upward, then open the egg a little, carry it to an ant's hill of the large red specie. as are found in fir-tree forest, and there bury the egg. As soon as the ants have devoured the egg, the weak and troubled person will be restored to former strength and vigor.

The earliest authentic works extant on European alchemy are those of the English monk Roger Bacon and the German philosopher Saint Albertus Magnus: both believed in the possibility of transmuting inferior metals into gold. Albertus Magnus, also, though his science might have been crude and defective, based it upon the instinctive recognition of the psychic links between man and nature, that he was not an alien in the universe but an integral and natural part of it, something which has been lost in modern science.

Lovecraft mentions the "Albert Magnus" in an edition of his writings translated and published in 1651 by Peter Jamm being in the library of Joseph Curwen. We don't know if this edition is really a true translation of the works of Albertus Magnus or one of the many grimoires created by self-claimed mystics and alchemists. While the man did write many treatises, there were a huge number of fakes. Some of these fakes attributed to Albertus Magnus include: the "Book of Secretes" published in London, circa 1560 and "Egyptian Secrets" printed anonymously in the United States with no publisher's mark or publication date. He was said to be an adept in magical arts, expecially alchemy, weather manipulation, and creating androids capable of speech. He was a prolific writer though it is uncertain if any of his works have actually survived. Like many 'magicians' of the period, his supposed works were translated and revised out of recognition.

Actually he was no "magician" at all. From the viewpoint of the Catholic Church he was Saint Albertus Magnus (1206-1280), also called Albert the Great, a German scholastic theologian and scholar. He was born Albrecht von Bollstadt or de Groot in Lauingen. He entered the Dominican order in 1223, taught in Cologne and Paris, served as bishop of Ratisbon (now Regensburg) from 1260 to 1262. Afterwards he was an ecclesiatical administrator, preacher, and educator (most noted for being the teacher of Thomas Aquainus). Albertus Magnus brought Greek and Arabian science and philosophy to Europe and is known for his attempts to reconcile Christian theology with the teachings of Aristotle. He engaged in biological research and reported at length his findings and speculation in various fields of science. His chief works are the "Summa Creaturis" ("Treatise about Mankind"), which deals mainly with man and his immortal soul, and "Summa Theologiae" ("Treatise on Theology"), an unfinished account of God as the cause and goal of all creatures. While some called men of science 'magicians' and 'alchemists,' Albertus Magnus was respected for his work despite forays into alchemy (thought to be integral to chemistry). In fact he was respected widely and Pope Pius XI declared him a Saint and a doctor of the Church in 1932; his feast day is November 15.

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Paperback, 5 x 8, 200+ pages

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