(Previously unpublished manuscript from the papers of the late Dr. Ehrenfried E. Pfeiffer, which has been edited for publication. Originally printed in Mercury 1992; 12.)

In medieval chemical manuscripts descriptions of how to produce chemical and therapeutical substances spoke of the "repetition" of one and the same procedure, a process which might appear unnecessary to the chemist of today because seemingly no new transformation resulted from it. This procedure mainly concerned processes of dissolving and distillation. Yet the old literature makes it clear that these processes, when repeated in definite rhythms, have the effect of purifying the substance involved and intensifying the intended process. The repetition of the distillation process is reported to purify the substance more and more and, thus, make it receptive to "fixation" of the world-spirit. When elaborating on the production of metal mirrors. Dr. Steiner explained that a substance undergoing distillations is brought back to its cosmic origin and rendered able to receive cosmic forces.

One can well imagine that a single distillation may not be sufficient when one considers the strong relationship to the physical conditions, the permeation with not only material impurities but also with earth processes - for example, the raw technical production and manufacturing. The purely chemical rectification requires several repetitions. In the old instructions - as indicated many times by Rudolf Steiner - the distillation products are reunited with the original substance so that no purification - in the sense of "removal of impurities" - seems to take place. Thus the processes themselves are influenced.

Can one verify the effects of such distillation processes through an experimental test? One can study the effects on a human being of a remedy in its various stages of preparation. Such experiments are time consuming and difficult to interpret. Or one can study plants in their reaction to growth and shape, as in growth tests with legumes (peas). This also is time consuming and shows only a detail of all the possible effects of the remedy.

The most suitable, practical way seemed to be to use the method of Sensitive Crystallization and to study the "biography" of the remedy with single crystallization pictures. This provided an opportunity to observe both an obvious effect and a specific influence.

Concerning the method and its possible applications, we refer you to the book. Sensitive Crystallization Processes, A Demonstration of Formative Forces in the Blood by E. Pfeiffer in which medical consequences of this method are specifically represented.

Through the kindness of Weleda, Arlesheim we received an insight into the production processes of remedy No. 20 (Kalium aceticum cum. stibio). This remedy is especially suitable for studying the problems referred to earlier.

In brief, the indications for the production are: "distilled wine vinegar is poured onto Tartar (Potassium tartrate) and distilled off several times so that, after the distillation, it tastes as sour as at the start. Then Antimony is finely ground together with the above end product. Next, an alcoholic extract of Crocus sativus is added to the powder and this again treated by distillations. Further distillations with pure alcohol follow until the "spiritus" no longer shows a red color. Then Coral is finely pulverized together with this intermediate product, covered again with alcohol and distilled. This has to be repeated several times until finally there results the finished remedy."

To investigate the effect of the formative forces which might accompany the whole process, a small amount was taken each time from all the single intermediate states, added in high dilution to a 5% solution of copper chloride (CuCI2) and crystallized according to the established method. The resulting crystalizations showed that, with the help of the obtained form, pictures of each single stage of the whole process could be clearly fixed as to its effect; especially the last stage in each case can be observed as a specific and characteristic form-picture.

The single stages are shown in the accompanying crystallization pictures:

1. Distilled wine vinegar, 5 drops added to 10 cc of copper chloride solution This picture shows hardly any activity of formative forces. It concerns a chemical product without any specific characteristics. In its tendency the wine vinegar may have something plant-like in the direction of flower and fruit forms, but they cannot manifest properly. Observe especially the center area of this picture for a later comparison.

2. 0.05% solution of the salt of tartar added to the CuCl2 solution. Here appears quite a different character of forms: sharply contoured needles, concentrated to small but not very clearly delineated centers which are distributed over the surface. However, a unifying centralization towards one center is missing. It is the typical picture of a substance which has precipitated after fermentation. Such forms are obtained with the crystallization of substances resulting from various fermentation or putrefaction processes; that is, one can recognize a phase of a certain natural process but without being able to see any specific, individual characteristics of the substance in question.

Whoever is surprised by such conclusions is referred to the book mentioned above on how far-reaching conclusions can be drawn from the form pictures and also consider that we can look back on an empirical material of many thousands of crystallization pictures.

3. After the first distillation with wine vinegar. A strong change can be observed in this picture. The sharp tartarus-type needles are still retained near the border; but towards the center of the picture a new form reveals itself: this has a more plant-like character. We can recognize a tendency in picture No. 1 - even if not quite distinct - is apparent in the center. Here this form manifests itself more obviously.

4. After the second distillation. The needles are more and more overwhelmed from the other, new form principle and kind of "ennobled." The hard, sharp fermentation character loses itself.

5. After the third distillation. The character of the single needles, due to the tartarus, vanishes. Also, the form of the wine vinegar cannot be found any more. Instead, a new principle enters, a unifying element, which arranges the crystals more and more towards one center.

6. After the fourth distillation. As compared with the previous one, this picture shows no more improvement in centralization. The single forms become slightly finer and again approach the more plant-like forms. Judging from this picture, no more distillation is necessary.

7. Addition of Antimony, 0.005 g to 5% CuCl2 solution. A new form element is now introduced. Considered by itself, this shows a striking character: a very distinct general center with fine, feathery, wing-like forms, the picture of the pure effect of etheric forces out of the vegetative growth sphere.

8. The preparation which had undergone the four distillations is now triturated with Antimony and a small amount of the mixture added to the crystallization. At first, there appears a complete chaotization of the forms, a kind of regression. In spite of this, the centered character remains.

9. A further element is introduced: Crocus sativus, three drops added to the crystallization. The resulting picture shows abundant chaotic plant forms which, again, have as their single distinguishing characteristic a tendency towards the plant-like.

10. Crocus sativus, extracted with alcohol, is added to the mixture of the preparation gained at stage 8 and distilled for the first time. As a result, we see a battlefield of different forms, struggling and superimposing on one another, forms which we saw in details from the earlier pictures.

11. After the second distillation with alcohol. The form picture starts to order and balance itself.

12. After the third distillation. One could say a new creation of forms becomes visible. The previous little centers disappear more and more and make room for a completely new kind of form - the product of all the previous form elements working together.

13. After the fourth distillation. The new form character receives still more fixation and creates a form now completely directed to one center point. From the character, one recognizes that the Antimony has asserted itself completely on the plant level. The mixture is now again able to take up a new element.

14. Addition of Coral 0.05% to the crystallization. Here again the feathery type of disordered crystals.

15. The trituration of the substance (from picture 13) with Coral (picture 14) reveals again a completely chaotic picture as a first reaction. One could nearly think that all the previous efforts were in vain.

16. After distillation of above mixture with alcohol. The chaos starts quickly to take form.

17. After the second distillation the center point is clearly revealed. We have now very finely-formed crystals.

18. A completely unified picture radiating from one center results out of the third distillation. All the different forces are brought into balance with each other. It is striking for the knowing observer to see the relationship of this picture to a normal human blood picture. It shows that the highest possibility of balance is reached and the remedy is, in fact, finished. The process has reached its desire end.

This experimental series shows that, with the help of the Sensitive Crystallization method it is possible to follow up the separate stages in the preparation of a compound remedy and especially observe the interaction of the formative forces, their progressive accommodation to one another and the ultimate harmonization. Furthermore, it is evident that such a process gives an image of the whole path of development towards the normal.

Dr. Ehrenfried E. Pfeiffer and Erica Sabarth