Glas Ghairm
A rhyme or spell of Scottish origin, by the use of which one could keep a dog from barking, and open a lock, and supposed to be of special value to young men in their courtship days. About twenty years ago a wellknown character in Skye, named Archibald the Lightheaded, was believed to know this incantation; but he repeated it so quickly that no one could understand what he said. This poor man was insane; but the fear which dogs had of him was ascribed to his knowledge of the Glas Ghairm. It was believed that this rhyme had some reference to the safety of the Children of Israel on the night before the Exodus: against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast." 66 Glauber, Johann Rudolph : German mediciner and alchemist, born at Carlstadt, in 1603. No authentic records concerning his life appear to exist, although he was a profuse writer and left many treatises on medicine and alchemy. He discovered and prepared many medicines of great value to pharmacy, some of which are in common use, for example the familiar preparation known as Glauber's Salts. He was a firm believer in the Philosophers' Stone and elixir vitæ. Concerning the former, he states: "Let the benevolent reader take with him my final judgment concerning the great Stone of the Wise; let every man believe what he will and is able to comprehend. Such a work is purely the gift of God, and cannot be learned by the most acute power of human mind, if it be not assisted by the benign help of a Divine Inspiration. And of this I assure myself that in the last times, God will raise up some to whom He will open the Cabinet of Nature's Secrets, that they shall be able to do wonderful things in the world to His Glory, the which, I indeed, heartily wish to posterity that they may enjoy and use to the praise and honour of God."
Some of Glauber's principal works are, Philosophical Gnosticism Furnaces, Commentary on Paracelsus, Heaven ot the Philosophers, or Book of Vexation, Miraculum Mundi, The Prosperity of Germany, Book of Fires.