" Book I: Qualities which the perfect miner should possess and the arguments which are urged for and against the arts of mining and metallurgy, as well as the people occupied in the industry.. II: ...the choice of localities for mining, for washing sands and for evaporating waters; further,...the method of searching for veins... III:..the various and manifold varieties of veins and stringers...IV:...mining areas and the method of delimiting them...the officials who are connected with mining affairs...V:...the principles of underground mining...the timbering of shafts, tunnels, drifts, and other excavations.. and the art of surveying...VI:..iron tools with which veins and rocks are broken,...the buckets into which excavated material is carried out ...water vessels and drains... the machines of different kinds..and the maladies of miners.VII:..methods of assaying ores VIII:...how we extract the metals...IX: ...various methods of smelting (ores)and obtaining metals..X:...what manner the precious metals are parted from the base metals...XI...methods by which silver must be separated from copper, and likewise from iron...XII..treats of solidified juices...