In Pachuca, New Spain, Bartolomé de Medina invents the Patio Process, a revolutionary metallurgical technique that uses mercury amalgamation to extract silver from low-grade ores. By mixing crushed ore with salt, copper sulfate, and mercury on large open-air patios, miners can extract silver without relying on massive amounts of firewood for smelting. This technological breakthrough causes a boom in silver production across the Americas, making low-grade mines highly profitable. However, the process causes widespread mercury poisoning among indigenous and enslaved laborers and devastates local river ecosystems.

The metallurgical mastery and toxicity of the Patio Process find their way into the complex metaphors of Mexican Baroque poetry. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, writing in the 17th century, displays an extensive knowledge of contemporary science and metallurgy, using concepts of chemical transformation, purification, and the deceptive brilliance of silver as allegories for spiritual distillation and intellectual pursuit. The industrial reality of New Spain's mining hubs creates a unique literary culture where scientific advancement and poetic expression are tightly interwoven.