| Alchemy. Such a misunderstood science. I hope | | | | that gold was the perfect metal, and that if the |
| this article can help set things straight for | | | | philosipher's stone was created, it would be a |
| whomever reads it.Alchemy is an ancient art, first | | | | substance so much more perfect than gold, that |
| practiced in the Middle Ages. It was devoted to | | | | it would make the less perfect metals |
| finding a substance that would transmute, (or | | | | transmute.Roger Bacon believed that gold |
| turn) common metals in to gold, silver or other | | | | dissolved in Aqua Regia* was the elixer of life. |
| precious metals, and also to cause immortality in | | | | The Italian Scholastic philosopher St. Thomas |
| humans. Alchemy was most likely the first time | | | | Aquinas, the Catalan churchman Raymond Lully, |
| people dipped their toes into chemistry.Alchemy | | | | and the Benedictine monk Basil Valentine also did |
| began in Ancient Egypt, and was especially | | | | much to further the progress of chemistry and |
| prevalent in Alexandria in the Hellenistic period. At | | | | alchemy, in discovering the uses of antimony, the |
| the same time, China had been tinkering with the | | | | making of amalgams, and the isolation of spirits of |
| ideas as well. Early writings about alchemy by | | | | wine, or ethyl alcohol.Perhaps the most famous |
| greek philosiphers are sometimes thought of as | | | | Alchemist was the Swiss Philippus Paracelsus. He |
| the first chemical theories. Empedocles | | | | believed that the elements of compound bodies |
| (im-ped-oh-klees) formed the all too famous | | | | were salt, sulfur and mercury, representing earth, |
| theory that all things in existence were made of | | | | air and water. Fire however was imponderable to |
| air, fire, earth and water. Later, the emperor | | | | him. He believed also, that there was one more |
| Diocletian (die-oh-klee-shun) ordered all of the | | | | element, the source of the four ancients. This one |
| Egyptian texts on the chemistry of gold and silver | | | | element that created everything was called |
| to be burned and for all expirements to | | | | Alkahest, and he stated that if it were found, it |
| stop.Zosimus the Theban disvovered that sulfuric | | | | would prove to be the universal medicine, an |
| acid is a solvent of metals, and, using this, he | | | | irrisistable solvent, and the philosipher's stone. In |
| removed oxygen from the red oxide of mercury, | | | | other words, it was the ultimate form of |
| turning the oxidized mercury pure again, much like | | | | perfection.After this, the alchemists of Europe split |
| if you took rust off a nail, it would be a normal | | | | into two main groups. Those based on facts and |
| nail again. Alchemy's fundemental concept came | | | | hard research, and those who dabbled in the |
| from an Aristotelian doctrine saying that all things | | | | metaphysical, these entangled alchemy in fraud, |
| tend to reach perfection at some point. Since | | | | necromancy, and imposture. This gives alchemy |
| other common metals were "less perfect" than | | | | the current mysterious status.Perhaps the most |
| gold and other precious metals, it made sense to | | | | fun part of Alchemy is the coded engravings that |
| these researchers that these metals would | | | | were made during the time. Many of them are still |
| eventually turn to gold. Also it was thought that | | | | around, and almost impossible to decifer without |
| nature must make gold out of common metals | | | | an explaination. Using obscure characters including |
| deep within the earth, so with any luck, this | | | | the planets themselves as symbols for |
| process could be done in the lab with good | | | | who-knows-what. Kings, queens, crows, |
| result.Eventually Alchemy reached Arabia, where | | | | multi-blossom flowers, and green lions abound.Hi. I |
| the first book on Chemistry was written. From | | | | am coconut of ! Thank you for reading and |
| there it travelled through Spain, into Europe. Roger | | | | considering my articles. It would be very much |
| Bacon, and Albertus Magnus both believed that | | | | appreciated if a link or simple URL was back to |
| transmutation to gold was possible. Most people, | | | | my site wherever you use my articles! Thank |
| including these two famous Alchemists, believed | | | | you! |