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