Title: The chemistry of alchemy : from dragon's blood to donkey dung, how chemistry was forged /
Authors: Cobb, Cathy.; Fetterolf, Monty L.; Goldwhite, Harold.
Year: 2014
Subjects: Chemistry History; Chemistry History; Alchemy History; Alchemy History; Alchemy; Chemistry; Alchemy; Chemistry history; History, 16th Century; History, 17th Century
Abstract: As the authors show, the writings of medieval alchemists may seem like the ravings of brain-addled fools, but there is more to the story than that. Recent scholarship has shown that some seemingly nonsensical mysticism is, in fact, decipherable code, and Western European alchemists functioned from a firmer theoretical foundation than previously thought. They had a guiding principle, based on experience: separate and purify materials by fire and reconstitute them into products, including, of course, gold and the universal elixir, the Philosophers' stone. Their efforts were not in vain: by trial, by error, by design, and by persistence, the alchemists discovered acids, alkalis, alcohols, salts, and exquisite, powerful, and vibrant reactions--which can be reproduced using common products, minerals, and metals.
Contents: X-rated alchemy -- Setting the scene. Stirring the fires ; The Zosimos effect ; Demonstration 1. Calcination, distillation ,transmutation! ; Islamic authors : romancing the stone ; Demonstration 2. The mercury/sulfur makeup of metals -- Alchemy in the middle. Middle-aged alchemy ; Auld Michael and the fractious friars ; Demonstration 3. The firing and falsifying of gold ; Geber and the sum of perfection ; Demonstration 4. Divine waters ; Aqua vitae! ; Demonstration 5. Burning waters ; Philosophers' stone ; Demonstration 6. Erina's fabulous philosophers' stone ; Rocky romance : miners and magick in the Renaissance ; Demonstration 7. The parting of gold ; Paradigm, paradox : Paracelsus ; Demonstration 8. Diana and the Homunculus -- Alchemical Renaissance. Paracelsus is dead, long live Paracelsus ; Paracelsian women ; Demonstration 9. Book of secrets ; Paracelsian men ; Demonstration 10. Transmutation revisited ; Charlatans and chicanery ; Demonstration 11. Tricks of the trade ; What can you do with a degree in alchemy? ; Demonstration 12. Practical alchemy ; Renaissance alchemical authors ; Demonstration 13. Lifting the mystical fog ; Sendivogius and Rudolf : fire and salt ; Demonstration 14. The Poo Plan ; Johannes van Helmont : the art of fire ; Demonstration 15. The gas that got away -- Thoroughly modern alchemy. Full-blown alchemy ; Digby and Drebble : something in the air ; Demonstration 16. Up in the air ; The Society of Jesus and the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross ; Demonstration : The Jesuit workroom ; Glauber's salt and Glauber's gold ; Demonstration 18. Glauber's ghostly golden garden ; The Harvard alchemists -- and the Honorable Robert Boyle begins ; Demonstration 19. Reduction to the pristine state ; Robert Boyle ends -- and so do we ; Demonstration 20. The color of alchemy -- Alabaster and clay -- Stores and ores.