Alchemy vs Chemistry

==Alchemy vs Chemisty==
"To think that that addle-brained, fume-mad letuchmauszeluesser dares to call himself a scientist, much less advertise his practice as anything more than bashing together very expensive, superfluous instruments that are filled with volatile obman; makes me sick to my very core. He is a fraud, and alchemy is barely practical mumpitz." - Niedschen chemist Doctor Otto vonKelkov, when asked about an alchemist rival. Upon receiving news of this, his rival burned down Dr. vonKelkov's lab with an exorbitant volume of alchemist's fire.
To the layman, the differences between alchemy and chemistry are superficial, if not wholly nonsensical. They are both simply the study of how different substances interact with each other, and the practical applications thereof. Both alchemist and chemist would balk indignantly at this viewpoint.
Asking chemists, alchemy is often referred to as the 'fuzzy science'; a study that is attempting to be empirical but bogs itself down with arcane trappings and a reliance upon tradition. Moreover, their insistence on using substances and tools that themselves have Layden-dampening effects makes their practice more of an art than a true scientific discipline. The distinction, and its implications, are NOT compliments amongst these circles.
Similarly, chemistry is looked down upon by alchemists as being too rigid and close-minded. Their rejection of tradition and magic is seen as a fear of the unknown, and a limiting, arbitrary restriction that prevents the full exploration of nature and its fascinating interactions. The injection of personal passion makes the science of alchemy part of the alchemist's soul, and the discipline has an evolving, symbiotic relationship with its practitioner. To the alchemist, alchemy is the living study of the world as it is, where chemistry is simply prodding at a specific selection carved off from the full picture of reality.
The truth, as it often does, lies somewhere in between the two extremes. While alchemy is indeed shrouded in mystery that it actively refuses to explain, its involvement of magic and magical elements opens possibilities unheard of in chemistry. Chemistry's dedication to empiricism and the scientific method make it significantly more reliable, as well as being more compatible with the ever advancing edge of technology. For all that their practitioners bicker, the two practices are not so different; opposite sides of the same coin. Different in appearance and focus, but driven by the same passion to apply the natural reactions of the world.
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