The chemistry of alchemy from dragon's blood to donkey dung, how chemistry was forged
"Through the centuries of boiling, bubbling, and brewing, alchemists have been widely regarded as charlatans and thieves rather than as scientists. Even the practical chemists of their times -- miners, assayers, pharmacists, and potters -- judged them as reckless and their ideas, impossible . ....
| Main Authors: | Cobb, Cathy (Author), Fetterolf, Monty L. (Author), Goldwhite, Harold (Author) |
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| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Amherst, New York :
Prometheus Books,
2014.
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: |
"Through the centuries of boiling, bubbling, and brewing, alchemists have been widely regarded as charlatans and thieves rather than as scientists. Even the practical chemists of their times -- miners, assayers, pharmacists, and potters -- judged them as reckless and their ideas, impossible . . . . 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 then reconstitute them into products including, of course, gold and the universal elixir, the philosopher's stone . . . . By trial and error, by design, and with persistence, the alchemists discovered acids, alkalis, alcohols, and salts, and witnessed exquisite, powerful, vibrant reactions . . . ."--Book jacket. |
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| Physical Description: |
364 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 325-348) and index. |
| ISBN: |
9781616149154 (hardback) 1616149159 (hardback) |
| Author Notes: |
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