Alchemy
Beginning of paper
: The science by aid of which the chemical philosophers of
medieval times attempted to transmute the baser metals into gold or silver.
There is considerable divergence of opinion as to the etymology of the word,
but it would seem to be derived from the Arabic al=the, and kimya=chemistry,
which in t ....
Middle of paper
.... with their transmutation, employing
quicksilver in the process of separating gold and silver from the native
matrix. The resulting oxide was supposed to possess marvelous powers, and
it was thought that there resided within in the individualities of the
various metals, that in it their various substances were incorporated.
This black powder was mystically identified with the underworld form of the
god Osiris, and consequently was credited with magical properties. Thus
there grew up ....
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Word count: 3747
Page count: 14 (approximately 250 words per page)
