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  1. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › AlchemyAlchemy - Wikipedia

    Alchemy (from Arabic: al-kīmiyā; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, khumeía) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe.

    • Outline

      The following outline is provided as an overview of and...

    • Overview
    • Nature and significance
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    Alchemy was a form of speculative thought that, among other aims, tried to transform base metals such as lead or copper into silver or gold. It also sought to discover cures for diseases and a way of extending life.

    What are the metals of alchemy?

    Gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, and tin are the metals of alchemy. Mercury and sulfur were also crucial to alchemy.

    Which is the oldest known Chinese text on alchemy?

    The oldest known Chinese alchemical treatise is the Chou-i ts’an t’ung ch’i (“Commentary on the I Ching”). It is mainly an apocryphal interpretation of the I Ching, an ancient classic, relating alchemy to the mystical mathematics of the 64 hexagrams (six-line figures used for divination).

    alchemy, a form of speculative thought that, among other aims, tried to transform base metals such as lead or copper into silver or gold and to discover a cure for disease and a way of extending life.

    That both astrology and alchemy may be regarded as fundamental aspects of thought is indicated by their apparent universality. It is notable, however, that the evidence is not equally substantial in all times and places. Evidence from ancient Middle America (Aztecs, Mayans) is still almost nonexistent; evidence from India is tenuous and from ancient China, Greece, and Islamic lands is only relatively more plentiful. A single manuscript of some 80,000 words is the principal source for the history of Greek alchemy. Chinese alchemy is largely recorded in about 100 “books” that are part of the Taoist canon. Neither Indian nor Islamic alchemy has ever been collected, and scholars are thus dependent for their knowledge of the subject on occasional allusions in works of natural philosophy and medicine, plus a few specifically alchemical works.

    Nor is it really clear what alchemy was (or is). The word is a European one, derived from Arabic, but the origin of the root word, chem, is uncertain. Words similar to it have been found in most ancient languages, with different meanings, but conceivably somehow related to alchemy. In fact, the Greeks, Chinese, and Indians usually referred to what Westerners call alchemy as “The Art,” or by terms denoting change or transmutation.

    Alchemy is a form of speculative thought that tried to transform base metals into gold and to discover a cure for disease and a way of extending life. Learn about the origins, methods, goals, and significance of alchemy in different cultures and times.

  2. Alchemy is the very old study and philosophy of how to change basic substances (such as metals) into other substances. It also studied how substances (and how they are changed into other substances) were related to magic and astrology. People who studied alchemy were called alchemists.

  3. The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to alchemy: Alchemy – A philosophical tradition recognized as protoscience, that includes the application of Hermetic principles, and practices related to mythology, religion, and spirituality.

  4. Western alchemy makes use of the four classical elements. The symbols used for these are: Air 🜁 Earth 🜃 Fire 🜂 Water 🜄 Seven planetary metals

  5. Before there was chemistry, there was chymistry, and before there was chymistry, there was alchemyall part of a long human history of curiosity, experimentation, and discovery about the natural and material world.