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177
The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry
·
M. M. Pattison Muir
117
CHAPTER
XI.
THE
EXAMINATION
OF
THE
PHENOMENA
OF
COMBUSTION.
The
alchemists
thought
that
the
most
effectual
method
of
separating
a
complex
substance
into
more
simple
substances
was
to
subject
it
to
the
action
of
heat.
They
were
constantly
distilling,
incinerating,
subliming,
heating,
in
order
that
the
spirit,
or
inner
kernel
of
things,
might
be
obtained.
They
took
for
granted
that
the
action
of
fire
was
to
simplify,
and
that
simplification
proceeded
whatever
might
be
the
nature
of
the
substance
which
was
subjected
to
this
action.
Boyle
insisted
that
the
effect
of
heating
one
substance
may
be,
and
often
is,
essentially
different
from
the
effect
of
heating
another
substance;
and
that
the
behaviour
of
the
same
substance
when
heated,
sometimes
varies
when
the
conditions
are
changed.
He
takes
the
example
of
heating
sulphur
or
brimstone:
"Exposed
to
a
moderate
fire
in
subliming
pots,
it
rises
all
into
dry,
and
almost
tasteless,
flowers;
whereas
being
exposed
to
a
naked
fire,
it
affords
store
of
a
saline
and
fretting
liquor."
Boyle
thought
that
the
action
of
fire
was
not
necessarily
to
separate
a
thing
into
its
principles
or
elements,
but,
in
most
cases,
was
either
to
rearrange
the
parts
of
the
thing,
so
that
new,
and
it
might
be,
more
complex
things,
were
produced,
or
to
form
less
simple
things
by
the
union
of
the
substance
with
what
he
called,
"the
matter
of
fire."
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