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177
The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry
·
M. M. Pattison Muir
57
The
alchemists
generally
likened
the
work
to
be
performed
by
their
agent
to
the
killing
of
a
living
thing.
They
constantly
use
the
allegory
of
death,
followed
by
resurrection,
in
describing
the
steps
whereby
the
Essence
was
to
be
obtained,
and
the
processes
whereby
the
baser
metals
were
to
be
partially
purified.
They
speak
of
the
mortification
of
metals,
the
dissolution
and
putrefaction
of
substances,
as
preliminaries
to
the
appearance
of
the
true
life
of
the
things
whose
outward
properties
have
been
destroyed.
For
instance,
Paracelsus
says:
"Destruction
perfects
that
which
is
good;
for
the
good
cannot
appear
on
account
of
that
which
conceals
it."
The
same
alchemist
speaks
of
rusting
as
the
mortification
of
metals;
he
says:
"The
mortification
of
metals
is
the
removal
of
their
bodily
structure....
The
mortification
of
woods
is
their
being
turned
into
charcoal
or
ashes."
Paracelsus
distinguishes
natural
from
artificial
mortification,
"Whatever
nature
consumes,"
he
says,
"man
cannot
restore.
But
whatever
man
destroys
man
can
restore,
and
break
again
when
restored."
Things
which
had
been
mortified
by
man's
device
were
considered
by
Paracelsus
not
to
be
really
dead.
He
gives
this
extraordinary
illustration
of
his
meaning:
"You
see
this
is
the
case
with
lions,
which
are
all
born
dead,
and
are
first
vitalised
by
the
horrible
noise
of
their
parents,
just
as
a
sleeping
person
is
awakened
by
a
shout."
The
mortification
of
metals
is
represented
in
alchemical
books
by
various
images
and
allegories.
Fig.
I.
is
reduced
from
a
cut
in
a
16th
century
work,
The
Book
of
Lambspring,
a
noble
ancient
Philosopher,
concerning
the
Philosophical
Stone.
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