The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry

NOTE TO NEW EDITION. A few small changes have been made. The last chapter has been re-written and considerably enlarged. M.M.P.M. FARNHAM, September 1913. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE EXPLANATION OF MATERIAL CHANGES GIVEN BY GREEK THINKERS II. A SKETCH OF ALCHEMICAL THEORY III. THE ALCHEMICAL NOTION OF THE UNITY AND SIMPLICITY OF NATURE IV. THE ALCHEMICAL ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES V. THE ALCHEMICAL ESSENCE VI. ALCHEMY AS AN EXPERIMENTAL ART VII. THE LANGUAGE OF ALCHEMY VIII. THE DEGENERACY OF ALCHEMY IX. PARACELSUS, AND SOME OTHER ALCHEMISTS X. SUMMARY OF THE ALCHEMICAL DOCTRINE--THE REPLACEMENT OF THE THREE PRINCIPLES OF THE ALCHEMISTS BY THE SINGLE PRINCIPLE OF PHLOGISTON