The Chemistry of Alchemy: How Chemistry Was Forged torrent

The Chemistry of Alchemy: From Dragon's Blood to Donkey Dung, How Chemistry Was Forged - Cobb, Fetterolf, Goldwhite [epub]


In this exploration of the ancient art of alchemy, three veteran chemists show that the alchemists' quest involved real science and they recount fascinating stories of the sages who performed these strange experiments.

Why waste more words on this weird deviation in the evolution of chemistry? As the authors show, the writings of medieval alchemists may seem like the ravings of brain-addled fools, but there is more to the story than that.

Recent scholarship has shown that some seemingly nonsensical mysticism is, in fact, decipherable code, and Western European alchemists functioned from a firmer theoretical foundation than previously thought. They had a guiding principle, based on experience: separate and purify materials by fire and reconstitute them into products, including, of course, gold and the universal elixir, the Philosophers' stone.

Their efforts were not in vain: by trial, by error, by design, and by persistence, the alchemists discovered acids, alkalis, alcohols, salts, and exquisite, powerful, and vibrant reactions--which can be reproduced using common products, minerals, metals, and salts.

Cathy Cobb is an instructor of chemistry, physics, and calculus at Mead Hall School in Aiken, South Carolina.

Monty L. Fetterolf is a professor of chemistry and the department chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics at the University of South Carolina at Aiken.

Harold Goldwhite, emeritus professor of chemistry at California State University, Los Angeles, is the author of eight textbooks on chemistry, and Creations of Fire (with Cathy Cobb).

Hardcover: 364 pages
Publisher: Prometheus Books (July 1, 2014)