Does alchemy really exist? Is it the origin of modern chemistry?

Alchemy is the pursuit of immortality, and it is the biggest temptation of all human temptations. Throughout history, human beings hope to live forever and have made various attempts. In all attempts, the alchemist's fantasy and skills are the most widely used.

Alchemy is a name that originated in Europe in the12nd century. In the eighth century, alchemy really began. Similar to the situation in China, gold production does not occupy an important position. The alchemists pursue medicine, and longevity is their main goal.

Western alchemy can be traced back to the Hellenistic period, and the earliest and most reliable representative is the Times. Holmes, who lived from about 350 to 420 AD, believed that there was a substance that could magically change metals as expected. His naming of this substance, after being introduced into Latin from Arabia, is called Elixirvitae, which is similar to China's "top grade medicine"-"elixir". Another alchemist was an Egyptian priest who lived in Hermes in the 3rd century. As the inventor of all useful skills, Hermes was widely respected and thought to communicate with the Egyptian moon god. Later, he was gradually deified as "Hermes, the triple god", so that his name finally evolved directly into "alchemy"

The alchemist believes that the rectification and purification of base metals in alchemy is a process of perfection through death and resurrection, which symbolizes the perfection of the alchemist's soul through death and resurrection. Therefore, the "elixir" he refined can prolong life, refresh his mind, make him enjoy a happy life, superb wisdom and noble morality, change his mental outlook, and finally communicate with the creator. Needless to say, such a goal cannot be achieved. The alchemist also understood this, so he "explained" it from various aspects. For example, an alchemy book explains that eternal life is hard to find: "Because it is one of all the blessings in the world, I think it can only be obtained by a very small number of people through the inspiration of God's kind angels rather than personal diligence." And whether taking "then" can cure the disease and live forever is also deliberately subtle.

However, due to the temptation of immortality, it has a broad market. Until the19th century, the possibility of making gold by chemical methods was denied by scientific evidence. Even a great scientist like isaac newton thinks it is worthwhile to make gold through experiments. Many kings in the West, like the emperors in China, are bent on making themselves live longer through alchemy. For example, King Henry VI of England, King Charles VII of France, King Charles IX of Sweden, King Carl XII of Prussia, King Frederick William I and King Friedrich Wilhelm Ⅱ are all faithful believers in alchemy. One of the most interesting things, like Queen Elizabeth, is very fond of the alchemist john dee, and even chartered him to engage in alchemy activities in the palace. In Prague, known as the "Alchemy Center", Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire made the alchemist Michael Melter an earl.

The appearance of modern chemistry makes people doubt the possibility of making gold. /kloc-after the 0/7th century, alchemy was criticized. The hope of alchemy was dashed.

Alchemy is a philosophical thought and practice of chemistry in the Middle Ages, and it is the embryonic form of contemporary chemistry. Its goal is to transform some basic metals into gold, find a panacea and prepare an elixir of life. Now science has proved that this method is not feasible. But until19th century, alchemy was not denied by scientific evidence. Some famous scientists, including Newton, tried alchemy. The appearance of modern chemistry makes people doubt the possibility of alchemy.

Western alchemy

Early alchemists lived from the first century to the fifth century. The earliest western alchemy works were written under the pseudonym of Democritus (about AD 100). Western alchemy believes that metal is a living body and gradually develops into perfect gold. This development can be artificially promoted or imitated. The method adopted is to separate the form or soul of gold and turn it into base metal; In this way, the base metal will have the form or characteristics of gold. The soul or form of metal is regarded as a kind of aura, which is mainly manifested in the color of metal. Therefore, gold and silver plating on the base metal surface is regarded as a transformation promoted by alchemists.

A fairly common method used by alchemists is to melt four base metals, copper, tin, lead and iron, to obtain an alloy-like substance. Then the surface of this alloy is whitened to make it have a silver halo or shape. Then add a little gold as a seed or a starter to turn all the alloys into gold. Finally, one more step is added, or the base metal on the surface is etched away, leaving a gold surface, or the alloy is soaked in sulfur water to make it look a bit like bronze, and this transformation is completed.

Another idea widely circulated by early alchemists is a more primitive concept, that is, metal is the product of sexual reproduction, and metal itself is divided into male and female. This concept played an important role in Islam and medieval alchemy. Since 12 century, the western countries where Christianity prevailed began to translate Arabic and Greek works, including alchemy documents. The influence of Greek alchemy on Europe is far less than that of systematic Arabic alchemy. Refining gold is the main goal of European alchemy. European scholars have done a lot of experiments according to the theory of Islamic alchemy. Although it is impossible to succeed, it has accumulated a lot of knowledge for the development and emergence of chemistry.

Islamic alchemy

Islamic alchemy embodies a philosophy about essence, which is closely related to Hermes' philosophy in ancient Greece, alchemy in China and the special principle of transforming minerals and metals into gold. In Islamic history, Muslim scholars have long argued about the efficacy of alchemy. Orthodox religious scholars mostly oppose alchemy, while most natural scholars accept the basic view of alchemy, although they don't believe that ordinary metals can be turned into gold. Ibn sina, a famous Islamic doctor, based his theory of metal composition on alchemy.

The earliest Muslim alchemist was Prince Khalid Ibn Yejid of Umayyad. At the beginning of the 8th century, alchemy was very popular, and its representative was Jabir Ibn Khayan. His works "Seventy Books" and "The Book of Balance" are regarded as the basic theoretical works of Islamic alchemy and the most important documents about alchemy written in Arabic. Muslim doctor and alchemist Razi is considered to be the founder of developing alchemy into ancient chemistry.

China's alchemy

Alchemy was called alchemy in ancient China.

After Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, China sent people to the sea to seek the elixir of life. Emperor Wu himself was keen on immortals and elixirs. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, alchemy developed, and Wei Boyang, a famous alchemist, wrote a book, Zhouyi Shentongqi, to explain the theory of immortality. Later, Tao Hongjing, the alchemist of Jin Dynasty, wrote a real patent. In the Tang Dynasty, alchemy combined with Taoism and entered its heyday. At this time, Sun Simiao, an alchemist, wrote The Secret of the Fontaine. These alchemical works have a lot of chemical knowledge. According to statistics, there are more than 60 kinds of chemical drugs, and there are many records about chemical changes.

The influence of alchemy

Modern science has proved that alchemy is wrong. However, as a pioneer of modern chemistry, it played a positive role in the history of chemical development. Through alchemy, people have accumulated experience in chemical operation, invented a variety of experimental instruments and learned a lot about natural minerals. Alchemy became the basis of the emergence and development of modern chemistry in Europe.

Muslims have not only made outstanding contributions to the cognition and practice of science, but also spared no effort to explore the "occultism" regarded as "pseudoscience". The "mysticism" of Islam mainly includes alchemy, physiognomy and divination (such as Tubo). They are classified as "pseudoscience" because they use mysterious symbolic language. Alchemy is the most important secret. Traditional alchemy is actually a complete way of looking at things, including the world view, which is generally related to metallurgy. It also includes the understanding of the soul, which often involves psychotherapy. So alchemy was once considered as a science and a method. Alchemy is based on the theory of "harmony" and holds that the way of existence of all things is "you have me and I have you". So one thing and other things can be transformed, not only the general properties of things can be transformed, but also the nature can be changed. The so-called alchemy refers to changing the form and nature of matter in the face of a spiritual power symbolized by the philosopher's stone, but the premise of material change is the transformation of human inner spirit. On the surface, alchemy is closely related to the material world, especially minerals and metals. It can be said that the history of chemical development is inseparable from alchemy. But in essence, alchemy is neither primitive chemistry nor pure psychology. It uses the changes of minerals and metals formed in the process of alchemy to promote the transformation of human soul.

Islamic alchemy embodies a philosophy about essence, which is closely related to the general philosophy of Hermes' theosophy in ancient Greece and the special principle about the transformation of minerals and metals into gold. The theoretical basis of this essential philosophy is Aristotle's formal materialism, which holds that everything in the universe comes from four elements, four elements. The four elements are heat, cold, dryness and wetness, and the four elements are water, earth, gas and fire. Through mutual transformation, the four elements are combined into two elements, namely sulfur and record. But the sulfur and mercury mentioned here are not minerals in the usual sense, and their meanings are similar to those of Yin and Yang in China's traditional philosophy. The combination of the two has everything in the universe. For example, according to the theory of alchemy, sulfur and mercury are fused in different proportions, and under the action of some mysterious factors, various metal minerals can be produced. These four elements, the relationship between four elements and two elements.

In Islamic history, Muslim scholars have been arguing about the efficacy of alchemy for a long time, and there are different opinions. Orthodox religious scholars mostly oppose alchemy and general occultism, while most natural science scientists and doctors accept the basic view of alchemy, although they don't believe that ordinary metals can be turned into gold. Aristotelian school generally despises alchemy, while lighting school holds a positive attitude. For example, ibn sina made it clear that he did not believe that ordinary metals could be turned into gold in alchemy, but he agreed with the theory of metal composition in alchemy. The theory of metal composition in his famous book Therapeutic Book is based on the fusion theory of sulfur and mercury in alchemy.

Islamic alchemy inherited the ancient oriental alchemy tradition, mainly Hermes Theosophy centered on Alexandria and China's alchemy. The earliest alchemy of Muslims was Prince Khalid Ibn Yejid of Umayyad. At the beginning of the 8th century, alchemy was very popular, and its representative was Jabir Ibn Khayan (72 1-776), a disciple of the sixth Imam Jia Faer Sadik (699-765) of the Ten Leaves School, whose works were regarded as classics by the Ismaili School. Jaber's Seventy Books and Balance Books have always been regarded as the basic theoretical works of Islamic alchemy and the most important documents about alchemy written in Arabic. Laqi, a famous Muslim doctor and alchemist, initiated a new era of alchemy. He is regarded as the founder of developing alchemy into ancient chemistry. Laki's important contribution to chemistry lies in his classification of substances, that is, all substances are divided into three categories: minerals, plants and animals. He also described in detail many chemical changes, such as distillation, slow combustion and filtration. As a doctor, he is also interested in chemical medicine. In the history of traditional medicine, he was the first person to separate alcohol and use it in medical practice.

Alchemy is more closely related to Sufi mysticism. Sufi mysticism advocates the individual spiritual cultivation of believers, and pays special attention to alchemy with the effect of changing people's souls. Many terms used by Sufi mysticism to express this doctrine come directly from alchemy. Today, not only the language of alchemy is still popular among Sufi believers, but also alchemy activities are popular among some Sufi missionaries. In addition, the psychotherapy adopted by Sufism is also closely related to alchemy, which regards alchemy as a science about the soul.

The relationship between alchemy and Islamic art is also extraordinary Traditional and beautiful Muslim poetry and music are not only deeply influenced by Sufi mysticism, but also integrated with alchemy. This is because it is said that alchemy can influence people's soul and make it change, while the art such as poetry and music is closely related to the change of people's soul. In addition, harmony is inseparable in the plastic arts of Islamic architecture and craft products, such as calligraphy and the expression of several patterns. "Balance" and "coordination" mentioned in alchemy play a special role in color harmony, structural symmetry and symbolic significance. Therefore, if we don't understand the influence of alchemy on aesthetic ideas such as color effect and artistic modeling, we can't appreciate the mosque architecture in Timur era and the carpets and tapestries in Safavi era. Alchemy is a bridge connecting Islamic art and technology with religious spirit and symbolic significance, and it is also a key to understand the inner rhyme of Islamic art.

There are only the following kinds of pseudoscience in ancient times: claiming that other elements can be turned into gold, claiming that all diseases can be cured by one medicine, claiming that people's life can be prolonged by some ceremony in China, or directly creating life.

Simply put, medieval alchemy was an attempt to evolve human spirit and strength to a higher level with some medicine or ritual. Speaking of it, the first people who studied alchemy were Taoist priests in China and Egyptian priests. China has introduced a lot of alchemy, which is always used. It is said that it can prolong life or turn stone into gold. But the so-called lead-mercury-Dan-Huang Zhi technology failed to reveal the law of life itself, so there was gunpowder. In Egypt, the secret of alchemy is also in the hands of a few monks. After the Hellenistic era came, there were related records in the ancient books of Alexandria Library. But the Ptolemaic people are only descendants of European rulers, and the mystery of hieroglyphics has long been lost. Napoleon's expedition and breakthrough in Rosetta obelisk were three hundred years later. Finally, the world's largest library became a pile of ruins with the earthquake, and the mystery of the ancient kingdom was always shrouded in haze.

With the prosperity of pan-Greek civilization, humanistic spirit has flourished, which is an all-round era. Aristotle was an alchemist. He believes that matter can be synthesized by laws. According to his theory, the world consists of four basic elements: water, earth, fire and air. All material social forms are composed of these four elements in different proportions. Therefore, as long as external influence and catalysis are exerted, soil can also be turned into gold.

Astrology, which originated in Mesopotamia, also cited this element. They believe that all celestial bodies in the universe-the sun, the moon and the stars-have an influence on human activities on the ground. Therefore, later generations of alchemists believed that the alchemy ceremony could be successful only if all kinds of celestial bodies were in a specific position. In the eighth and ninth centuries, Greek alchemy was introduced into Arabia, and nomadic people simplified Aristotle's theory that all metals are composed of sulfur and mercury. At the same time, China's alchemy was introduced into Arabian Peninsula in the form of gunpowder, and the elixir of longevity became the legend of youthful spring in Arabian Nights. Persian doctors systematically compiled these theories into a book, which was frequently quoted by medieval alchemists.

Great changes are taking place in Europe at the moment, and the fall of Rome marks the end of an era. Darkness and ignorance once again enveloped the whole continent, and the humanism of Greek system declined from then on. Until the12nd century, Arab immigrants flooded into Iberian Peninsula (Spain) and Sicily. Through contact with them, Europeans became interested in eastern alchemy or mysticism philosophy again. Greek manuscripts are translated into Latin through Syrian or Arabic. From 65438 to 0455, a book was circulated in Florence and Venice, and its name was Corpus Hermeticum. Its name has caused great controversy. Some people think it is Thoth, the ancient Egyptian moon god, while others think it is Helms in Greek mythology. Anyway, the book mentions a lot of alchemy, astrology, magic symbols and utensils, as well as various rituals in ancient Egypt, which is simply the ancient AD & amp； D. Other Arab scholars' papers not only have philosophical theoretical basis, but also have a large number of application examples. There are two people mentioned most: Arnold Willanova (1240- 13 13), the inventor of distillation; Roger bacon (12 14- 1294) recorded the composition of black powder and the manufacturing process of monocular telescope in detail.

Let's look at the alchemist's cabin. A typical laboratory should be dark and damp, full of unknown drugs and suspicious smoke. Many alchemists work at home to save money and avoid being disturbed by outsiders. Some people choose the kitchen and can use a ready-made fire. Others stay in the attic so that the evening activities will not be discovered by curious neighbors. These temporary temporary places are often filled with all kinds of instruments, manuscripts, skulls and exotic animal specimens. There is usually a small altar for spiritual prayer. All these decorations are symbols of mysticism, not technology. The work of refining Dan medicine is the most primitive chemical experiment, and alchemists are the first pioneers to try to separate various elements. The extraction of white phosphorus and the synthesis of hydrochloric acid are products of the Middle Ages. At the same time, the instruments they used, the equipment for distilling liquids, various methods for analyzing metals and controlling chemical reactions are still in use today.

Heating is a necessary condition for every blast experiment, whether it is heating liquid or dissolving lead. In order to keep a certain temperature, the alchemist invented the water bath. Friends who study science must have done this experiment in high school. The stove with timer embodies exquisite technology. The British Museum has an incubator made of 16 16. People in that era could already make bimetals.

It is also true that there is always such a laboratory in the depths of the legendary castle. From kings along the Mediterranean coast to rural aristocrats in the Baltic Sea, alchemists are regarded as a shortcut to get rich. Greed is often accompanied by corruption, so scholars have different opinions. There is no shortage of clever swindlers and boasters in Europe, and their actions can be well written into a grandiose chronicle. However, just as not every laboratory can produce Frankenstein, the efforts of alchemists are mostly in vain. If you can't keep your promise and turn it into gold, the price you pay is to lose your head. The grumpy Red Beard II specially built a gallows to hang the unfortunate who missed. Medieval alchemists were discredited because practitioners used more or less disgraceful means to save their lives. From15th century to17th century, there are more and more books on alchemy, and mysterious symbols and formulas can be seen everywhere.

Some clever alchemists began to divert the attention of the powerful, claiming that they could extract the elixir of strengthening the body, so alchemy embarked on the road of medical research. One of the most famous people, Phillips Olez Palasals (1493- 154 1), disagreed with the popular statement at that time, that is, the patient originated from the disorder and disorder of his own function. It is believed that the disease exists on some external carrier, looking for opportunities to invade the human body. Drugs can help fight these diseases, which is the earliest idea about germs. In addition, he also mentioned the "silver gray" substance obtained in the experiment-zinc for the first time, and used "alcohol" to refer to the liquid distilled from wine for the first time.

The Renaissance brought the golden age of alchemy, and the revolution that revived the glory of Rome completely washed away the silence of more than ten centuries, and the art and science circles produced many dazzling achievements. Great changes have taken place in religion, and Protestantism was reorganized in the first half of16th century. At the moment, alchemy consists of three parts: one part is science, the other part is art, and the other part is religion. It also dances with the rhythm of revival. Scientific researchers have officially separated from alchemists and become independent professions. The by-products produced by previous alchemists in the pursuit of precious metals, that is, their experiments, laid the foundation of modern chemistry. The other part is devoted to astrology. People at the bottom, such as Gypsies, can be called numerology. In the mid-20th century, the prevalence of psychopathology also used the idealism and idealism of alchemists.

Let's talk about astrologers first, just as the purpose of art is to pursue the ultimate beauty. For astrologers with true wisdom and foresight, how to reach a higher level in spiritual cultivation far exceeds the temptation of wealth and fame; It is more important than its material realization to transcend the limitations of the heavy and dull body like lead and make the mind as bright and mature as gold. Unlike the Greek and Roman times, they are not as sharp as cynics, nor as boastful as Stoics. Facing the skylight in the attic, they vaguely grasp the integrity of the universe, verify the constant changes of the starry sky and guard the eternal moral standards in their hearts.

Astrologers regard their profession as the sacred art of perfecting dualism: while purifying and sublimating their souls, they explain the practical activities in the world with the movement and change of the universe. Because of the open academic atmosphere during the Renaissance, they also began to challenge the ancient authority, put aside human beings to explore the mysteries of nature, and completed the transformation from big to small. (Socrates asks in the square: Who am I? Where is the land I come from? It is called a big problem in philosophy. )

This lofty goal undoubtedly made him a martyr, and he never saw the door of the free kingdom open in his life. While some people struggle for a crucible full of gold all day, real scholars are buried in a beggar's humble grave in disappointment.

Let's talk about the founders of modern chemistry, who inherited the functions of the earliest alchemists. First of all, introduce Nicolas Freeman, a Parisian alchemist in the14th century. He and his disciples knew nothing about the composition of matter. At that time, everyone thought that all material existence was composed of four basic elements, just like Aristotle's theory. Different proportions of elements have different cold, warm, dry and wet conditions, so they have different forms.

According to this theory, the transformation of metals is possible. Freeman wrote in his book that all metals come from the interior of the earth, and the natural melting pot mixes various elements, and this process is determined by some higher existence, or it can be attributed to the will of God. God's realm is always perfect, so as long as the mixed elements stay deep in the earth for a long time, perhaps the earliest iron or lead will gradually become gold and silver. But it is always mined too early, so the metals on the earth show different forms. The mission of the alchemist is to continue the unfinished work of the creator and accelerate the "evolution" of metals. Today's people read here and admire their growing imagination.

All alchemists are secretive about their achievements. In the lecture on alchemy in the13rd century, everyone should stand up first: "swear by my soul that if I reveal what I saw today to others, I will be cursed forever." A priest named Basel Valentine wrote: "I can only hope that if I spread a little mystery of the kingdom of heaven, my soul will be lowered to the deepest hell."

There are two reasons: first, superiority, or greed, alchemists keep the equation tightly; Secondly, the church thinks that alchemy is an interference and blasphemy to the creator, and alchemists are engaged in the art of the devil. More noble people think that their own equations can be successful, and once they fall into the hands of people with ulterior motives, it will be a disaster to society, so they should be buried. This is a very contradictory idea. In that case, why should we study with sincere enthusiasm? But considering the achievements of nuclear physics today, modern people are not qualified to make fun of it.

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