Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT

Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders

sgilbert@innd.org

Alchemy to Toxicology

The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer’s Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.

There have been many reports of the Sorcerer’s Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his 665 birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life on Devon with his wife, Perenelle (658).

Alchemy defined

From: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – J.K. Rowling

1330 – Paris, March 22, 1418succeeded at the two goals of

alchemy: that he made the Philosopher's Stone, which turns base metals into gold, and that he and his wife Perenelle achieved immortality through the "Elixir of Life".

Flamel had achieved legendary status within the circles of alchemy by the mid 17th Century

Others think untrue – all made up

Nicolas Flamel

word alchemy itself was derived from the Arabic word al-kimia الكيمياء

Alchemy is the art of liberating parts of the Cosmos from temporal existence and achieving perfection

“As above, so below.”the body, souls and spirit

correspond to salt, sulphur, and mercury

Alchemy

creation of the philosopher's stone possessing powers

turning base metals into the noble metals gold or silver

an elixir of life conferring youth and longevity (creation of a panacea)

a universal cure for disease, a universal solvent alkahest

Goals of Alchemy

"The alchemist", by Sir William Fettes Douglas, 1853

Egyptian origins predate common era Egyptian alchemist, 172 BCE Memphis in

Egypt???author of the Hermetic Corpus, a series of sacred

texts that are the basis of Hermeticismcombination of the Greek god Hermes and the

Egyptian god Thoth

Hermes Trismegistus

Egyptian god of wisdom as a patron of astrology and alchemy

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, known as Hermetica, were popular among alchemists. The "hermetic tradition” refers to alchemy, magic, astrology and related subjects. - with practical magic, potions and alchemy

Also called The Secret of Hermes – by Hermes Trismegistus ("Hermes the Thrice-Greatest") 172 BCE

A text purporting to reveal the secret of the primordial substance and its transmutations

Emerald Tablet

Translations - Arabic, the Latin, and Isaac NewtonShort – 13-14 lines Also attributed to Jabir ibn HayyanTablet became a mainstay of medieval and

Renaissance alchemy - greatest primary document of alchemy

Hermes Trismegistus - Egyptian alchemist - author of the Hermetic Corpus, a series of sacred texts that are the basis of Hermeticism

The four classical elements of earth, water, air, and fire are used often in alchemy

“As above, so below” - levels of reality: physical, emotional, and mental, this relates that what happens on any level happens on every other

Still exists as cult believe

Hermeticism

296 AD Diocletian decreed destruction of Egyptian texts on alchemy

Roman Emperor from 284 to 305

Arabic / Persian take the lead in alchemy / science

Greeks & Islamics as basis of alchemy's more scientific principles

Set back

Known as Geber - Born 721 in Tus, Persia; died 815 in Kufa, Iraq

a chemist and alchemist, astronomer and astrologer, engineer, geographer, philosopher, physicist, and pharmacist and physician.

first practical alchemist – to science based Less mystical - More lab based Expands mystical elements into fire,

earth, water , and air credited with the use of over twenty types

of now-basic chemical laboratory equipment

Jābir ibn Hayyānحيان ابن جابر

ultimate goal of takwin — the artificial creation of life Arabic version of the Emerald Tablet, an ancient work that proved

a recurring foundation of and source for alchemical operations

mercury-sulfur theory, metals differ from each in so far as they contain different proportions of the sulfur and mercury

Jābir ibn Hayyān

The seeds of the modern classification of elements into metals and non-metals could be seen in his chemical nomenclature. He proposed three categories:

"Spirits" which vaporise on heating, like arsenic (realgar, orpiment), camphor, mercury, sulfur, sal ammoniac, and ammonium chloride.

"Metals", like gold, silver, lead, tin, copper, iron, and khar-sini Non-malleable substances, that can be converted into

powders, such as stones.

The first chemist ??

Jābir ibn Hayyān

clear recognition of the importance of experimentation, "The first essential in chemistry is that thou shouldest perform practical work and conduct experiments, for he who performs not practical work nor makes experiments will never attain to the least degree of mastery.”

Persian (August 26, 865 – 925)physician, alchemist and

chemist, philosopher, and scholarAs an alchemist, Razi was known

for his study of sulfuric acid

Muhammad ibn Zakariyā Rāzī الرازي زكريا بن يحيى بن محمد بكر أبو

First physician to distinguish smallpox and measlespioneered use of Humorism (The Four Humors, or

Temperaments) as diagnostic method, the categorization of health via the ratios of the four bodily fluids

Franciscan monk from what is present-day Spain (1232 - June 29, 1315)

active botanist and alchemist

first to discover the chemical group later called ether

Raymundus Lullus

German-Swiss Dec. 17, 1493 – Sept. 24, 1541Renaissance physician, botanist, alchemist,

astrologer, and general occultist“All things are poison and nothing (is) without

poison; only the dose makes that a thing is no poison. “

“The dose makes the poison”

Paracelsus – Alchemy to Toxicology

See Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus pt. 1 - Primary source; translation of Paracelsus' alchemical writings

“Many have said of Alchemy, that it is for the making of gold and silver. For me such is not the aim, but to consider only what virtue and power may lie in medicines.”

universal solvent (alkahest)Paracelsus recipe: caustic lime,

alcohol, carbonate of potash (believed alkahest was the Philosophers Stone)

Paracelsus – Alchemy to Toxicology

Azoth (universal medicine; essential transformative agent of alchemy [in short, divine essence])

Paracelsus claimed discovery; portraits show him carrying sword inscribed azoth

(1628–1665), born in Bermuda, moved from New England to London England 1650

was an American alchemist, medical practitioner, the “Philosopher by Fire.”

Robert Boyle’s chemistry tutor Influenced Isaac Newton Pursued the “secrets” of alchemy,

production of pharmaceuticals and the transmutation of metallic substances.

Starkey’s “sophic mercury” was an amalgam of antimony, silver, and mercury, which could dissolve gold into a mixture that when heated, produced the mythical philosopher's stone,

Iatrochemistry - physical health was dependent on a specific balance of bodily fluids

George Starkey

January 25, 1627 – December 31, 1691 – born in Ireland - natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, alchemist, inventor, theologist.

Considered the first modern chemist but with roots in the alchemical tradition

pioneer of modern experimental scientific method

Boyle's law - describes the inversely proportional relationship between the absolute pressure and volume of a gas

The Sceptical Chymist (1661) is seen as a cornerstone book in chemistry rejecting alchemical perception of the universe.

Robert Boyle

founded in late medieval Germany by Christian Rosenkreuz (1378-1484) early 15th century 1407??

founder of the Rosicrucian Order (Order of the Rose Cross)

hermetic and alchemical texts of those times

Became Ancient and Mystical Order Rosea Crucis (AMORC)

Rosicrucianism

November 25, 1883 – August 2, 1939, born in Frenchtown, NJ

Rosicrucian author, occultist, and mystic

Ancient and Mystical Order Rosea Crucis (AMORC) founder and first Imperator from 1915 until 1939.

Harvey Spencer Lewis

"transmutation" of zinc into gold — a demonstration of classic alchemical principles, in New York City, on June 22, 1916 hosted by Lewis

Early scientists trying to understand matter and our relation to it

Recognized importance of experimentation

Developed apparatus use be chemists - distillation

Contributions

Jābir ibn Hayyān

MercuryLiquid metalEvaporates when heated Philosophical mercury

(amalgam of mercury, gold, antimony), constituent element of Philosopher's Stone

the metals: sulphur, 'the stone which burns',

mercury, which contained the idealized principle of metallic properties

Alchemy – Toxipedia general information on alchemy Alchemy - Wikipedia article on alchemy History of Alchemy (overview, written by devotee of alchemy) Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus pt. 1  (Primary

source; translation of Paracelsus' alchemical writings) Arabic alchemy & toxicology (history on the more science-

focused works of 9th/10th century Arab alchemists) The Twisted History of Alchemy (Economist article on split of

chemistry from alchemy) History of alchemy in America by Mark Stavish (history of

alchemy in America, focus on the modern state of alchemists) Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis – AMORC web site The Alchemical Quest - Chemical Heritage Foundation – great

interactive site

References

Prepared by Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological

Disorders E-mail – sgilbert@innd.org January 15, 2013 -

http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Alchemy

Poster and Presentation are available for free

Research assistance from Jeff Williams

Preparation and Thanks