![]() ![]() Called the "wordless book", it was a collection of 15 illustrations. Ī mystical text published in the 17th century called the Mutus Liber appears to be a symbolic instruction manual for concocting a philosopher's stone. One of many theories was that gold was a superior form of metal, and that the philosopher's stone was even purer and superior to gold, and if combined with lesser metals would turn them into superior gold as well. Since the philosopher's stone would turn a corruptible base metal to incorruptible gold, naturally it would similarly transform human beings from mortal (corruptible) to immortal (incorruptible). Gold was particularly valued as a metal that would not rust, tarnish, corrode or otherwise grow corrupt. Jabir himself is believed to be the inventor of aqua regia, a mixture of muriatic (hydrochloric) and nitric acids, one of the few substances that can dissolve gold (and which is still often used for gold recovery and purification). Jabir's theory was based on the concept that metals like gold and silver could be hidden in alloys and ores, from which they could be recovered by the appropriate chemical treatment. Paracelsus believed that this element alkahest was, in fact, the philosopher's stone. The 16th-century Swiss alchemist Philippus Paracelsus believed in the existence of alkahest which he thought to be an undiscovered element from which all other elements (earth, fire, water, air) were simply derivative forms. Magnus does not confirm he discovered the stone in his writings, but he did record that he witnessed the creation of gold by "transmutation." "Those of the chemical craft know well that no change can be effected in the different species of substances, though they can produce the appearance of such change." Īccording to legend, the 13th-century scientist and philosopher Albertus Magnus is said to have discovered the philosopher's stone and passed it to his pupil Thomas Aquinas, shortly before his death circa 1280. ![]() A leading opponent was Avicenna, who discredited the theory of transmutation of substances: ![]() In the 11th century, there was a debate among Muslim chemists on whether the transmutation of substances was possible. It is often considered to exist as a dry red powder made from a legendary stone - the "philosopher's stone". This change would presumably be mediated by a substance, which came to be called al-iksir in Arabic (from which the Western term "elixir" is derived). He further theorized that every metal was a combination of these four principles, two of them interior and two exterior.įrom this premise, it was reasoned that the transmutation of one metal into another could be effected by the rearrangement of its basic qualities. Fire was both hot and dry, earth cold and dry, water cold and moist, and air hot and moist. He analysed each Aristotelian element in terms of the four basic qualities of hotness, coldness, dryness, and moistness. However, the concept of ensuring youthful health originated in China, while the concept of transmutating one metal into a more precious one (silver or gold) originated from the theories of the 8th century Arab alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyan (Latinized as 'Geber'). ![]() It was also thought to have had a dark red tone.Īlchemy itself is mostly an original concept and science practiced in the ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, and India. This legendary stone was thought to help amplify transmutations while doing alchemy. The element is no longer believed to exist according to modern scientific knowledge. Alchemists once thought a key component of the stone was a mythical element named carmot. ![]()
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