Alchemy and Alchemists

by Charles John Samuel Thompson

Alchemy, whose beginnings — possibly in Egypt, Babylon, India, or China — are ancient and obscure, remained undocumented until about 2500 BC. Although it may have originated with metallurgy, the practice rapidly developed an association with magic, pharmacy, and astrology. In this richly illustrated and amply researched study, a noted expert traces the long history of alchemy, from its murky start to modern times.
Hermes Trismegistus and other famous alchemists appear here, along with discussions of the craft's associations with chicanery (as memorably portrayed in Ben Jonson's 1610 comedy, The Alchemist ),
and its role in the secret society of Rosicrucians. Additional topics include the alchemist's laboratory and equipment, alchemical symbols and secret alphabets, noteworthy manuscripts, the influence of astrology, and more.
Although regarded today as a pseudoscience, alchemy gave rise to scientific chemistry. This volume illustrates the ways in which efforts to transmute metals — such as the search for the ever-elusive philosopher's stone — stimulated experimentation with hitherto untried substances, leading to improved knowledge of the materials vital to applied chemistry. Anyone intrigued by the origins and practices of this age-old and still-mysterious discipline, as well as those interested in the history of chemistry, will appreciate this concise, authoritative study.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2002

About the author

From toxipedia.org: "Charles John Samuel Thompson (1862- 1943) or C.J.S. Thompson as he was more commonly known, was a physician and writer. By the age of 36 he had already published several books including, The Mystery and Romance of Alchemy and Pharmacy, 1897. He began working for Wellcome Burroughs and Company in London and shortly after became the head curator for Henry Wellcome's library in 1897 (later the Wellcome Institute). He immediately began collecting medical and science instruments and ephemera. Wellcome was a notorious collector, going as far as to create fictitious storefronts and companies to disguise the fact that he was the man behind the auction bids. Thompson kept meticulous notes for Wellcome and often corresponded with Wellcome on the day's or week's acquisitions. As the libraries collection of books and medical history grew, its head curator used the collection as a resource for more than forty books on the subject of poisoning, most notably Poison Romances and Poison Mysteries in 1899, Poison Mysteries in History Romance and Crime in 1923, and Poisons and Poisoners, With Historical Accounts of Some Famous Mysteries in Ancient and Modern Times in 1931. Later in the early 1940's while curating ancient surgical instruments in Germany, he compiled a record of his acquisitions in a book titled The History and Evolution of Surgical Instruments published in 1942. Nearly every surgical instrument in the collection was destroyed in a German bombing raid leaving the book as the only record of their existence. Much of what we know of the early history of poisoning, especially criminal poisoning, is in large part due to the diligent research of C.J.S. Thompson. His books are still widely read and admired today."

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was published in the 1930s so obviously it was dated. The author sometimes quotes from earlier texts written in Middle English and honestly that was the best part for me.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this one four stars because of the wealth of interesting and weird historical tidbits. It's totally readable, but I suppose you have to be a bit of an arcania geek to thoroughly enjoy it as I did.

[Justin Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and esoteric the best chapters are full of anecdotes from the lives of various alchemists.