The History of Chemistry, Volume 1 (of 2) — John Shaqi
The History of Chemistry, Volume 1 (of 2)Thomson, Thomas
History
The History of Chemistry, Volume 1 (of 2)
Thomson, Thomas
Chemistry -- History
2. Tractat von naturlichen und ubernaturlichen
Dingen; auch von der ersten tinctur, Wurzel und
Geiste der Metallen.
3. Von dern grossen stein der Uhralten.
4. Vier tractatlein vom stein der Weisen.
5. Kurzer anhang und klare repetition oder Wiederholunge
vom grosen stein der Uhralten.
6. De prima Materia Lapidis Philosophici.
7. Azoth Philosophorum seu Aureliæ occultæ de
Materia Lapidis Philosophorum.
8. Apocalypsis Chemica.
9. Claves 12 Philosophiæ.
10. Practica.
11. Opus præclarum ad utrumque, quod pro Testamento
dedit Filio suo adoptivo.
12. Letztes Testament.
13. De Microcosmo.
14. Von der grosen Heimlichkeit der Welt und ihrer
Arzney.
15. Von der Wissenschaft der sieben Planeten.
16. Offenbahrung der verborgenen Handgriffe.
17. Conclusiones or Schlussreden.
18. Dialogus Fratris Alberti cum Spiritu.
19. De Sulphure et fermento Philosophorum.
20. Haliographia.
21. Triumph wagen Antimonii.
22. Einiger Weg zur Wahrheit.
23. Licht der Natur.
The only one of these works that I have read with care, is
Kerkringius’s translation and commentary on the Currus triumphalis
Antimonii. It is an excellent book, written with clearness and
precision, and contains every thing respecting antimony that was known
before the commencement of the 19th century. How much of this is owing
to Kerkringius I cannot say, as I have never had an opportunity of
seeing a copy of the original German work of Basil Valentine.
Basil Valentine, like Isaac Hollandus, was of opinion that the metals
are compounds of salt, sulphur, and mercury. The philosopher’s stone
was composed of the same ingredients. He affirmed, that there exists
a great similarity between the mode of purifying gold and curing the
diseases of men, and that antimony answers best for both. He was
acquainted with arsenic, knew many of its properties, and mentions the
red compound which it forms with sulphur. Zinc seems to have been known
to him, and he mentions bismuth, both under its own name, and under
that of _marcasite_. He was aware that manganese was employed to render
glass colourless. He mentions nitrate of mercury, alludes to corrosive
sublimate, and seems to have known the red oxide of mercury. It would
be needless to specify the preparations of antimony with which he was
acquainted; scarcely one was unknown to him which, even at present,
exists in the European Pharmacopœias. Many of the preparations of lead
were also familiar to him. He was aware that lead gives a sweet taste
to vinegar. He knew sugar of lead, litharge, yellow oxide of lead,
white carbonate of lead; and mentions that this last preparation was
often adulterated in his time. He knew the method of making green
vitriol, and the double chloride of iron and ammonia. He was aware
that iron could be precipitated from its solution by potash, and that
iron has the property of throwing down copper. He was aware that tin
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