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Depiction of Mary the Jewess, considered the first non-fictitious Western alchemist. From Michael Maier's Symbola Aurea MensaeDuodecim Nationum (1617) An alchemist is a person versed in the art of alchemy. Western alchemy flourished in Greco-Roman Egypt, the Islamic world during the Middle Ages, and then in Europe from the 13th to the 18th ...
Petrus Jacobus Kipp (1808–1864), Dutch chemist, inventor of Kipp-generator; Johan Kjeldahl (1849–1900), Danish chemist, head chemist at Carlsberg Brewery, methods still in use; Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1743–1817), German chemist, discovered the element uranium; Trevor Kletz (1922–2013), British promoter of industrial safety
The first alchemist whose name we know was Mary the Jewess (c. 200 A.D.). [118] Early sources claim that Mary (or Maria) devised a number of improvements to alchemical equipment and tools as well as novel techniques in chemistry. [118] Her best known advances were in heating and distillation processes.
Azoth – initially this referred to a supposed universal solvent but later became another name for Mercury. Bitumen – highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. Blende; Brimstone – sulfur; Flowers of sulfur – formed by distilling sulfur. Caustic potash/caustic wood alkali – potassium hydroxide, formed by adding lime to potash.
A symbol invented by John Dee, alchemist and astrologer at the court of Elizabeth I of England. It represents (from top to bottom): the moon; the sun; the elements; and fire. Ouroboros: Ancient Egypt and Persia, Norse mythology: A serpent or dragon consuming its own tail, it is a symbol of infinity, unity, and the cycle of death and rebirth ...
The tradition remains today with the name of the element mercury, where chemists decided the planetary name was preferable to common names like "quicksilver", and in a few archaic terms such as lunar caustic (silver nitrate) and saturnism (lead poisoning). [4] [5] Lead, corresponding with Saturn ♄ Tin, corresponding with Jupiter ♃ ()
Johann Rudolf Glauber (10 March 1604 – 16 March 1670) was a German-Dutch alchemist and chemist. Some historians of science have described him as one of the first chemical engineers . [ 1 ] His discovery of sodium sulfate in 1625 led to the compound being named after him: "Glauber's salt".
Azoth was believed to be the essential agent of transformation in alchemy. It is the name given by ancient alchemists to mercury, which they believed to be the animating spirit hidden in all matter that makes transmutation possible. The word comes from the Arabic al-zā'būq which means "mercury".