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Alchemy (from the Arabic word al-kīmīā, الكیمیاء) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. [1]
Some alchemists also circulated steps for the creation of practical medicines and substances, that have little to do with the magnum opus. The cryptic and often symbolic language used to describe both adds to the confusion, but it's clear that there is no single standard step-by-step recipe given for the creation of the philosopher's stone.
Alchemical symbols were used to denote chemical elements and compounds, as well as alchemical apparatus and processes, until the 18th century. Although notation was partly standardized, style and symbol varied between alchemists.
The Alchymist, in Search of the Philosopher's Stone by Joseph Wright of Derby, 1771. The philosopher's stone [a] is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver; [b] it was also known as "the tincture" and "the powder".
Glauber's salt – sodium sulfate.Na 2 SO 4; Sal alembroth – salt composed of chlorides of ammonium and mercury.; Sal ammoniac – ammonium chloride.; Sal petrae (Med. Latin: "stone salt")/salt of petra/saltpetre/nitrate of potash – potassium nitrate, KNO 3, typically mined from covered dungheaps.
The most influential names in the history of alchemy include: Hermes Trismegistus – by tradition, the founder of Western alchemy; many alchemical works were attributed to him.
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An ouroboros in a 1478 drawing in an alchemical tract [1]. The ouroboros or uroboros (/ ˌ j ʊər ə ˈ b ɒr ə s /; [2] / ˌ ʊər ə ˈ b ɒr ə s / [3]) is an ancient symbol depicting a snake or dragon [4] eating its own tail.