Since Sophie was absent today in class, I took more alchemy notes to help find more background information and experiments alchemists used to do. Throughout my research today, I found out a lot more about alchemy. One thing I found was an alchemist, who went by the name Geber, wrote a book that greatly influenced many alchemists. His version of the Magnum Opus was called The Sum of Perfection. In ancient times, alchemists believed that metals weren't in fact metals. They instead believed that metals were made of compounds of sulfur and/or mercury, sometimes mercury, salt, and sulfur. Another thing they believed was that different elements effected metals differently. For example, they believed mercury would make a metal more fluid, while sulfur would make a metal herder. Many alchemists believed iron was mostly composed of sulfur because it was a much harder metal. They also believed gold was a made of more mercury because it is a softer type of metal. This misunderstanding of metals made up of the three classical elements helped alchemists start to believe they could transform different metals, such as led to gold or to change other base metals by using the right kind of formula. One of the main things they believed they needed in order to change metals was the Philosopher's Stone. Many alchemists believed in different ways to make the Philosopher's Stone. One of the probably most well known version was the one that used human blood. Some alchemists, like Roger Bacon, believed that each person was a microcosm of the Earth and that they contained a little of everything, so they would used the blood to help make the stone. Other alchemists said that using organic materials to create the Philosopher's Stone wasn't rational, like Geber. He said that it wasn't reasonable "since Nature herself does not make metals beneath the earth from human blood.".
During the 15th and 16th century, alchemists started to believe that minerals might be able to develop similar to a living thing. The reason they started to believe this was because miners started talking about stories of finding veins of minerals that were a metallic silver. They would say that the veins growth resembled intricate trees. After alchemists started believing the minerals could grow, they started to theorize that base metals made of sulfur were poorly developed metals or also immature versions of gold. They then also thought that if these metals were left long enough in the earth, they could then grow more. As son as one of the metals was taken from the earth, they thought it would stop growing, similar to how a flower stops growing when plucked from the ground. Also during the 15th century, a well known book on alchemy was written called "The Twelve Keys". While it was attributed to Basil Valentine, no one for sure knows who the author was. It has been said though that Johann Tholde is most likely the true author of the book.
Throughout the 17th century was the age of searching to make gold. During this age, alchemists thought the reason they could make gold was because they started believing there was a way to "reanimate" gold after it's been taken from inside the earth. Also during this time, an author named Eirenaeus Philalethes started becoming famous, even though it was later found out there was no actual alchemist named that. It ended up being an alchemist named George Starkey who made a fake persona to help boost his own alchemy career. Since Philalethes became extremely popular, all sorts of alchemists wanted to meet him, but Philalethes wouldn't meet with them. He would only meet with Starkey because they were close "friends". By Starkey claiming that he was good friends with Philalethes, many alchemists wanted to meet more with Starkey since he was "friends" with Philalethes. Throughout the 17th century, Robert Boyle was a popular alchemist. He wrote many various manuscripts, including one that talked about Philosophical Mercury, also known as Philosopher's Mercury. Philosophical Mercury is a liquid form of mercury that was able to slowly dissolve gold. The liquid was well known for being a crucial part to making the Philosopher's Stone. Since the mercury was needed for the Philosopher's Stone, many other alchemists wanted the recipe for the liquid, including Newton. The Philosopher's Mercury produced a tree like branch made of gold and mercury, although the gold they "made" in it was no more that the amount they put in. There was a mixture that was the closest thing to the Philosopher's Stone called Red Earth. This mixture was also said to be able to be used to create the actual Philosopher's Stone. It was also said that it could slowly change lead to gold, but in a very slow process. As Newton worked on alchemy, he wrote many secretive manuscripts about alchemy. In his writing he spoke and referenced "Green Lion", "Neptune's Trident", and the "Scepter of Jove". One of the well known experiments in alchemy is the Tree of Diana, also known as the Philosopher's Tree. This experiment creates an alchemical demonstration of where minerals grow in a plant like way. One alchemist's writing on the steps said, "immerse a solid amalgam of silver and mercury in nitric acid with dissolved silver and mercury and it produces a tiny branch of solid silver...". This experiment helped prove to alchemists that minerals grew like living things, which meant that they must posses life.
During the 15th and 16th century, alchemists started to believe that minerals might be able to develop similar to a living thing. The reason they started to believe this was because miners started talking about stories of finding veins of minerals that were a metallic silver. They would say that the veins growth resembled intricate trees. After alchemists started believing the minerals could grow, they started to theorize that base metals made of sulfur were poorly developed metals or also immature versions of gold. They then also thought that if these metals were left long enough in the earth, they could then grow more. As son as one of the metals was taken from the earth, they thought it would stop growing, similar to how a flower stops growing when plucked from the ground. Also during the 15th century, a well known book on alchemy was written called "The Twelve Keys". While it was attributed to Basil Valentine, no one for sure knows who the author was. It has been said though that Johann Tholde is most likely the true author of the book.
Throughout the 17th century was the age of searching to make gold. During this age, alchemists thought the reason they could make gold was because they started believing there was a way to "reanimate" gold after it's been taken from inside the earth. Also during this time, an author named Eirenaeus Philalethes started becoming famous, even though it was later found out there was no actual alchemist named that. It ended up being an alchemist named George Starkey who made a fake persona to help boost his own alchemy career. Since Philalethes became extremely popular, all sorts of alchemists wanted to meet him, but Philalethes wouldn't meet with them. He would only meet with Starkey because they were close "friends". By Starkey claiming that he was good friends with Philalethes, many alchemists wanted to meet more with Starkey since he was "friends" with Philalethes. Throughout the 17th century, Robert Boyle was a popular alchemist. He wrote many various manuscripts, including one that talked about Philosophical Mercury, also known as Philosopher's Mercury. Philosophical Mercury is a liquid form of mercury that was able to slowly dissolve gold. The liquid was well known for being a crucial part to making the Philosopher's Stone. Since the mercury was needed for the Philosopher's Stone, many other alchemists wanted the recipe for the liquid, including Newton. The Philosopher's Mercury produced a tree like branch made of gold and mercury, although the gold they "made" in it was no more that the amount they put in. There was a mixture that was the closest thing to the Philosopher's Stone called Red Earth. This mixture was also said to be able to be used to create the actual Philosopher's Stone. It was also said that it could slowly change lead to gold, but in a very slow process. As Newton worked on alchemy, he wrote many secretive manuscripts about alchemy. In his writing he spoke and referenced "Green Lion", "Neptune's Trident", and the "Scepter of Jove". One of the well known experiments in alchemy is the Tree of Diana, also known as the Philosopher's Tree. This experiment creates an alchemical demonstration of where minerals grow in a plant like way. One alchemist's writing on the steps said, "immerse a solid amalgam of silver and mercury in nitric acid with dissolved silver and mercury and it produces a tiny branch of solid silver...". This experiment helped prove to alchemists that minerals grew like living things, which meant that they must posses life.