The Book of the Secrets of Alchemy
The Book of the Secrets of Alchemy

Author: Constantino de Pisa

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 9789004092884

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The "Liber secretorum alchimie" is an attempt to introduce alchemy into Aristotle's science: manipulating metals, astronomy, astrology, geography and even theology are combined in these lecture notes taken by a 13th century medical student to make a fascinating review of themes which were hotly debated in medieval Italian university circles.

The Secrets of Alchemy
The Secrets of Alchemy

Author: Lawrence Principe

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 0226682951

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Alchemy, the Noble Art, conjures up scenes of mysterious, dimly lit laboratories populated with bearded old men stirring cauldrons. Though the history of alchemy is intricately linked to the history of chemistry, alchemy has nonetheless often been dismissed as the realm of myth and magic, or fraud and pseudoscience. And while its themes and ideas persist in some expected and unexpected places, from the Philosopher's (or Sorcerer's) Stone of Harry Potter to the self-help mantra of transformation, there has not been a serious, accessible, and up-to-date look at the complete history and influence of alchemy until now.

The Jewish Alchemists
The Jewish Alchemists

Author: Raphael Patai

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 638

ISBN-13: 9780691006420

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In this monumental work, Raphael Patai, acclaimed author of Hebrew Myths (with Robert Graves) and The Hebrew Goddess, opens up an entirely new field in cultural history by tracing Jewish alchemy from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Until now there has been little attention given to the significant role that Jews played in the field of alchemy. Here, drawing on an enormous range of previously unexplored sources, Patai reveals that Jews were major players in what was for centuries one of humanity's most compelling intellectual obsessions. Among the myriad subjects treated in the book is the close relationship between alchemy and medicine as practiced by Jewish adepts. Other Jewish alchemists combined alchemy with magic or with kabbalistic practices. Still others became, through their alchemical efforts, the forerunners of modern chemistry. The culmination of many years of research, The Jewish Alchemists shows that alchemy was much more than the attempt at transmuting base metals into gold: it was a powerful worldview that assumed an essential unity underlying all of nature - and the power of humans to intervene, with God's help, in nature's course.

Secrets and Knowledge in Medicine and Science, 1500–1800
Secrets and Knowledge in Medicine and Science, 1500–1800

Author: Alisha Rankin

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-04-01

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 1317058321

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Secrets played a central role in transformations in medical and scientific knowledge in early modern Europe. As a new fascination with novelty began to take hold from the late fifteenth century, Europeans thirsted for previously unknown details about the natural world: new plants, animals, and other objects from nature, new recipes for medical and alchemical procedures, new knowledge about the human body, and new facts about the way nature worked. These 'secrets' became popular items of commerce and trade, as the quest for new and exclusive bits of information met the vibrant early modern marketplace. Whether disclosed widely in print or kept more circumspect in manuscripts, secrets helped drive an expanding interest in acquiring knowledge throughout early modern Europe. Bringing together international scholars, this volume provides a pan-European and interdisciplinary overview on the topic. Each essay offers significant new interpretations of the role played by secrets in their area of specialization. Chapters address key themes in early modern history and the history of medicine, science and technology including: the possession, circulation and exchange of secret knowledge across Europe; alchemical secrets and laboratory processes; patronage and the upper-class market for secrets; medical secrets and the emerging market for proprietary medicines; secrets and cosmetics; secrets and the body and finally gender and secrets.

Observing the World through Images
Observing the World through Images

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2013-11-21

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9004263853

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The well-illustrated articles in Observing the World through Images offer insights into the uses of images in astronomy, mathematics, instrument-making, medicine and alchemy, highlighting shared forms as well as those peculiar to individual disciplines. Themes addressed include: the processes of image production and communication; the transformation of images through copying and adaptation for new purposes; genres and traditions of imagery in particular scientific disciplines; the mnemonic and pedagogical value of diagrams; the relationship between text and image; and the roles of diagrams as tools to think with. Contributors include: Isabelle Pantin, Jennifer Rampling, Samuel Gessner, Renee Raphael, Karin Ekholm, Hester Higton, and Katie Taylor.