Alchemy May Not Have Been the Pseudoscience We All Thought It Was ... For instance, text that describes a “cold dragon” who “creeps in and out of the caves” was code for saltpeter ...

These traces of old alchemical texts were frequently combined or copied down incorrectly, so the information became garbled and ever more arcane, contributing to its mystery.

Alchemy is an ancient art, originating in Egypt, that combines practical experiments and philosophical thinking around the nature of matter. While it’s often dismissed as quackery due to some of ...

Can alchemy be described as a protoscience? Do ancient texts with obscure formulas and procedures describe mystic rituals and allegoric visions? Or do they record instructions to carry out real ...

The alchemy text will be available in an online repository for those interested in the history of modern chemistry, according to James Voelkel, the CHF's curator of rare books.

Classroom Activity for the NOVA program Newton's Dark Secrets: In Secret Symbols, students read and interpret a passage from a famous alchemical text titled The Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine.

Early pictorial representations of their work as healers were restricted to alchemical texts and manuals. Over time, artists began to depict them in paintings, such as The Medical Alchemist (see image ...

The life of Michael Sendivogius (Michał Sędziwój), a famed Polish alchemist of the 16th century, is shrouded in mystery. Much of what we know about his life is debated, but Sendivogius’s influential ...

The alchemy text will be available in an online repository for those interested in the history of modern chemistry, according to James Voelkel, the CHF's curator of rare books.