The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry

Description

Muir’s book is exactly what it promises through the title: an account of the history of alchemy and of the process during which alchemy became chemistry. Muir was a scientist himself – he was a chemist and a researcher, but he became known for his works about the history of science – and he wrote and published this book in 1902, in a period of fast and massive scientific development, only a few years after the electron had been discovered and a few years before Bohr’s model of the atom revolutionized not only natural sciences, but philosophy as well.

Two of the main goals of alchemists were to discover a method with the help of which they could transform base metals into gold and to find out how they could create a human being among laboratory circumstances. These quests became the obsession of some of the finest scientists ever since the Middle Ages, making them carry out secret experiments in dark and secret places and often putting themselves in grave dangers. The book is written in an interesting and easy to understand style that makes it even more of an exciting read that reveals a lot about how the pseudo-science of the Medieval period based on religious beliefs transformed gradually to become the chemistry as we know it today, a branch of natural science that uses objective methods for research and evaluates findings objectively as well.

The book is written in an engaging style, but it is also a very thoroughly backed up writing, so be prepared for a reading that will require all your attention. It does not offer a lightweight opportunity to kill time, but if you are interested in the history of science and in the history of the process that made chemistry what it is today, you will love this book.
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