GEBER-ALCHMENY
Alyse Brower & Won Jin Kim
CONCLUSION
Background information
Alchemy
Geber is Father of Chmistry.
Contributed many scientific techniques to Alchemy: Crystallization, Distillation, Calcination...
Classifications of different metals paved way for classifications used in Chemisty today
- 'Al-kimiya' meaning "the art of transmutation"
- Precursor to the modern material sciences
- Manipulation of the material world
- Islamic alchemy was based on Egyptian and Greek ideas
- Aristotelian description of matter
- Prime matter + Catalyst (Philosopher's Stone) = transmutaion
HIGHLIGHTS
Or what you might want to have written down in your notebook!
Part 1 Chapter II:
Background information
"Preparation is to take away Superfluity and, supply the definciency."
Geber
Part II Chapter II:
"Therefore, it now remained that we set about refuting the aforementioned Reasons of Sophisters, through Ignorance denying this most excellence Science."
- Jabir ibn Hayyan Latinised as Geber (722-815 A.D.)
- Over 2000 pieces of text attributed to him
- Books of Balances and the Summa Perfectionis
HIGHLIGHTS
Or what you might want to have written down in your notebook!
PART1 Chapter1
THANK YOU!
Of Things Perfecting And Corrupting Metallick Bodies
- Perfection VS Imperfection
/ Perfecting VS Corrupting
Background Texts:
"The true study of alchemy was the manipulation of the material world."
- not merely producing useful or interesting substances.
"The precursor to the modern material sciences"
Part I Chapter I:
"We in the first place consider two Things, viz. Imperfection and Perfection"
- Emphasises the comparison
between the two.
Without due proportion, unclean, wrong humidity
= Corruption/ Imperfection
Perfection must be inserted (Preperatoin)
- Superfluity removed
- What is wanting supplied
PART I Chapter II
PART II Chapter II
Of The Stone Of Philosophers
And Of The Possibility And Way Of Perfection
That It Is Not Possible that Art can Imitate Nature and Certain Istructions Touching the Principles of Metals
Opinion of the Philosopher's stone
- Either derived from Argentvive or Sulphur
- Can be extracted from many places
- Lists reactions based upon qualities of Argentvive and Sulphur
- Provides Detailed instructions for Alchemists:
- Recounts list of reactions and results of experiements.
- Based Upon Aristotle's Four Elements
- Clarifies the intention of Alchemy
- Not merely to follow nature
Ability to Perfect Metals
- Through preparation, can take away imperfectons and supply deficiencies
photo credit Nasa / Goddard Space Flight Center / Reto Stöckli