CONTENTS

PAGE
[Chapter I.]The Meaning of Alchemy[1]
[§ 1.]The Aim of Alchemy[1]
[§ 2.]The Transcendental Theory of Alchemy[2]
[§ 3.]Failure of the Transcendental Theory[3]
[§ 4.]The Qualifications of the Adept[4]
[§ 5.]Alchemistic Language[5]
[§ 6.]Alchemists of a Mystical Type[7]
[§ 7.]The Meaning of Alchemy[7]
[§ 8.]Opinions of other Writers[8]
[§ 9.]The Basic Idea of Alchemy[10]
[§ 10.]The Law of Analogy[12]
[§ 11.]The Dual Nature of Alchemy[13]
[§ 12.]“Body, Soul and Spirit”[14]
[§ 13.]Alchemy, Mysticism and Modern Science[15]
[Chapter II.]The Theory of Physical Alchemy[17]
[§ 14.]Supposed Proofs of Transmutation[17]
[§ 15.]The Alchemistic Elements[18]
[§ 16.]Aristotle’s Views regarding the Elements[19]
[§ 17.]The Sulphur-Mercury Theory[20]
[§ 18.]The Sulphur-Mercury-Salt Theory[22]
[§ 19.]Alchemistic Elements and Principles[23]
[§ 20.]The Growth of the Metals[25]
[§ 21.]Alchemy and Astrology[26]
[§ 22.]Alchemistic View of the Nature of Gold[27]
[§ 23.]The Philosopher’s Stone[29]
[§ 24.]The Nature of the Philosopher’s Stone[30]
[§ 25.]The Theory of Development[32]
[§ 26.]The Powers of the Philosopher’s Stone[34]
[§ 27.]The Elixir of Life[35]
[§ 28.]The Practical Methods of the Alchemists[36]
[Chapter III.]The Alchemists (A. Before Paracelsus)[39]
[§ 29.]Hermes Trismegistos[39]
[§ 30.]The Smaragdine Table[40]
[§ 31.]Zosimus of Panopolis[42]
[§ 32.]Geber[42]
[§ 33.]Other Arabian Alchemists[44]
[§ 34.]Albertus Magnus[44]
[§ 35.]Thomas Aquinas[44]
[§ 36.]Roger Bacon[45]
[§ 37.]Arnold de Villanova[47]
[§ 38.]Raymond Lully[47]
[§ 39.]Peter Bonus[49]
[§ 40.]Nicolas Flamel[51]
[§ 41.]“Basil Valentine” and the Triumphal Chariot of Antimony.[52]
[§ 42.]Isaac of Holland[53]
[§ 43.]Bernard Trévisan[54]
[§ 44.]Sir George Ripley[55]
[§ 45.]Thomas Norton[56]
[Chapter IV.]The Alchemists (B. Paracelsus and after)[58]
[§ 46.]Paracelsus[58]
[§ 47.]Views of Paracelsus[60]
[§ 48.]Iatro-chemistry[61]
[§ 49.]The Rosicrucian Society[62]
[§ 50.]Thomas Charnock[65]
[§ 51.]Andreas Libavius[66]
[§ 52.]Edward Kelley and John Dee[67]
[§ 53.]Henry Khunrath[70]
[§ 54.]Alexander Sethon and Michael Sendivogius[70]
[§ 55.]Michael Maier[72]
[§ 56.]Jacob Boehme[74]
[§ 57.]J. B. van Helmont and F. M. van Helmont[75]
[§ 58.]Johann Rudolf Glauber[77]
[§ 59.]Thomas Vaughan (“Eugenius Philalethes”)[77]
[§ 60.]“Eirenæus Philalethes” and George Starkey[79]
[Chapter V.]The Outcome of Alchemy[81]
[§ 61.]Did the Alchemists achieve the Magnum Opus?[81]
[§ 62.]The Testimony of van Helmont[82]
[§ 63.]The Testimony of Helvetius[83]
[§ 64.]Helvetius obtains the Philosopher’s Stone[85]
[§ 65.]Helvetius performs a Transmutation[87]
[§ 66.]Helvetius’s Gold Assayed[88]
[§ 67.]Helvetius’s Gold Further Tested[88]
[§ 68.]The Genesis of Chemistry[89]
[§ 69.]The Degeneracy of Alchemy[90]
[§ 70.]“Count Cagliostro”[91]
[Chapter VI.]The Age of Modern Chemistry[94]
[§ 71.]The Birth of Modern Chemistry[94]
[§ 72.]The Phlogiston Theory[94]
[§ 73.]Boyle and the Definition of an Element[96]
[§ 74.]The Stoichiometric Laws[96]
[§ 75.]Dalton’s Atomic Theory[99]
[§ 76.]The Determination of the Atomic Weights of the Elements[102]
[§ 77.]Prout’s Hypothesis[102]
[§ 78.]The “Periodic Law”[105]
[§ 79.]The Corpuscular Theory of Matter[109]
[§ 80.]Proof that the Electrons are not Matter[110]
[§ 81.]The Electronic Theory of Matter[112]
[§ 82.]The Etheric Theory of Matter[113]
[§ 83.]Further Evidence of the Complexity of the Atoms[114]
[§ 84.]Views of Wald and Ostwald[115]
[Chapter VII.]Modern Alchemy[117]
[§ 85.]“Modern Alchemy”[117]
[§ 86.]X-Rays and Becquerel Rays[117]
[§ 87.]The Discovery of Radium[118]
[§ 88.]Chemical Properties of Radium[119]
[§ 89.]The Radioactivity of Radium[120]
[§ 90.]The Disintegration of the Radium Atom[122]
[§ 91.]“Induced Radioactivity”[123]
[§ 92.]Properties of Uranium and Thorium[123]
[§ 93.]The Radium Emanation[124]
[§ 94.]The Production of Helium from Emanation[125]
[§ 95.]Nature of this Change[127]
[§ 96.]Is this Change a true Transmutation?[128]
[§ 97.]The Production of Neon from Emanation[130]
[§ 98.]Ramsay’s Experiments on Copper[132]
[§ 99.]Further Experiments on Radium and Copper[134]
[§ 100.]Ramsay’s Experiments on Thorium and allied Metals[134]
[§ 101.]The Possibility of Making Gold[136]
[§ 102.]The Significance of “Allotropy”[136]
[§ 103.]Conclusion[140]