ALCHEMY: The science by aid of which the chemical philosophers of medieval times attempted to transmute the baser metals into gold or silver. There is considerable divergence of opinion as to the etymology of the word, but it would seem to be derived from the Arabic al=the, and kimya=chemistry, which in turn derives from the late Greek chemica=chemistry, from chumeia=a mingling, or cheein, `to pour out` or `mix', Aryan root ghu, to pour, Mr. A. Wallis Budge in his "Egyptian Magic",however, states that it is possible that it may be derived from theEgyptian word khemeia, that is to say 'the preparation of the black ore',or `powder', which was regarded as the active principle in thetransmutation of metals. To this name the Arabs affixed the article `al',thus giving al-khemeia, or alchemy. HISTORY OF ALCHEMY: From an early period the Egyptians possessed thereputation of being skillful workers in metals and, according to Greekwriters, they were conversant with their transmutation, employingquicksilver in the process of separating gold and silver from the nativematrix. The resulting oxide was supposed to possess marvelous powers, andit was thought that there resided within in the individualities of thevarious metals, that in it their various substances were incorporated. This black powder was mystically identified with the underworld form of thegod Osiris, and consequently was credited with magical properties. Thusthere grew up in Egypt the belief that magical powers existed in fluxes andalloys. Probably such a belief existed throughout Europe in connectionwith the bronze-working castes of its several races. Its was probably inthe Byzantium of the fourth century, however, that alchemical sciencereceived embryonic form. There is little doubt that Egyptian tradition,filtering through Alexandrian Hellenic sources was the foundation uponwhich the infant science was built, and this is borne out by thecircumstance that the art was attri...
