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Analytical chemistry reveals secrets of alchemy

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Abstract

The review collects papers on the application of analytical chemistry in revealing the history of alchemy. In addition to historical alchemical texts, preserved material remains can also be a valuable source of information for historians of alchemy. The first part of the review focuses on the analysis of material artifacts: the remains of alleged transmutations (alchemical gold and silver), the rarely preserved specimens of Philosophers’ Stone, alchemical medicines, remains of alchemical vessels and laboratories (cupellation included), and analysis of the bodily remains of the alchemists themselves. Non-destructive spectrometric methods predominate in these analyses. Experimental reconstruction of the course and the results of old alchemical processes and their subsequent analysis is another way to reveal the history of alchemy. This approach, which has only been used in recent decades, is covered in the second part of the review. The published individual reconstructions are set in a chemical–historical context and arranged into three time periods: ancient and Arabian alchemy, medieval and renaissance alchemy, and late alchemy and chymistry. The review demonstrates that analytical chemistry is a very effective and potent technique for discovering new information about the history of alchemy.

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Acknowledgements

The project Progress Q46 of Charles University is gratefully acknowledged for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Teaching and Didactics of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Radek Chalupa

  2. RCC Europe, Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic

    Radek Chalupa

  3. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Karel Nesměrák

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  1. Radek Chalupa
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  2. Karel Nesměrák
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Correspondence to Karel Nesměrák.

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Chalupa, R., Nesměrák, K. Analytical chemistry reveals secrets of alchemy. Monatsh Chem 152, 1019–1032 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00706-021-02813-8

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