I learned Alchemy from Medieval Manuscripts. Here's how it works:

Fraser Builds39 minutes read

The recipe from the Lien Papyrus X uses three ingredients to create poisonous sulfur fumes, requiring proper ventilation and a respirator. This recipe reflects early alchemical practices blending Greek and Egyptian traditions, focusing on transmutation and imitating precious stones.

Insights

  • The recipe found in the 3rd-century Lien Papyrus X, originating from Egypt, requires only three common ingredients but produces poisonous sulfur fumes when combined, necessitating a well-ventilated environment and a respirator for safety.
  • Proto Alchemy, as seen in the Lien and Stockholm Papyri, blends Greek philosophy with Egyptian craft traditions, focusing on transmutation and imitating precious stones like emeralds and rubies, reflecting an early stage of alchemy that aimed to mimic natural treasures through experimental testing of substances' hidden qualities.

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Recent questions

  • What is the Lien Papyrus X?

    An ancient recipe document found in Egypt.

  • What is sulfur water?

    A liquid created from the ancient recipe.

  • Who is Pseudo Democratus?

    An individual associated with alchemical processes.

  • What are the four principal qualities in alchemy?

    Hot, cold, wet, and dry qualities.

  • What is calcination in alchemy?

    The process of roasting substances in open air.

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Summary

00:00

Ancient recipe creates poisonous sulfur transformation.

  • The recipe originates from a 3rd-century Papyrus found in Egypt, over 1,700 years old, known as the Lien Papyrus X.
  • The Papyrus was stolen by grave robbers and eventually ended up at Leiden University in the Netherlands for translation and research.
  • The recipe is simple, using only three common ingredients that, when combined, release poisonous sulfur fumes.
  • To safely create the recipe, a well-ventilated environment and a respirator rated for sulfur fumes are necessary.
  • The preparation, despite its off-putting fumes and ingredients, results in a transformation resembling blood when completed.
  • The recipe is part of the Lien Papyrus X, one of over 200 recipes aiming to imitate natural treasures.
  • The liquid created is called sulfur water or Divine water, known for tarnishing silver like liver of sulfur mixed with ammonia.
  • The recipe reflects the early stages of alchemy, focusing on transmutation and imitating precious stones like emeralds and rubies.
  • The Lien and Stockholm Papyri are considered Proto Alchemy, blending Greek philosophy with Egyptian craft traditions.
  • The Physica Kisa, attributed to a pseudo Democratus, delves into the art of combining substances to mimic desired qualities, not necessarily creating gold.

17:00

Alchemy's Influence on Substance Manipulation and Transformation

  • Pseudo Democratus refers to yellowing agents used by artists to impart a golden gleam to substances, categorizing them based on primary colors like black, white, yellow, and red.
  • Professor Shannon Grimes connects Greek and Egyptian gold-making processes with Egyptian statue-making traditions, while Melina Rumer and Mato Martelli highlight links between Greco-Egyptian alchemy and ancient recipes.
  • Pseudo Democratus aimed to unify various craft traditions into a universal framework for manipulating matter, akin to how painters categorize pigments or potters classify glazing minerals.
  • Understanding a substance's nature involves experimental testing of ingredients to reveal hidden qualities, drawing from the medical theory's four principal qualities of hot, cold, wet, and dry.
  • Ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Aristotle's theory of elements, associates fire with hot and dry qualities, water with cold and wet, air with hot and wet, and earth with cold and dry.
  • The four fundamental qualities of hot, cold, wet, and dry are crucial in medicine, mineralogy, and alchemy, influencing the behavior and properties of substances.
  • Quicklime, a fiery substance, is created by roasting limestone at high temperatures, leading to incandescence known as limelight, and its properties include intense heat and the ability to cause chemical burns.
  • Calcination, the process of roasting substances in open air, separates the ash or "cals" from the original matter, a crucial step in alchemical transformations.
  • Salammoniac, a spirit derived from the kingdom of Amone, demonstrates sublimation, evaporating into vapor and condensing back into solid form, showcasing the paradoxical combination of dry and airy qualities.
  • Alchemical processes like calcination, distillation, sublimation, and coagulation aim to isolate or combine elements or qualities, allowing for the synthesis of substances with contradictory properties, as seen in the creation of transmutation agents.

34:18

Alchemists' Vessels: Key to Chemical Transformation

  • Alchemists used vessels frequently in their processes, such as lixiviation, to obtain a yellow lixivium of Ash.
  • Coagulating the solution involves evaporating it back into a solid, resulting in a yucky brown powder due to impurities.
  • Potash, collected from ashes dissolved in pots of water, was named for its origin.
  • Alchemists did not view yellow contaminants as positive; they were seen as impurities.
  • Color changes were significant in alchemical processes, with specific sequences for the Philosopher's Stone preparation.
  • The desired color in recipes varied; for example, the libellus de alchemia aimed for a white powder.
  • Impurities were eliminated by intense heat in a crucible, known as calcination, to create a substantially whiter salt.
  • Alkali was produced from ashes, with potash alkali made from wood ashes and soda alkali from a plant called SOA.
  • Cream of tartar, a common baking ingredient, was used by Alchemists to create alkali through calcination and dissension processes.
  • The resulting alkali, primarily potassium hydroxide, was a potent solvent and played a crucial role in the development of chemical knowledge.
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