Answer to Question #68954 in Physical Chemistry for prettyjoleng

Question

alchemists and their contribution

Answer 1

The first was the famous alchemist European Dominican monk Albert von Bolshtedt (1193-1280), more known as Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus). The works of Albert the Great ( "Book of alchemy", "On metals and minerals", "alchemical REDD" and others) played an important role that natural philosophy of Aristotle was the most important European scientists to the late Middle Ages and early modern times. Albertus Magnus was the first European alchemists detailed description of the properties of arsenic, and so he is often credited with the discovery of the substance. Albert the Great had the idea that metals are composed of mercury, sulfur, arsenic and ammonium.
Contemporary Albertus Magnus was the English Franciscan monk Roger Bacon (1214-1292). He wrote, in particular, the famous treatise "The Mirror of Alchemy" and "power of alchemy." In his treatise gives a detailed description of the nature of metals in terms of sulfur-mercury theory. Roger Bacon alchemy defined as follows: "Alchemy is the science that indicates how to cook and get a remedy elixir which, if cast in metal or imperfect substance, making them perfect at the moment of contact."
The writings of Albert the Great and Roger Bacon, as in the writings of Arab alchemists, mysticism share was relatively small. At the same time, European alchemy mystical elements in general are much harakternishymy than Arabic.
To the founders of mystical currents often carry Spanish doctor Arnaldo (Arnold) with Villanova (1240-1313) and Raymond Lully (1235-1313). Their work ( "Testament that teaches in two books universal chemical art" Raymond Lully "Rosary philosophers" Arnold with Villanovy and others) were devoted to transmutation (Lulliy even claimed that he allegedly managed to get the philosopher's stone and gold), with special emphasis on magical operations necessary to obtain the desired results.
By alchemists include the great English physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton (1643-1727). He gave up the search for the philosopher's stone and universal solvent a lot of time and effort. But Newton is not interested in how many ways to get gold as the study of change agents.
Equally well-known contemporary of Newton, Robert Boyle, author of the treatise "chemical-skeptic" and one of the founders of scientific chemistry, was also not a stranger alchemical tradition. He wrote probably belongs interesting alchemical treatise "On the degradation of Gold", which describes the "Anti-Elixir" - the opposite of the philosopher's stone, which carries transmutation of metals in the opposite direction.