In Defense of Alchemy

Scientific Concepts, Discoveries, and Nature/Chemical Phenomena Mentioned

Newton’s Hidden Alchemical Work (late 1600s–1700s)

• After Newton’s death (1727), much of his alchemical writing was withheld or unpublished for centuries.
• A major clue for this alchemical thread is a monument relief depicting instruments (including a furnace), suggesting alchemy’s centrality to his “Great Work.”

Chymistry (Alchemy + Early Chemistry)

• In the 17th century, there was no clear boundary between alchemy and chemistry.
• Scholars often refer to the blended field as “chymistry.”

Alchemists pursued:

• Transmutation (changing base metals into gold)
• Medicines
• The alkahest: a purported universal solvent, including the practical problem of what vessel could hold it

Origins and Development of Alchemy (Egypt–Greece; Alexandria)

Alchemy is described as emerging from:

• Egyptian metallurgical craft traditions
• Greek nature theory, especially the Aristotelian four elements:
  • earth, air, fire, water

In Alexandria (~3rd century CE), early alchemical activity is described as practical craft work, including:

• Making fake gemstones
• Changing metal appearance (e.g., color changes)

Hermeticism and the Emerald Tablet

• Hermeticism is linked to Hermes Trismegistus and to “occult sciences,” including:
  • alchemy
  • astrology
  • magic
• The Emerald Tablet is presented as a major, cryptic hermetic text—possibly tied (in interpretation) to the Philosopher’s Stone.

Islamic Alchemy and the Sulfur–Mercury Theory

• Islamic scholars (roughly from the 8th century) advanced alchemical theory and terminology (e.g., al-iksir → “elixir,” part of an alchemy-related word family).
• Key theory: metals composed of sulfur + mercury
  • sulfur = “fixedness” (holds things together)
  • mercury = “volatility” / changeability

Claimed empirical support included:

• Roasting galena to detect sulfur odor
• Appearance of molten lead resembling mercury

Alchemical Experimental Practice and Secrecy

Alchemy is framed as involving:

• observation
• experiments
• knowledge transfer

But also with:

• coded texts using Decknamen (cover names)
• symbolic “instructions” conveyed through elaborate imagery
• secrecy driven by fraud accusations, patronage pressures, and perceived moral responsibility

Cryptic Language and Decoding

Example decoding:

• “Green lion” interpreted as aqua regia
• aqua regia = nitric acid + hydrochloric acid
• rationale: aqua regia dissolves gold (with contamination considerations)

“Canonical” Alchemical Process for the Philosopher’s Stone (historically taught)

A multi-stage procedure is described using a common early-modern recipe structure:

1. Put an unspecified starting substance into an oval flask with a long neck
2. Seal it “hermetically”
3. Heat for about a month
4. Observe a color sequence:
   • turns black
   • passes through peacock-tail colors
   • becomes white
5. Continued heating can yield:
   • yellow, then red
6. Final steps after opening yield the Philosopher’s Stone

The “miracle step” is described as a recurring, hand-waved transition after extensive procedure.

Newton’s Alchemical “Precursors” and Compounds

• Newton pursued a prolonged search for a starting ingredient (“something” / seed of the Stone).
• He produced substances not the Stone itself, including:
  • liquor of antimony (linked to Boyle’s work)
  • sophic sal ammoniac (described as involving antimony in Newton’s version)
  • “Vulcan’s net”: an alloy of copper + antimony

Antimony is highlighted as promising due to its “in-between” properties (brittle yet shiny).

Newton’s Unpublished “Praxis” and Chemistry-Like Methods

• “Praxis” is described as a systematic attempt to reach the Philosopher’s Stone.
• The video claims Newton used practices resembling real chemistry, including:
  • mass balance
  • qualitative analysis
• A cited quote suggests experimental setbacks (e.g., glass breaking).

Nature-as-Alive / Growth-in-Earth Model

• Alchemists viewed metals as growing within the Earth via sulfur/mercury principles.
• The logic: if nature makes metals, the laboratory might reproduce it at scale.

Replication of Alchemical Experiments (Modern Scholarship)

Modern scholarship emphasizes:

• reproducing alchemical procedures from original texts
• using modern lab knowledge to interpret likely meanings of coded steps

Example: failure-to-success via adjusted assumptions

• Lawrence Principe reproduced a Basil Valentine recipe (“purify poison into medicine”).
• “Antimony” seemed impossible for the described result (poisonous, unlikely to yield the stated red solution), so the first attempt using pure modern reagents didn’t work.
• A second attempt used intentionally contaminated reagents and iron tools, yielding iron acetate.
• Interpretation: this matched the text’s aim of reducing poisonous properties rather than producing literal antimony-based “redness.”

Re-Creating Newton’s Chemistry and Discovering Novel Products

A described study (with crystallography) recreated Newton compounds and analyzed them using:

• X-ray diffraction crystallography

Reported outcome:

• formation of at least one previously unmade compound in modern times
• claimed complex mixture involving ammonium, copper, chlorine

Implication:

• alchemical methods may suggest new synthetic pathways even if theoretical frameworks were wrong.

Scientific-Historical Argument: Alchemy as a Step Toward Chemistry

• Alchemy fell out of favor in early 18th-century Europe largely because transmutation failed reliably in practice, not necessarily because explicit theoretical refutations won the day.
• The video argues the later “chemistry” profession gained legitimacy by separating from alchemy’s reputation (fraud/greed “dirty” science).

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Researchers / Sources Featured (Named)

• Sir Isaac Newton
• Voltaire (rumored attendance at Newton’s funeral)
• William Newman — Indiana University; founder/manager of The Chymistry of Isaac Newton
• Justin Sledge — historian of Western esotericism; creator/content on alchemy/esotericism
• Robert Boyle — referenced via The Skeptical Chymist
• Maria Hebraea — credited (mythically/legend-like) with invention of the bain-marie/double boiler
• Hermes Trismegistus — Hermetic figure; linked to the Emerald Tablet tradition
• Thoth — Egyptian god behind the syncretic Hermes
• George Starkey — identified as the source behind “Eirenaeus Philalethes”
• Eirenaeus Philalethes — discussed as an “adept” identity (attributed to Starkey)
• Sendivogius — referenced as an origin/adaptation for Philalethes’ text
• Johann Böttger — arrested/prisoned for alleged transmutation; later associated with porcelain
• Edward Kelly — example of an alchemical “grifter,” tied to Rudolph II’s court; dies after an escape attempt
• Rudolph II — ruler who invited occult/alchemical practitioners
• Nicolas Fatio de Duillier — mentioned as Newton’s alchemical collaborator (divorce speculation noted but contested)
• Lawrence Principe — Johns Hopkins University; argued alchemy helped clear space for “chemistry”
• David Bish — X-ray diffraction crystallographer (coauthor in cited Newton-compound study)
• Morin Pink — X-ray diffraction crystallographer (coauthor in cited Newton-compound study)
• Basil Valentine — attributed author behind 12 Keys (replication example)

Institutional Source Mentioned

• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (funding support for the video)