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Essay Archive - Alchemy
Alchemy
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,
whence the word `gush'. Mr. A. Wallis Budge in his "Egyptian Magic",
however, states that it is possible that it may be derived from the
Egyptian word khemeia, that is to say 'the preparation of th....
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