THE MYSTERY AND ROMANCE
OF
ALCHEMY AND PHARMACY

BY

C. J. S. THOMPSON
AUTHOR OF “POISON ROMANCE AND POISON MYSTERIES,”
“THE CHEMIST’S COMPENDIUM,” “THE CULT OF BEAUTY,”
ETC., ETC.

LONDON
THE SCIENTIFIC PRESS, Limited
28 & 29 SOUTHAMPTON STREET, STRAND, W.C.
1897

PREFACE.

It has been my endeavour in the following pages to sketch, however imperfectly, some phases of the romance and mystery that have surrounded the arts of medicine, alchemy, and pharmacy from the earliest period of which we have record down to the close of the eighteenth century. The influence of the past on the present is greater than we commonly suppose. In this age of rapid scientific progress and brilliant research, we are apt to overlook and lose sight of the patient labours of the early pioneers of science, many of whom laid the foundations of discoveries that have since proved of inestimable value to mankind. Hence the history of the past, whether in science or in art, is always worthy of study and attention.

My thanks are due to the Editor of the Pharmaceutical Journal for permission to reproduce several illustrations which appeared in its pages together with a portion of this work.

C. J. S. T

Liverpool, 1897.

CONTENTS.

• PART I.
• CHAPTER I.
• The Dawn of the Art of Healing.
• The foundation of the art of healing—The most ancient record of medicine and pharmacy—The Ebers Papyrus—Origin of the term pharmacist—Drugs used in ancient Egypt—Early Jewish medicines—The antiquity of medicine and alchemy in China—The Chinese and the Philosopher’s Stone—Ancient Chinese materia medica—The medical art in ancient Greece—The Grecian temples of medicine—Methods of treatment—The oath of Hippocrates pages 1-13
• CHAPTER II.
• The Wizards of Early Greece.
• Tiresias—Abaris—Pythagoras—Epimenides—Empedocles—Aristras—Hermotimus pages 14-23
• CHAPTER III.
• The Wizards of the Roman Empire.
• A Roman sorceress—Virgil’s sorceress—Canidia—A witches’ incantation pages 24-29
• CHAPTER IV.
• The Fathers of Medicine.
• Æsculapius—Hippocrates—Diocles—Praxagoras—Chrysippus—Hierphilus—Erasistratus—Serapion—Asclepiades—Galen—His system of treatment—Medical practice in the fifth century—Alexander of Tralles—The fees of Roman practitioners—Votive offerings for health—Roman donaria—Roman temples of healing pages 30-38
• CHAPTER V.
• The Early Age of Greek and Roman Pharmacy.
• Celsus—Roman pharmacy—Methods of administration—Antidotes—Grecian remedy for hydrophobia—Chemical bodies and drugs employed by the Greeks and Romans—Dioscorides—His work on materia medica—Ancient method of collecting opium—Preparation of wool fat—Drugs used in Pompeii and Herculaneum pages 39-46
• CHAPTER VI.
• Alchemy—The Alchemists.
• Origin of the term chemistry—Practice of the hermetic science by the Egyptians—Al-Chindus—Geber—Rhazes—Merlin—St. Dunstan—Albertus Magnus—Vincent de Beauvais—Raymond Lulli—Arnauld de Villeneuve—Roger Bacon—Antonio Quainer—Discoveries made by the early alchemists—Eck—John Baptist Porta—Cornelius Agrippa—Dr. Dee—Symbols of the alchemists pages 47-63
• CHAPTER VII.
• The Philosopher’s Stone.
• Alchemical research—Its objects—Supposed composition of the Philosopher’s Stone—Claimants to the discovery—The theories of Rhazes, Merlin and Bacon—Bacon’s definition of alchemy—Ripley’s process—The Elixir of Life—The theories of Paracelsus—His secret elixirs—Elixir Vitæ pages 64-71
• CHAPTER VIII.
• The Black Art and Occult Sciences.
• The antiquity of magic—Early magicians and wise men—Variety of forms practised—Oneiromancy—Theurgy and Goetry—Historic dreams—Necromancy—Methods of evocation—Chiromancy—Origin of the practice—Astrology—Its antiquity—Famous astrologers pages 72-78
• CHAPTER IX.
• The Art of Foretelling.
• Influence of the planets and signs of the Zodiac—Casting horoscopes—Methods of divination—Crystal gazing—Dactylomancy—Pyromancy