GRICE E BONOMI: AQUA TERRA IGNIS AER

 A DARK and mysterious art, called Alchemy,  which originated with the Arabian sages  about the seventh century, was the parent of  the brilliant and enchanting science of Che-  Baistay.   Philosophers of the polemical schools main-  tained that Fire, Air, Earth, and Water, were  the Four Elements of Nature; but the disciples  of Alchemy denied the validity of this doctrine,  and asserted that Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury,  were the Three Elements, from whose admixture  or union emanated the various productions of  the a,nima.l, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms.   Both notions were erroneous, as the sequel  will prove, but that of the alchemists rapidly  excited intense interest, because it led to the  performance of curious experiments, and to the  observance of strange phenomena attendant  upon the mixture of adds, salts, spirits, and  metala   ^ B          U^ im^ pROMB golci^ ami ieSd findk td  hrrfr^ V>f»^^ duit tiie noe afl»adt»iiL of d  (ftimdhf fA Salt, Salphur, and Mercnrr of tl  ^/r»#» ii^aS wr/tUd eaaase ite TraBSHntaciija ini   Th^» ffAvht^mt^f therefore, consfcroctei powe  fifl f^rrirt^'^^ wvfmUid curious stills^ alembic  I'i^.hdn, t^titf'^)tUmf and much costly and con  fillf'Mf^d h^pnmim for extractrug strong acid  «nJlM, Mifid w<ilvt»fif.«, from minerals and earths.   A1jI»mI ljy llu^Mo tliny (jommenced an arduox  MhrtH'li llihiHwIuMd. mII Nature, for an imaginai     INTRODUCTORY. 3   substance, which they named the Philosopher's  stone; a minute fragment of this miracle of art,  when discovered, and thrown upon molten lead,  was destined to alter the proportions of its three  supposed elements, to cleanse it fix)m impurity  and dross, and transmute it into pure and efful-  gent gold   From the laboratories of Arabia, the prin-  ciples of this seductive art soon spread over  Europe, and all ranks of society joined in wild  pursuit of the golden phantom for a long succes-  sion of ages; vain was their incessant toil and  labour, it eluded their anxious grasp, and instead  of enjoying riches and splendour, they invariably  languished in poverty and misery.   The alchemists, baffled in the acquisition of  metallic treasure, sought after a powerful liquid  for dissolving all things; but this was quickly  abandoned, because an Universal solvent could  not be retained in their retorts or crucibles.   Ultiniately they dared to think Immortality  within their reach, and presumptuously endea-  voured to prepare a medicine to prevent the  decay of nature, and prolong life to an indefinite  extent; but disease and death were the grim  attendants upon the operators, who trusted to   B 2     4e INTRODUCTORY.   obtain an Elixir of life amidst the poisozi^  fiimes of the furnace.   Such were the three grand objects of alchern^^^  art, and though abortive in regard to their at:::;^  ticipated results, yet productive of the good eflFec:^  of inducing philosophers to descend from disput^-'^  upon words, to experiments upon things.   Accordingly, out of the vast mass of intricat^^  materials accumulated by the alchemists, a fe^^'  master minds were enabled to select, examin^^  and classify valuable facts, striking experimentsf^  and wonderful phenomena, which had been  either abandoned or forgotten during the in-  fatuated pursuits now briefly described.   The gradual introduction of metallic pre-  parations into Medicine, as substitutes for the  drugs and simples of its ancient practice, and of  others into the arts and manufactures, conjoined  with the publication of essays concerning these  and other experimental facts, eventually drew  the attention of civilized society to the utility of  the labours of the philosophers, who engaged  upon the ruins of the once dearly cherished, yet  delusive art, and in an incredibly short time,  like the fabled Phoenix of Arabia, Chemistry  soared from the ashes of Alchemy.     INTRODUCTORY. 5   Chemistiy, guided by accurate experiment  ^^^ sound theory, has attained its just rank in  "^^ circle of the sciences, and has proved the  ^^^Unate connexion of its beautiful facts and  ^^^^^^trines, with the wonderful phenomena of the  ^^^^d, and their great utility when judiciously  applied to the arts of life, in aid of the wants,  ^^^orts, and luxuries of mankind.   The votary of Chemistry is not chained to  ^Q flaming furnace in fruitless labour after gold,  ^or compelled to invoke witchcraft and magic  for the production of an universal solvent, nor  immured in the dark laboratory, amidst deadly  exhalations, to discover the art of prolonging  life; no! in this happy age, the fetters of  ignorance and superstition are shattered by the  powerful hand of Truth, and he comes forth  with freedom into the glowing sunlight of Phi-  losophy, as the servant and interpreter of  Nature; he looks abroad into the rich and mag-  nificent Universe, calls the delightful scenery all  his own, the mountains, the valleys, the oceans,  the rivers, and the sky; through these wide  bounds he is free at will to choose   Whate'er bright spoils the florid earth contains,  Whatever the* waters, or the ambient air.     6 INTBODUCTORY.   All present him with perfect instances of tb^  consummate wisdom of the Almighty God, wb^  created a World so fraught with beauty, and \K  their examination he gains materials for refle^^  tion and research, which, if properly applied axx*  pursued, not only enlighten and adorn, hv  exalt and purify his mind, teaching him to ap  preciate the miraculous workings of an Omid  potent and Eternal Power.   Chemisfay is the most instructive and de  lightfiil study that can be pursued, because it i  purely a science of Experiment; no anticipatioit  can be formed as to the results which will ensu^  upon the presentation of different substances U  each other.   By making experiments with great attentior  and accuracy, and intently studying the results,  philosophers soon discovered the real nature oi  the Four Ancient, and the Three Alchemical  Elements; a short account of the conclusiom  which are thus established will furnish a correct  notion of the modem meaning of the term  Elements, which will frequently occur during  the present inquiry.   Fire is not a peculiar or distinct principle,  but a result of intense attraction between two     IKTBODUCrOBT. 7   i   '- or Q^Qpe substancea Air is a mixture of two   S^^QB, called Oxygen and Nitrogen. Earth is a   ooQapound of Oxygen and numerous Metala   " ^ter is a compound of Oxygen and a gas *   ^ed Hydrogen.   Salt is a compound of a vapour called Ohio-   '^e, and a metal called Sodiimi; but the com-   P^xxents of Sulphur and Mercury are unknown,   "^^lefore these two substances are called Ele-   °^^xits, to denote that they have not been   8*Udysed, and in this acceptation of the term   C^Xygen, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Metals, and several   ^ther substances, are Elements; altogether there   ^e Fifty -six such Elements: their names are   shown in the following list   MODERN ELEMENTS,   AND DERIVATION OF THEIB NAMES.   Aluminum. A metal thus named from the Latin  dt/u/men, clay.   Antdcont. a metal thus named from the Greek  am, agoMisty and imvos, movJc, because  several monks were poisoned by its pre-  parations.     8 DTTRODUCrOBT.   Arsenic. A metal thus named from the Qmk   apcrsytKoy, powerful, on aoooont of iti   strengA aa a poison.  Bariu^l a metal extracted from Baiyta^ ft   heavy mineral thus named frx>m the Gieekj   ^apvs, weight.  Bismuth. A metal said to be thus named byihe   German miners, from wiesarruitte, a Uoomr   ing meadow, because of the variegatied   hues of its tarnish.  Boron. A non-metallic combustible, obtained   from Borax, a substance so called from the   Arabic, burvJc, brillicmt,  Bromink a non-metallic incombustible liquid;   its name is derived from the Greek, Spufjoi,   stench, on account of the insupportable   odour of its vapour.  Cadmium. A metal thus named from the Greek   xaSjw.gia, cola/mine, an ore of zinc.  Calcium. A metal thus named from the Latin   calx, Ivme.  Carbon. A non-metallic combustible, thus   named from the Latin carbo, coaL  Cerium. A metal thus named in honour of the   planet Ceres.  Chlorine. A non-metallic incombustible vapour,     INTRODUCTORY. 9   thus called from the Greek yO^^pos, green, in  aUusion to its colour.   HRomuM. A metal thus named from the Greek  XP<»f^oC) colour, on account of the varied  hues which its compounds assume.   OBALT. A metal thus named after Kobold, a  sprite or gnome of the German mines.   OLUMBIUM. A metal thus named from its dis-  covery in a mineral from CoVwmbia,   DPPER A metal thus named from being ori-  ginally wrought in Cyprus.   DDYMITJM. A metal thus named from SiJiz/Aoi,  twins, on account of its resemblance to  Lantanum.   LUORINK A non-metallic iminflammable va-  pour, extracted from fluor-spa/r,   LUCINUM. A metal extracted from a mineral  named Glucina; a term derived from the  Greek yXvKv;, sweet, on account of such  taste being communicated by its com-  pounds.   DLD. A metal the etymology of whose 5tiame is  uncertain.   YDROGEN. A non-metallic inflammable-: gas,  and being an element of water, it is thus  called from the Greek if^cjp, water, t^d  yBvcj, to generate.     INTHODDOTORY.     K   ■ Bume a red colour; hence ite name tiOM   ' the Greek ^ dSw», a rose.   Selenium. A non-metallic inflammable ela  ment, thus named in honour of the moOE  from the Greek atMvn, the nwon.  SrucRTM. A metal thus named from the Latin   SlLTXB. A metfd, ihe oii^ of whose name is   obecnra.  SoDiuiL A metal obtained from the ashes oJ   a plant called the solaola «m2a.  StbontiuU. a metal extracted from a minera]   discoTersd at j%vn<Ja«.  Sdlphdb. a non-metaUio cnmbustible, whoBC   name is probably of Arabic eztntct^on.  Tbxlukium. a metal thus named in honour o:   the Earth, from the Latin TeUAia, the earth.  Thobintju. a metal thus named in honour o:   the Saxon deitj Thor.  Tin. a metal, the origin of whose name is t   matter of doubt  TiTANiUH. A metal thus named in honour o:   the Tita/ns of heathen mythology,  TtraGSTENUM. A metal thus named from th<   Swedish word tUTigaten, heavy-stone, fron   which it was extracted.     INTRODUCnORY. 13   ^Hanium. a metal thus named in honour of  the planet Uranus,   ^Akadium. a metal thus najned in honour of  Vcmadis, a Scandinavian deity.   TTranjM. A metal extracted from a mineral  found at Ytterby.   ZlKa A metal supposed to be thus named from  the Grerman zi/nJcen, ruiUa.   ZmcoKTCTM. A metal obtained from a gem  called zircoon, by the Cingalese, in allu-  sion to its four-cornered shape.   By far the greater number of the above  host of elements have been elicited by chemical  analysis; very few are presented absolutely pure  by Nature.   The Elements may be thus classed:  L Forty-four Metals, Aluminum, Antimony,  Arsenic, Barium, Bismuth, Cadmium, Calcium,  Cerium, Chromium, Cobalt, Columbium, Cop-  per, Didymium, Glucinum, Gold, Iridium, Iron,  Lantanum, Lead, Lithium, Magnesium, Man-  ganesium. Mercury, Molybdenum, Nickel, Os-  mium, Palladium, Platinum, Potassium, Rho-  dium, Silicium, Silver, Sodium, Strontium, Tel-  lurium, Thorinum, Tin, Titanium, Tungstenmn,     14   Cnac^rcoL TjoimSizsl. YmrmB Zsnc, and 1   IL Tla^ie Gaae&. HrdrQeoL Qo?ai. v   IIL Two Vapcrais. CIjctom* awi FhuHin^   V. fSx NoEHiXfcetallic s^aA^ Baran. Cuboi  l^/ijlx*^; Pb</«]>lKAi2£, Selfiimmi. zuA Solphur.   Tl^ H*JpporteirE fA combosdon are BromiiM  CJU^^riuLtf;; FliK/nne, Iodine, and QxygtoL   Ti><<:; O/tnlHutibl^s are. Boron. CarlMMi, H]  dr'>g<^^ Vhf^hfjmu^ Selenium, and Snlphm:   It miitst fie particularly remembered that tli  (itM^mhA doe« not affirm these suhstances to I  Um^ Ai/fmif^f or AWJute Elements of Xature  ou iiit', ^yyutrary, }kh d^r/^ms it extremely probabl  tliiit th'ry rrjAy }>^5 aiialysed or decomposed i  the ^y;ijr«-r; of time, but until this be effectei  he «tyl<?« them Elements for convenience <  diw'.'ijwjion, and as a confession of the limits <  hiii aiialyti/;al skilL   Tlie (yliemist investigatf^js the habitudes <  tlies^i KlefrK^itH, dis^^^ivers how they combine 1  form (Join(>oijndH, and how these combine t  form I)oubl(} compounds; he ascertains th  Weight in which tliesc Primary and Secondai     INTRODUCTORY. 16   combinations ensue, and how the elements of  all known compounds may be separated; he  determines the laws which preside over all  these changes, and studies to apply such know-  ledge to the interpretation of natural pheno-  mena, and to useful purposes in the arts of Ufe.  Throughout these extensive researches the  Chemist depends entirely upon Experiment;  and the marvels which it reveals are referrible  to the exertion of a power which promotes union  between elements and compounds, even though  their natures be strongly opposed.   This power is called Chemical Attraction,  Attraction of Composition, or Chemical Affinity,  the latter term being used in a figurative sense,  to suggest the idea of peculiar attachments  between different substances, under the influ-  ence of which they combine so that their indi-  vidual characters are totally changed and dis-  guised.   Thus, the Elements Hydrogen and Oxygen,  are gases viewless as air, the one combustible,  the other incombustible, and they are opposed  in other respects, but they have mutual affinity,  and combine to form the liquid Compound  called Water.