Alchemy

The science of research into the foundations of creation, so that one may compound the elixir of life (known to Chinese alchemists as tan); create human beings in the form of homonculi, and transform base metals into gold and silver. It is probable that alchemy was taught to mankind by the Egyptian god Thoth, the inventor of science. In another manifestation Thoth became Hermes, the ingenious Greek god of many occupations who owned such artefacts as winged sandals, a magic wand, and a sleep-inducing flute. Alchemists placed the seal of Hermes on their preparations, and modern alchemists pay tribute to the god by saying that certain compounds are 'hermetically sealed'.

Alchemists belive that everything in the universe is composed of variations on one basic material, the prima materia. This fundamental unit is an essence of mercury, totally different from the 'quicksilver' of common usage. Alchemists create it by removing the principles of air, earth and water from ordinary mercury. Having thus obtained a supply of prima materia he treats it with a philosopher's stone, which is produced by refining sulphur down to its basic principle. There are two types of philosopher's stones: white, which converts prima materia into silver, and yellow which changes it into gold.

Naturally the process is extremely complicated, and alchemists have to make innumerable experiments in their attempts to create prima materia and the philosopher's stone. One of the essentials is a fire so hot that it will attract or create salamanders, which play a vital part in the creative procedures. Consequently, the temperature in an alchemist's workshop is always stiflingly hot and the garments, beards and hair of an alchemist and his assistans are always scorched and singed.

Chinese alchemists follow methods similar to that of the Europeans, but they belive that the proportions of the basic material (which they call tao) vary in different substances according to their contents of the male-female principles yang and yin.

The alchemist's search for the elixir or life, which will confer immortality, is even more difficult than creation of the philosopher's stone. The elixir must include all the four elements of fire, water, earth and air, the three principles of animal vegetable, and the prima materia or tan. Experiments for creation of the elixir cause an alchemist's laboratory to be appallingly dirty and cluttered as well as stiffingly hot, because he needs such an enormous variety of materials including crocodile livers, human skeletons, mandrake roots, and the gall bladders of antelopes. In fact, it is impossible to finance the search for the elixir unless he is able to convert base metals into gold.