The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry, by M.M. Pattison Muir

"It is neither religious nor wise to judge that of which you know nothing."
A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby , by PHILALETHES (17th century)

PREFACE.

CHAPTER I. THE EXPLANATION OF MATERIAL CHANGES GIVEN BY THE GREEK THINKERS.

CHAPTER II. A SKETCH OF ALCHEMICAL THEORY.

CHAPTER III. THE ALCHEMICAL CONCEPTION OF THE UNITY AND SIMPLICITY OF NATURE.

CHAPTER IV. THE ALCHEMICAL ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES.

CHAPTER V. THE ALCHEMICAL ESSENCE.

CHAPTER VI. ALCHEMY AS AN EXPERIMENTAL ART.

CHAPTER VII. THE LANGUAGE OF ALCHEMY

CHAPTER VIII. THE DEGENERACY OF ALCHEMY.

CHAPTER IX. PARACELSUS AND SOME OTHER ALCHEMISTS.

CHAPTER X. SUMMARY OF THE ALCHEMICAL DOCTRINE. - THE REPLACEMENT OF THE THREE PRINCIPLES OF THE ALCHEMISTS BY THE SINGLE PRINCIPLE OF PHLOGISTON.

CHAPTER XI. THE EXAMINATION OF THE PHENOMENA OF COMBUSTION.

CHAPTER XII. THE RECOGNITION OF CHEMICAL CHANGES AS THE INTERACTIONS OF DEFINITE SUBSTANCES.

CHAPTER XIII. THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS CONTRASTED WITH THE ALCHEMICAL PRINCIPLES.

CHAPTER XIV. THE MODERN FORM OF THE ALCHEMICAL QUEST OF THE ONE THING.