Chapter VI L Modern Alchemy

§85. "Modem Alchemy'*
§ 86. X-Rays and Becquerel Rays .
§ 87. The Discovery of Radium
§ 88. Chemical Properties of Radium
§ 89. The Radioactivity of Radium
§ 90. The Disintegration of the Radium Atom
§91. *• Induced Radioactivity " .
§ 92. Properties of Uranium and Thorium
§ 93. The Radium Emanation
§ 94. The Production of Helium from Emanation
§ 95. Nature of this Change
§ 96. Is this Change a true Transmutation ?
§ 97. The Production of Neon from Emanation
§ 98. Ramsay's Experiments on Copper .
§ 99. Further Experiments on Radium and Copper
§ loa Ramsay's Experiments on Thorium and allied Metals
§ lOi. The Possibility of Making Gold
§ 102. The Significance of " Allotropy " .
§ 103. Conclusion ....
88 86 89 90 91
94
94 94 96 96 99 102 102
109
no 112
"3
114
IIS
H7
117
117 118
119 120 122 123 123 124
125
127 128 130 132 134 134 136 136 140
LIST OF PLATES
Plate i. Portrait of Paracelsus ..... Frontispiece
TO FACE PAGE
Plate 2. Symbolical Illustration representing the Trinity of Body,
Soul and Spirit ...... 15
Plate 3. Symbolical Illustrations representing —
(a) The Fertility of the Earth . |
(b) The Amalgamation of Mercury and Gold )
Plate 4. S5niibolical Illustrations representing —
(a) The Coction of Gold- Amalgam in a Closed Vessel
(b) The Transmutation of the Metals
Plate 9. Portraits of—
(a) Edward Kelley I
(b) John Dee >
26
33
Plate 5. Alchemistic Apparatus —
(a) (b) Two forms of apparatus for sublimation . . 37
Plate 6. Alchemistic Apparatus —
(a) Athanors ) ^
(b) a Pelican^ ^
Plate 7. Portrait of Albertus Magnus ..... 44
Plate 8. Portraits of—
(a) Thomas Aquinas)
(B) Nicolas Flamel > ^^
68
Plate 10. Portrait of Michael Maier ..... 72 Plate II. Portrait of Jacob Boehme ..... 74 Plate 12. Portraits of J. B. and F. M. van Helmont ... 76
xiv LIST OF PLATES
TO FACE PAGE
Plate 13. Portrait of J. F. Helvetius ..... 84
Plate 14. Portrait of "Cagliostro" ..... 92
Plate 15. Portrait of Robert Boyle ..... 94
Plate 16. Portrait of John Dalton ..... loo
Table showing the Periodic Classification of the Chemical
Elements ...... Pages 106, 107
ALCHEMY : ANCIENT AND MODERN