M. M. PATTISON MUIR, M.A.

Fellow and Formerly Prælector in Chemistry of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge With Eighteen Illustrations New and Enlarged Edition Hodder and Stoughton London, New York, Toronto [Illustration: AN ALCHEMICAL LABORATORY] "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) * * * * * THE USEFUL KNOWLEDGE SERIES Cloth, One Shilling net each List of the first thirty-four volumes issued in the new style with Pictorial Wrappers:-- WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. By ALFRED T. STORY. A PIECE OF COAL. By K.A. MARTIN, F.G.S. ARCHITECTURE. By P.L. WATERHOUSE. THE COTTON PLANT. By F. WILKINSON, F.G.S. PLANT LIFE. By GRANT ALLEN. WILD FLOWERS. By REV. PROF. G. HENSLOW, F.L.S., F.G.S. THE SOLAR SYSTEM. By G.F. CHAMBERS, F.R.A.S. ECLIPSES. By G.F. CHAMBERS, F.R.A.S. THE STARS. By G.F.CHAMBERS, F.R.A.S. THE WEATHER. By G.F. CHAMBERS, F.R.A.S. ANIMAL LIFE. By B. LINDSAY. GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERY. By JOSEPH JACOBS. THE ATMOSPHERE. By DOUGLAS ARCHIBALD, M.A. ALPINE CLIMBING. By FRANCIS GRIBBLE FOREST AND STREAM. By JAMES RODWAY, F.L.S. FISH LIFE. By W.P. PYCRAFT, F.Z.S. BIRD LIFE. By W.P. PYCRAFT, F.Z.S. PRIMITIVE MAN. By EDWARD CLODD. ANCIENT EGYPT. By ROBINSON SOUTTAR, M.A., D.C.L. STORY OF LOCOMOTION. By BECKLES WILLSON. THE EARTH IN PAST AGES. By H.G. SEELEY, F.R.S. THE EMPIRE. By E. SALMON. KING ALFRED. By SIR WALTER BESANT. LOST ENGLAND. By BECKLES WILLSON. ALCHEMY, OR THE BEGINNINGS OF CHEMISTRY. By M.M. PATTISON MUIR, M.A. THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS. By M.M. PATTISON MUIR, M.A. THE WANDERINGS OF ATOMS. By M.M. PATTISON MUIR, M.A. GERM LIFE: BACTERIA. By H.W. CONN. LIFE IN THE SEAS. By SIDNEY J. HICKSON F.R.S. LIFE'S MECHANISM. By H.W. CONN. REPTILE LIFE. By W.P. PYCRAFT, F.Z.S. THE GRAIN OF WHEAT. By WILLIAM C. EDGAR. THE POTTER. By C.F. BINNS. * * * * * PREFACE. The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry is very interesting in itself. It is also a pregnant example of the contrast between the scientific and the emotional methods of regarding nature; and it admirably illustrates the differences between well-grounded, suggestive, hypotheses, and baseless speculations. I have tried to tell the story so that it may be intelligible to the ordinary reader. M.M. PATTISON MUIR. CAMBRIDGE, November 1902. * * * * * NOTE TO NEW EDITION. A few small changes have been made. The last chapter has been re-written and considerably enlarged. M.M.P.M. FARNHAM, September 1913. * * * * * CONTENTS. CHAPTER