alchemy help?

Question

what is alchemy, and where does the word come from?

Answer 1

In the history of science, alchemy refers to both an early form of the investigation of nature and an early philosophical and spiritual discipline, both combining elements of chemistry, metallurgy, physics, medicine, astrology, semiotics, mysticism, spiritualism, and art. Alchemy has been practiced in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Persia, India, and China, in Classical Greece and Rome, in Muslim civilization, and then in Europe up to the 19th century—in a complex network of schools and philosophical systems spanning at least 2500 years.

As to the origin of the word “alchemy” the question is a debatable one, it certainly has Greek origins, and some, following E. Wallis Budge, have also asserted Egyptian origins. Alchemy, generally, derives from the old French alkemie; and the Arabic al-kimia: "the art of transformation."

Answer 2

Alchemy is practice of trying to figure out a way to turn ordinary substances into gold. It was very popular in the middle ages. The practise of alchemy resulted in much of the scientific knowledge that would later become chemistry (derived from the word alchemy)

Answer 3

All about alchemy.

Human kind cannot gain anything without first giving up something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange.

Alchemy
The steps are analysis (to understand the structure and properties of the substance that is about to be transmuted), destruction/decomposition (to break the substance down to its rudimentary properties), and reconstruction/recomposition (to rebuild the substance into another form or with different properties). The source of alchemical power is still unknown to both the main characters and the readers. The energy for alchemical reactions comes from the other side of the Gate, supposedly from the deaths that occur in the world on the other side of the Gate. In both versions, rather than being a method of manipulating forms via their accidents (the basis of historical alchemy, derived from Greek philosophy), it is essentially modern chemistry without a reaction medium.

Transmutation Circle
Transmutation circles act as catalysts in alchemic reactions, and are needed for any transmutation; however, some alchemists,can transmute without one. The circle represents the constant flow of energy, the patterns decide what effects the transmutation has. A circle may be drawn on the spot, embroidered into an article of clothing, or even tattooed onto the alchemist itself. Transmutation circles can be drawn with any substance that leaves behind a trail, ranging from chalk to blood

Philosopher's Stone
A legendary stone said to allow the holder to completely bypass the law of Equivalent Exchange. As with all things, however, to create a philosoper's stone requires the expenditure of raw materials: in this case human lives.
The Philosophers' Stone: those who possess it, no longer bound by the laws of Equivalent Exchange in Alchemy, may gain without sacrifice, create without equal exchange.

Red Stone
An unfinished or impure Philosopher's Stone, commonly referred to as a Red Stone. Though far less powerful than a complete stone, a Red Stone can act as a powerful amplifier for an alchemist's abilities. A related material is Red Water, which, while toxic to humans, can be refined into a Red Stone.

Blood Seal
A special type of transmutation circle that acts as a seal to bind a person's soul to an object, such as a suit of armor. It must, as the name suggests, be written in blood; the soul is tied to the blood and an element in the blood must be bound with the object itself. This typically only works on armor as the iron in the blood binds with the armor. Thus the blood acts as an intermediary between the soul and the object. If a blood seal is destroyed, the soul will no longer be tied to the object, and the person will enter the Gate. Some translations refer to it as a "Blood Array".

Chimera
A Chimera is the fusion of two or more different species into a single being created using alchemy.

Gate of Alchemy
Also known as the "Gate of Truth" or just "Gate", it is said to be the source for all alchemical power.An alchemist who sees into the Gate can then perform alchemy without the use of a written or tattooed circle because of the knowledge gained during the experience. In the anime it is said that the Gate swings forward each time the energy for Alchemy is summoned, that there is a Gate inside everyone, and that all that is necessary to access the gate is knowledge of how to do so. It is also said that a weak link between the body, mind, and spirit is what calls the Gate - in other words, death

Human Sacrifice
it is a term that the Homunculi use to refer to alchemists who have opened the Gate and seen the Truth. Human Sacrifices are a crucial part of the Homunculi and "Father"'s plan, but to what end is still unknown.

Human Transmutation
a forbidden art. Attempts to create a human who had died. However, it takes something from the person who performs it (example: arm, leg or organ) but instead of creating a human, it takes the alchemist to the Gate, where he or she gains knowledge proportional to what was given up in the transmutation.Each human transmutation attempt also creates a Homonculus

Homonculus
A homonculus is a being that is formed out of failed human transmutation.The homonculus has the parts that was used from human sacrifice and the look of the homonculus depends on what the homonculus gets.

Answer 4

Alchemy from start to finish

Alchemy was not merely misguided chemistry; it made many contributions to chemistry. Alchemy was, however, a magical or mystical way of looking at the world. Alchemy seems to have started with the Taoists in China and the Pythagoreans in Greece sometime after the sixth century bce. As the ideas of alchemy developed and moved westward, Taoist ideas about chemicals were combined with Pythagorean number mysticism. Another alchemical tradition came from the Egyptian embalmers, such as Zosimus, who wrote one of the first summaries of alchemical ideas extant.

In China, the early alchemists were searching for what came to be called the elixir of life, a way to provide immortality. Some of their accomplishments were remarkable, such as the embalming of the Lady of Tal. This woman was buried about 186 bce in a double coffin filled with a brown liquid containing mercuric sulfide and pressurized methane. Under these conditions there was no observable deterioration of her flesh when she was exhumed after more than 2000 years. She appeared more like someone who had died only a week or so before.

Chinese alchemy passed on to the Indians, who were more interested in using alchemical ideas to cure diseases. Eventually, the Arabs put together the ideas from the East with the Alexandrian tradition of alchemy that had descended from the Pythagoreans. In this form of alchemy, astrological influences were important. Chemical reactions were thought to occur because of the influences of the planets. Numerology and even the shapes of the vessels also helped determine reactions. In this tradition, the elixir of life became mingled with the concept of a philosopher's stone, an object whose presence would enable one to transmute other metals into gold. To some degree, the mingling of the elixir with the philosopher's stone was due to Geber, who was the first to use the term "elixir." Geber's writings from the eighth century ce so dominated alchemy that a talented chemist of about 400 years later is known as "the False Geber" since, like many other alchemists, he signed all his works with the name of the master.

Despite mystical theories of matter, the alchemists managed to develop various practical tools, including the first strong acids and the distillation of alcohol.

During the Renaissance, the West absorbed Arabic alchemy along with more conventional science. By the 16th century, alchemy was being practiced mainly in Europe. Paracelsus was one of the alchemists who was also a successful physician and scientist. Some of his achievements include the first known description of zinc, the recognition that coal mining causes lung disease, and the use of opium to deaden pain. Paracelsus proclaimed that he had found the philosopher's stone and would live forever. Unfortunately, he drank a lot and died before he was 50 in a fall that some attribute to drunkenness.

Libavius was a follower of Paracelsus who also was a successful scientist despite his belief in alchemy. His 1597 book Alchemia is the first good book on chemistry. The tradition of alchemy persisted well into the 18th century. Newton spent much of his later life trying to find the philosopher's stone, and may have gone mad from mercury poisoning caused during his experiments. Finally, Lavoisier, in the later part of the 18th century, put together a scientific view of chemistry that effectively wiped out the alchemical tradition that had persisted for 2000 years.

[Middle English alkamie, from Old French alquemie, from Medieval Latin alchymia, from Arabic al-kÄ«miyā’ : al-, the + kÄ«miyā’, chemistry (from Late Greek khēmeia, khumeia, perhaps from Greek Khēmia, Egypt).]

Answer 5

Alchemy: The art of transmuting metals. The chemistry of the middle ages & the 16th century, limited to the pursuit of transmuting base metals into gold.
Seems to have derived from medieval English & medieval Latin.