In the Middle Ages, alchemists firmly knew that lead or tin can be easily converted into gold with the help of the philosopher's stone. The problem itself was the search for a mysterious substance that transformed simple metals. Has any of the modern scientists been able to find this substance and is there really an omnipotent element?
Whether the Great Master was liquid or solid, it is almost impossible to find clear descriptions. In a few references, the substance is presented in the form of an elixir or powder. Very rarely, the philosopher's stone was described as a translucent mineral of a red, yellow or orange hue.
What is he
Not completely ready for use, that is, unripe, the stone had a white color and could only turn base metals into silver. In fire, the substance does not burn, it completely dissolves in any liquids, and surpasses gold in weight. In the Middle Ages, the symbols of the substance desired by all alchemists were:
- the lion swallowing the sun;
- the serpent Ouroboros, swallowing its own tail;
- Rebis, born from the union of the King of Sulfur and Queen of Mercury.
For the first time they started talking about the Philosopher's Stone in 3000 BC. Plato called matter primary matter. From it then emerged the basic elements air, fire, earth and water. In Rogerus's treatise "Various Crafts" Basilisks were called the basis of the substance. Eastern alchemists believed that any metal is a combination of basic elements in certain proportions. To transform one substance into another, it is enough just to change this ratio.
According to Jabir al Hayyan, with the help of the red powder of al-ixir he received, any transmutation is successfully carried out. This assumption was criticized by the famous Avicenna, but the famous "elixir" came from the Arabic "al-ixir".
Truth and myths
Even medieval monks were fond of alchemy. Saint Albert the Great wrote in the 13th century that he was able to create a magical substance. True, he did not provide any descriptions of the process. All the steps for obtaining the elixir are described in the work of George Ripley "The Book of the Twelve Doors" in the 15th century. The English alchemist took bromine for the first matter.
Not all researchers dreamed of getting gold from tin and lead in order to get rich. The Philosopher's Stone promised the creators complete freedom and healing from all diseases. The universal medicine guaranteed the return of youth, vitality and even immortality. It was important to take a golden drink prepared on the basis of an elixir constantly. The possibilities of the philosopher's stone did not end there.
With its help it was possible to:
- receive eternally burning lamps;
- turn simple cobblestones into precious stones;
- resurrect even long-dead plants;
- create homunculi.
Alchemists and modern scientists
Many alchemists wrote about the successful completion of their experiments. Among the adepts who received the elixir were women. The first female alchemist was Maria Prefetissa, who lived in the 1st or 2nd century AD. She founded the alchemical school of Alexandria.
Her research was continued by a resident of Alexandria, Egyptian Cleopatra Alchemist in the II-IV centuries. However, there is no documentary evidence of their success.
In our time, scientists have achieved the transformation of simple metals into noble ones by a nuclear reaction. Experiments on obtaining gold from mercury ended in success in 1941. But the jubilation did not last long: after a few hours, the noble metal again turned into mercury.
