What was alchemy in the Middle Ages?
Quick Answer
Alchemy was a medieval practice that mixed experimental work with philosophy and mysticism. Alchemists hoped to transform substances, especially by turning base metals into gold.
The Full Story
Alchemy was practiced in the Islamic world, Europe, and Asia throughout the Middle Ages. It combined laboratory techniques such as distillation, heating, and dissolution with ideas about the nature of matter and the universe. Many alchemists sought the philosopher’s stone, believed to enable transmutation and immortality, though these goals were not achieved. Even so, alchemy contributed important knowledge and methods that later helped shape chemistry.
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