What is alchemy? Alasdair Forsythe tackles big questions in this momentous comparative study of alchemical literature spanning over two thousand years. Is there universal agreement between the ancient sages? Did they leave clues to the deciphering of their texts? Can their writings be used to decode the secrets of alchemy, or is it just gibberish? Complete with quotations and commentary, Alchemy Deciphered is a must read for any student of natural philosophy. Introduction This book is a definitive study on alchemy in which I provide proof beyond reasonable doubt for the existence of a single specific and replicable chemical procedure and accompanying philosophical theory. Due to the nature of the subject nothing presented is left open to interpretation; every single statement made herein has been carefully considered and accompanied by statistically significant evidence. The research which forms the backbone of this book is an in-depth study of 64 alchemical sources, from which a total of 948 quotations were collected and classified into one or more of 81 different categories. The quotations were then further analyzed for implied statements, 789 of the quotations from 58 of the alchemical sources giving 549 different statements, or premises, about alchemy, of which 205 premises were supported by at least 2 different sources. The result is a database of alchemical quotations which can be browsed by both the category of the quotation and by the premises implied by the quotations. This allows for cross-reference of any alchemical statement, immediately highlighting any agreement or contradiction across the full range of source material.
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What is alchemy? Alasdair Forsythe tackles big questions in this momentous comparative study of alchemical literature spanning over two thousand years. Is there universal agreement between the ancient sages? Did they leave clues to the deciphering of their texts? Can their writings be used to decode the secrets of alchemy, or is it just gibberish? Complete with quotations and commentary, Alchemy Deciphered is a must read for any student of natural philosophy. Introduction This book is a definitive study on alchemy in which I provide proof beyond reasonable doubt for the existence of a single specific and replicable chemical procedure and accompanying philosophical theory. Due to the nature of the subject nothing presented is left open to interpretation; every single statement made herein has been carefully considered and accompanied by statistically significant evidence. The research which forms the backbone of this book is an in-depth study of 64 alchemical sources, from which a total of 948 quotations were collected and classified into one or more of 81 different categories. The quotations were then further analyzed for implied statements, 789 of the quotations from 58 of the alchemical sources giving 549 different statements, or premises, about alchemy, of which 205 premises were supported by at least 2 different sources. The result is a database of alchemical quotations which can be browsed by both the category of the quotation and by the premises implied by the quotations. This allows for cross-reference of any alchemical statement, immediately highlighting any agreement or contradiction across the full range of source material.