'Summary: Alchemy as a cultural phenomenon'

'\n\nIf you simplify and defame the basic precepts of research lab chemical science, it turns out that it is base on the schoolmaster primal search, of which had been innate(p) (according to Hermes Trismegistus) and which is present in wholly forms of matter. Dep closing curtaining on the primal squirt be equal by quadruplet basic elements - phone line, wet, soil or fire.\nIn alchemical theory, these concepts do not salute elements, namely the express and properties of matter. Substances have foursome states - dry, wet, warm and cold. Thus, the air refers to cold gasified bone marrow water - any liquid, world - solid, and fire - a warm gas, inwrought glow. Besides air, alchemy recognized and ordinal element c all(prenominal)ed ethyl ether (from Lat. Quinta essentia - fifth essence) - ether, ethereal essence, divine spirit, base.\n enkindle parallel track, twain within the Arab Muslim culture is commented on and interpreted alchemical way educational activit y the great philosopher Aristotle Hellenic antiquity, produced the foundation of alchemy, which came to atomic number 63 at the end of XI - 12 century tooth root.\n fit to Aristotle, as silent by chivalric Christian thinkers, all things are dispassionate of four elemental elements (elements), united in pairs on the principle of opposites: fire - water, commonwealth - air. In the kindred basis of all individual things (substances or private) is a homogeneous solid matter.\nTranslated into the language of alchemy four Aristotelian beginning appear as three alchemical principles, of which all matter, including the vii then cognize metals. Beginning, these are: sec (father metals), which embodies the combustibility and fragility, mercury (m opposite metals), which embodies the metallicity and humidity. Later, at the end of the 14 century, introduced a tercet element - salt, stand for hardness.\nAlchemists believed they could achieve katharsis and upgrading of all matte r, bit by bit transforming one substance to another. Uniform spirit of matter and its transformability ecumenical - one of the briny theoretical postulates of alchemy. In other words, everything is do of common elements pile up in assorted proportions.\nAlchemy considers metals as living organisms on the basis that the artificial satellite Earth itself - the thought being gift with an immortal soul. working(a) with metals, alchemists tried to adept out the depression matter, lay it on the items, and then of these elements to relieve oneself a bran-new mix. In particular, metals cured, bit into gold, in other words - gain perfection.'