Distilling Knowledge: Alchemy, Chemistry, and the Scientific Revolution

221 Pages·2005·2.075 MB·English

by  Moran, Bruce T

DISTILLING KNOWLEDGE
new histories of science, technology,
and medicine
series editors
MargaretC.Jacob,SpencerR.Weart,andHaroldJ.Cook

b r u c e t . m o r a n
D I S T I L L I N G
K N OW L E D G E
alchemy, chemistry, and the
scientific revolution
HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
LONDON, ENGLAND
2005
Copyright©2005byBruceT.Moran
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloguing-in-PublicationData
Moran,BruceT.
Distillingknowledge:alchemy,chemistry,andthescientific
revolution/BruceT.Moran.
p.cm.—(Newhistoriesofscience,technology,andmedicine)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-674-01495-2(alk.paper)
1.Chemistry—History. 2.Alchemy—History.
3.Science,Renaissance. I.Title. II.Series.
QD15.M672004
540′.9—dc22 2004052601
for barbara, kate, and rashmi

c o n t e n t s
Introduction 1
1. DoingAlchemy 8
2. “ThatPleasingNovelty”:
AlchemyinArtisanandDailyLife 37
3. Paracelsusandthe“Paracelsians”:
NaturalRelationshipsandSeparationasCreation 67
4. SitesofLearningandtheLanguageofChemistry 99
5. Alchemy,Chemistry,andtheTechnologyofKnowing 132
6. TheRealityofRelationship 157
Conclusion:
VarietiesofExperienceinReadingtheBookofNature 182
References 191
Index 201

DISTILLING KNOWLEDGE