On the pages of our newspaper, we have never addressed the problem of alchemy. Let's try to fill this gap with the help of wonderful researchers of antiquity, Alexander Gorbovsky and Yulian Semenov, who presented the results of their research in the book "Closed Pages of History" (Moscow, "Mysl", 1988).
Alchemy as the art of "creating" gold arose in the III-IV centuries AD. in Egypt, but it was especially widespread in the Middle Ages in Europe. The main goal of the alchemists was to find the so-called "philosopher's stone" as it was believed. that if you mix it with silver or mercury and heat it all thoroughly, the resulting mixture will turn into pure gold! Even such outstanding scientists as Avicenna believed in the reality of alchemy. Francis Bacon. Leibniz. Spinoza.
Testimonials
The famous physician and scientist of the 17th century Johann Frederic Helvetius claimed that a stranger visited him in 1666. discovered incredible knowledge in all known fields of science. As he left, he left a pinch of powder. allegedly carrying out the transformation of metals. The next day Helvetius melted a little tin and, in the presence of his wife and son, poured the resulting powder into it. “When the composition has cooled down. - wrote Helvetius. - he shone like gold! We immediately took it to the jeweler, who immediately said that it was pure gold of the highest standard! " When Baruch Spinoza found out about this, he sought out that jeweler. confirmed this story. "Thereafter. - wrote Spinoza in one of his letters. - I went to Helvetius himself. who showed me the gold and the smelter, which still retained traces of the noble metal inside!"
Johann Frederic Helvetius (1625-1709)
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Commemorative medals
When in 1648 the Austrian emperor Ferdinand III personally obtained gold from mercury with the help of the powder of the alchemist Richthausen, he ordered a medal be knocked out in memory of this event. on which the image of Mercury was engraved as a symbol of the transformation that had taken place. This medal was kept in the Vienna Treasury at the end of the 18th century.
In 1705, the alchemist Peikul, in the presence of the chemist Girn and many witnesses, also allegedly made several transformations of base metals into gold. In memory of what happened, a special medal was knocked out (from the gold received).
Nicolas Flamel's story
Once in the hands of the Parisian scribe of books Nicolas Flamel fell some ancient tome filled with mysterious symbols of clearly alchemical origin! It was in the XIV century. For more than twenty years, the scribe has been understanding the images of symbols. but got no result. In search of a scientist who can decipher these signs. Flamel went to Spain. where, two years later, he still found the right person.
Calling everyone to help. what he managed to find out from the "consultant". Flamel began his alchemical experiments and on January 17, 1382, he achieved the result! On this day, he allegedly for the first time managed to get silver from mercury, and then pure gold! So the innocent Parisian scribe of books became one of the richest people in France!
Edison. Tesla and others
The great Edison and the mysterious Nikola Tesla also did not escape the temptation to search for the philosopher's stone. Many days. secluded in his laboratory. they indulged in occupations unknown to anyone. In order to protect themselves from the idle curiosity of fanatics. the researchers carefully screened the laboratory windows, and when they left. Edison personally checked the locks on the doors. In the hope of the expected result they are. in particular, thin silver plates were irradiated using an X-ray apparatus with gold electrodes.
But luck came to the professional chemist Stephen Emmens, by the way, the author of the invention of the explosive for mines - "emmensite". He told the press that he had discovered a way to convert silver into a kind of metal, almost indistinguishable from gold! Oddly enough, but after laboratory tests, three ingots of this metal were bought by goldsmiths at the price of real gold!
One last thing to say about Stephen Emmens. it is about his consent to make a public demonstration of his experiences at the World's Fair in Paris in 1900. But he never showed up there. and disappeared without a trace! A similar fate befell the German professor Adolf Miethe. who announced in 1924 that he had invented a method for converting mercury into gold. Using this method, the professor allegedly repeatedly received pure gold in his laboratory!
Falsifiers
The general fascination with alchemy gave rise to a great many deceivers. Various methods were used to deceive. For example, to demonstrate the transformation of lead into gold, a gold ingot, previously coated with lead, was taken. When heated, the lead melted and exposed pure gold! Sometimes crucibles with a double bottom were arranged. Or they hid pieces of gold in wooden sticks with which they stirred molten lead or mercury. The gold that appeared in the melts proved the fact of transformation.
An alchemist convicted of deception was usually hanged as a counterfeiter - on a gilded gallows and in a robe strewn with sparkles. If the alchemist was not caught in deception. it was believed that he really possesses the secret of the "philosopher's stone", and then a torture chamber awaited him. It was a vicious circle from which it was impossible to get out alive. Therefore, it took a lot of courage to practice alchemy.
Hypotheses
The famous Swedish chemist J. J. Berzelius (1799-1848) grew lettuce on glass chips using the hydroponic method, feeding only distilled water to the roots. When he burned the plants and analyzed the chemical composition of the remaining ash, the sulfur content in it turned out to be twice as much as in the seeds! French biologist C. Kervran. Growing oats by hydroponics, I found that after a few weeks the calcium content in the ears increased 4-7 times, although there could not be such an amount of calcium in the solution or in the air!
The French professor D. Bertrand devoted more than twenty years to similar experiments and came to an amazing conclusion: - An impression is created. that the plants know the ancient secret of the alchemists. They transform elements every day before our very eyes! To these words can be added that the secret of the alchemists is known not only to plants.
During the experiment, chickens were fed oats with a certain calcium content. So that's it. shell of eggs. which were carried by the experimental chickens contained much more calcium than they were fed! Even the chicks that hatched from these eggs were high in calcium!
Transformations in inanimate nature
According to geologists, the transformation of chemical elements occurs in inanimate nature! According to the Ural geologist P. A. Korolkov. almost all ore deposits have arisen as a result of the constant transformation of elements! These include the famous South African gold deposits, which have accounted for 40 percent of world production for more than half a century!
“Gold grows underground” - said the ancients. Some prospectors still believe in it. They believe that if, after many years, you go down into an abandoned mine where gold was previously mined, you can always find the precious metal in it! Such a phenomenon was recognized by the great Leonardo da Vinci: - Look carefully at the branches of gold and you will see sprouts of new branches at their ends!
So, if the transformations of the elements occur in nature, then why should they not take place in the laboratories of alchemists? In any case, in the famous long-term predictions of science fiction writer Arthur Clarke, the year 2050 is assigned to solving this age-old mystery!
German GORDEEV
Source: Magazine "Secrets of the XX century" No. 18 2008