THE ALCHEMISTS: Fathers of Practical Chemistry

The work of nine alchemists, from 200 B.C. to the late 18th century, is briefly sketched here, with descriptions of each one's theories and how he attempted to put them to work. There is only slight recognition of how these experiments relate to the development of chemistry and modern scientific investigation. The material could well have been covered in a chapter within a history of science. For those who really take a special interest in the subject there is a good bibliography which will direct them to much more complete sources than this.