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Alkahest
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Main page "Alcahest" redirects here. For the 1993 Japanese video game, see Alcahest (video game).
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Alkahest is a hypothetical "universal solvent": able to dissolve every other substance,
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including gold. The famous alchemist Philippus Paracelsus described alkahest in the 1500s.
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Because of its perceived invaluable medicinal qualities, alchemists of the time were concerned
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Contribute 1 Etymology
Help 2 Issues with the concept
Community portal 3 Paracelsus's successor
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4 See also
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5 Notes
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Related changes Etymology [ edit ]
Special pages Image of Alchimia, the embodiment
The name is believed to have been invented by Paracelsus from Switzerland, who modeled it on
Permanent link of alchemy. Woodcut published by
similar words taken from Arabic, such as "alkali". Paracelsus' own recipe was based on caustic Leonhard Thurneysser in 1574.
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lime, alcohol, and carbonate of potash.[1] He believed that alkahest was, in fact, the philosopher's Thurneysser was a student of
stone. Paracelsus.
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 A potential problem involving alkahest is that, if it dissolves everything, then it cannot be placed into a container because it would dissolve
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the container. However, the alchemist Philalethes specified that alkahest dissolved only composed materials into their constituent,
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elemental parts;[2] hence, a hypothetical container made of a pure element (say, lead) would not be dissolved by alkahest. The old remark
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"spit is the universal solvent" satirizes the idea, suggesting that instead of a solvent that would easily dissolve anything, the only "real"
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solvent to anything is a great deal of hard work. In modern times, water is sometimes called the universal solvent, because it can dissolve
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Português a large variety of substances, due to its chemical polarity and amphoterism.
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Tiếng Việt Paracelsus's successor [ edit ]
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A later alchemist, Franciscus Mercurius van Helmont, picked up where Paracelsus had left off. In his major texts he also gave attention to
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transmutation of metals, to techniques for separating the pure from the impure parts of nature, and, of special significance, to a
substance, called the liquor alkahest, which he accepted as one of the greatest secrets of Paracelsus and which he referred to as
incorruptible dissolving water that could reduce any body into its first matter.

Van Helmont's writings pointed to even earlier medieval descriptions of a substance called sal alkali. Sal alkali, in turn, appears to have
been a solution of caustic potash in alcohol, which dissolves many substances. Helmont described a process in which his alkahest (sal
alkali) was applied to olive oil. The result was identified as a sweet oil, which was glycerol.[3]

See also [ edit ]

Electrolysis
Azoth
Aqua regia
Grey goo
Piranha solution

Notes [ edit ]

1. ^ Paracelsus' recipe is popular with chemists even today; a bath of potassium hydroxide in ethanol leaves laboratory glassware sparkling clean
2. ^ Philalethes, Eirenaeus. "The Secret of the Immortal Liquor Called Alkahest or Ignis-Aqua" . Retrieved 14 May 2014.
3. ^ Leinhard, John. "No.1569 Alkahest" . University of Houston. Retrieved 14 May 2014.

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 Concepts Alkahest · Azoth · Chrysopoeia · Classical planets (Suns) · Classical element · Elixir of life · Homunculus · In art and entertainment ·
Philosopher's stone · Substances · Symbols

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Agastya · Arthur Dee · Cleopatra the Alchemist · Fulcanelli · Ge Hong · Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa · Isaac Newton · Jābir ibn Hayyān ·
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The Hermetical Triumph · The Mirror of Alchimy · The Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine · Theatrum Chemicum ·
Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum · Tripus Aureus · Turba Philosophorum · Treatise on the Apparitions of Spirits

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Categories: Alchemical substances Mythological substances

This page was last edited on 26 January 2020, at 03:58 (UTC).

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