THE ALCHEMIST’S HANDBOOK

Alchemists—especially those of Paracelsus and Basilius Valentinus, and

the authors of the Collectnnea Chemica.
The ushering in of the Atomic Age should have made it comparatively
easy to lay aside some of the prejudices which were previously held, yet
they are still partially sustained by an incongruous criterion.
Why is it so unreasonable to assume—casting aside the overwhelm-
ing percentage of charlatans and imposters who called themselves Alche-
mists—that men such as Paracelsus and Valentinus did speak the truth
about their discoveries? Is it because of what may seem an absurd termi-
nology intermixed with metaphysical symbolism?
Suppose, then, that this represents one of the main arguments. A “Red
Lion” or “Peacock’s Tail” become, therefore, impossible childish non-
sense, for the simple reason that, in current technical terminology, word
combination such as “tetraphenylethylene dichloride”* are standard
expression in the world of science. Similar letter and number combina-
tions are no puzzle to one initiated into the marvels of chemistry. When
such a term as “tetraphenylethylene dichloride” is expressed by means of
its chemical symbols as:

2(C6H5) 2CCl2 -2Zn-(C6H5)2 CCl – CCl(C6H5)2 – 2HgCl

this makes sense to the chemist. However, to the layman it represents

only a meaningless scramble of letters and numbers. The chemical termi-
nology, likewise, conveys no meaning to him.
Valentinus, who, with Paracelsus, shares fame as the Father of Mod-
ern Chemistry and Medicine, writes about himself: “Though I have a
peculiar style in writing, which will seem strange unto many, causing
strange thoughts and fancies in their brains, yet there is reason enough
for me so doing; I say enough that I may remain by my own experience,
not esteeming much of others prating, because it is concealed in by

* One of the aromatic halogen derivatives.

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