Sciencemadness Discussion Board

alchemy terms

ldanielrosa - 12-6-2011 at 20:51

Sometimes I'll google search for something, and end up in an alchemy forum or article.

I might be able to find useful material there if I can come to grips with their meanings- they use "sulphur" for a lot of things that aren't e.g. "metallic sulphur", "martian sulphur", "sulphur of saturn", and "sulphur of sulphur". Does this mean a specific anion? Is it context specific for each one?

Blasty - 13-6-2011 at 03:21

Quote: Originally posted by ldanielrosa  
Sometimes I'll google search for something, and end up in an alchemy forum or article.

I might be able to find useful material there if I can come to grips with their meanings- they use "sulphur" for a lot of things that aren't e.g. "metallic sulphur", "martian sulphur", "sulphur of saturn", and "sulphur of sulphur". Does this mean a specific anion? Is it context specific for each one?


Such things were part of the lingo of the alchemists and "chymists" of those times. It has to do with their theories of metallic composition. They thought that metals were composed of two, or sometimes three, "principles", generally called "sulphur" & "mercury" (as well as "salt" for those who believed in three metallic "principles".)

cyanureeves - 13-6-2011 at 04:28

i've found liver of sulfur to be weird and spirit of nitre, i think hydrogen was called azote too. i still see the term passing over a bed of hot coals or in an atmosphere of such and such. only after seeing smuv's set-up of an ammonia generator did i understand how one could make a bed of anything . for the longest time the image i had of a bed of coals was the firewalker's pit.

The WiZard is In - 13-6-2011 at 07:51

Quote: Originally posted by ldanielrosa  
Sometimes I'll google search for something, and end up in an alchemy forum or article.

I might be able to find useful material there if I can come to grips with their meanings- they use "sulphur" for a lot of things that aren't e.g. "metallic sulphur", "martian sulphur", "sulphur of saturn", and "sulphur of sulphur". Does this mean a specific anion? Is it context specific for each one?


Look up Saturn in a dictionary.

Neil - 13-6-2011 at 08:21

If you haven't already come across it you might want to look at
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/texts.html
They have a list of terms and names which I've found very helpful.