| CHAPTER I |
| PAGE |
| The Chemistry of the Ancients | 1 |
| Egypt, the alleged birthplace of chemistry. Origin of the word “chemistry.” Chemical arts known to the ancients. Metallurgy of the ancients. Chemical products of the Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. |
| CHAPTER II |
| The Chemical Philosophy of the Ancients | 19 |
| Ancient speculations as to the origin and nature of matter. Water the primal principle. Thales of Miletus. Persistency of his doctrine. Its influence on science. Theories of Anaximenes, Herakleitos, and Pherekides. Fire as the primal principle. The conception of four primal principles—fire, air, water, and earth. Deification of these by Empedocles. Plato and Aristotle. The doctrine of the four Elements. Influence of the Peripatetic Philosophy on science. Arabian science. Influence of the Moors in Spain. Atomic conceptions of Anaxagoras, Leukippos, and Demokritos. Germs of the atomic theory. |
| CHAPTER III |
| Alchemy | 28 |
| Influence of the Hellenic mind on the development of chemistry. Origin of the idea of the transmutation of metals. Philosophical foundation for the belief in alchemy. Alchemistic theory of the nature of metals. Origin of the conception of the Philosopher’s Stone. Geber. Association of alchemy with astrology. Rhazes. Avicenna. Chemical processes and substances known to the Arabian chemists. The Western Alchemists. Albertus Magnus. Roger Bacon. Raymond Lully. Arnoldus Villanovanus. Johannes de Rupecissa. George Ripley. Basil Valentine. |
| CHAPTER IV |
| The Philosopher’s Stone | 46 |
| Alchemy in the Middle Ages. Association of religion with alchemy by the Christian Church. Alleged nature of the Philosopher’s Stone. Its character described. Its power. The Universal Medicine. The Elixir of Youth. The Alkahest. Opponents of alchemy: Erastius, Conringius, and Kircher. “The Hermes of Germany”: Rudolph II. Christian princes who had dealings with alchemists. Fate of certain alchemists. Persistency of alchemy and hermetic societies. Lord Bacon on alchemy. |
| CHAPTER V |
| Iatro-Chemistry | 57 |
| Theories of the iatro-chemists. Paracelsus. Doctrine of the tria prima. The Paracelsian harmonies. Libavius. Van Helmont. Sylvius. Willis. Services of iatro-chemistry to science. Influence of iatro-chemistry on technology. Agricola. Palissy. Glauber. Chemical products made known by the alchemists. |
| CHAPTER VI |
| “The Sceptical Chemist”: The Dawn of Scientific Chemistry | 70 |
| The foundation of the Royal Society and other scientific academies. The appearance of “The Sceptical Chemist”: its attack on the doctrines of the Spagyrists. Boyle: his life and character. His services to learning. Kunkel. Becher. Mayow. Lemery. Homberg. Boerhaave. Stephen Hales. |
| CHAPTER VII |
| Phlogistonism | 91 |
| Becher’s hypothesis of the Terra Pinguis. Its development into the theory of phlogiston. Stahl. Phlogiston, primarily a theory of combustion, becomes a theory of chemistry. Its general acceptance in Europe until the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Prominent phlogistians. Pott. Marggraf. Scheele: his discoveries. Duhamel. Macquer. Black: his essay on Magnesia Alba. Recognition of the individuality of carbon dioxide. Priestley: his life and character. His discoveries in pneumatic chemistry. His observations on the influence of vegetable life on the character of the atmosphere. Cavendish: his life and work. Discovery of composition of water. Influence of phlogistonism on the development of chemistry. Advances made during the period of phlogistonism. |
| CHAPTER VIII |
| Lavoisier and La RÉvolution Chimique | 109 |
| Downfall of phlogistonism. Lavoisier: his life and work. His death. Le principe oxygine. Principle of the conservation of matter. Chemistry a science of quantitative relations. Prominent anti-phlogistians. Berthollet. The Statique Chimique. Fourcroy. Vauquelin. Klaproth. Proust. |
| CHAPTER IX |
| The Atomic Theory | 123 |
| The atomic hypotheses of the ancients. Newton. Bergmann. Lavoisier. Richter. Stochiometry. John Dalton: sketch of his life and character. How he was led to his explanation of the laws of chemical combination. The New System of Chemical Philosophy. Reception of his theory by Davy and Wollaston. Berzelius: his life and work. His services to chemistry. First accurate series of atomic weight determinations. Avogadro. Prout’s hypothesis. |
| CHAPTER X |
| The Beginnings of Electro-Chemistry | 140 |
| The Voltaic Pile. Electrolytic decomposition of water by Nicholson and Carlisle. Application of voltaic electricity to the decomposition of the alkalis by Davy. His life and work. Wollaston: his life and work. Electro-chemical system of Berzelius. Dualism. Berzelius reforms chemical notation and nomenclature. Gay Lussac: his life and work. ThÉnard: his life and work. Faraday and the law of definite electrolytic action. |
| CHAPTER XI |
| The Foundations of Organic Chemistry | 154 |
| Nicolas Lemery divides chemistry into its two main branches of inorganic and organic chemistry. State of knowledge of products of organic origin during the early years of the nineteenth century. Animal chemistry. Doctrine of vital force. WÖhler’s synthesis of urea. Organic chemistry is the chemistry of the carbon compounds. Early attempts at organic analysis by Lavoisier, Berzelius, Gay Lussac, and ThÉnard. Liebig. Discovery of isomerism and allotropy. Cyanogen. Theory of compound radicals. Etherin theory of Dumas and Boullay. Memoir of Liebig and WÖhler on oil of bitter almonds. Benzoyl theory. Inve
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