Francis Bacon: an Alchemical Odyssey through the Novum Organum

One of the most fascinating and thought-provoking periods in the history of chemistry is the coexistence in Western Europe of the ancient alchemy (having most likely arisen from Hellenistic and Arabic influences) and the rational, scientific chemistry we know today. By its own nature, this is a rather indeterminate period ranging from the Renaissance (around the 15 and 16 centuries) to early in the 19 century when chemical gold making–transmutation–was conclusively refuted by scientific evidence. Although the origin of alchemy is uncertain, it had a double aspect: on the one hand it was a practical endeavor aimed to make gold or silver from ordinary and abundant metals such as lead or copper, whereas on the other it was a cosmological theory based on the interaction between man and the universe. Thus, basic goals of alchemy correspond to those of astrology in an attempt to discover the relationship of man to the stars and how to exploit that knowledge to obtain wealth, health and immortality (1). There is no doubt, however, that alchemy largely contributed to the development of chemistry with a variety of novel substances and techniques. Superficially speaking, the chemistry of alchemy involved a complicated succession of combinations or heatings of several materials, operations supposed to be within reach of any initiated person, with the ultimate objectives of obtaining gold or an elixir of immortality (2). Unfortunately, a clearcut distinction between alchemy and the then emerging field of chymistry or chemistrie (the Old English words related to the present chemistry) cannot be made (3, 4).