The history of the philosopher’s stone
The ancient Egypt is believed to be the source
of Western alchemy. Greek and Indian philosophers argued that, there were only
four classical elements that is, Earth, Fire, Water, and Air (Jung, 1944). So
as to support their argument the Greek philosophers, burned a log whereby the
claimed that, the log was the earth, the flames burning it was fire, the smoke
being released was air, and the smoldering soot at the bottom was bubbling
water (Jung, 1944). As a result of this the perception that these four elements
were at the core of everything soon spread, only later being replaced in the
middle Ages by Geber's theory of seven elements, which was then replaced by the
modern theory of chemical elements during the early modern period (Paracelsus,
2008).
