Alkahest
Alkahest (Alcahest) is a hypothetical universal solvent capable of dissolving any substance, including gold . Many alchemists have searched for this solvent.
Alkahest is a made-up word that Paracelsus may have formed from Arabic words. It is possible that Paracelsus knew from medieval writings the liquid sal alkali (mostly potash in the Middle Ages and early modern times ), a solution of potassium hydroxide in alcohol that can dissolve many substances. Paracelsus' recipe consisted of quicklime, alcohol and calcium carbonate . One problem with the Alkahest would have been storage. If it dissolved everything, so did every container in which it was stored. The alchemist Philalethes then adjusted the definition: Alkahest dissolves compounds of matter into the elements that make up the compounds.
Other sources claim that Alkahest is the name of the elixir of life that is extracted from the philosopher's stone.
See also
literature
- Paolo A. Porto: "Summus atque felicissimus salium". The Medical Relevance of the liquor Alkahest. In: Bulletin of the History of Medicine. 76, 1, 2002, ISSN 0007-5140 , pp. 1-29.
- Eyrénée Philalèthe: "Anthroposophia theomagica", 1650.
Remarks
- ↑ Wolfgang Schneider : Medicinal prescriptions from Paracelsus. In: Medizinhistorisches Journal , Volume 16, 1981, pp. 151–166, here: p. 164.
- ↑ This recipe is well known to the modern chemist. A bath of potassium hydroxide in ethanol is an effective means of cleaning glassware in the laboratory. The corrosive solution removes even stubborn dirt within a day.