An historical sketch of medicine and surgery, from their origin to the present time, and of the principal authors, discoveries, improvements, imperfections and errors / by W. Black, M.D.

  • William Black
Date:
1782
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An historical sketch of medicine and surgery, from their origin to the present time, and of the principal authors, discoveries, improvements, imperfections and errors / by W. Black, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    [ *38 ] Alchymy, or the fecret of changing metals into gold, began now to be purfued in Europe; it was one of the grand myfteries which Bacon and all the fucceeding chymifts were endeavouring to dif- cover. This deceitful art, which flattered the ut- moft gratification of human avarice, was, for feve- ral centuries eagerly profecuted in England, and ftill more aflTiduoufly in Germany;*, but dear bought experience and philofophy have now almoft cured mankind of that frenzy, and convinced them that riches muft be acquired by other means. The chymifts conceived another projed ftill more ridi- culous and improbable; that was to extraft by fome chymical procefs an univerfal panacea, capa- ble not only to cure all difeafes, but endowed alfo with an exuberant efficacy, which fliould prolong life far beyond the common courfe of longevity. Alpertus Magnus, a German, wrote on Al- chymy, in the year 1200. Shortly after him Ro- ger Bacon, (1226) a monk of Weftminfter-Abbey, laid the foundations of Chymiftry, and of experi- mental philofophy in Europe. He was not only an expert chymift, but alfo an original mechanical genius little inferior to Archimedes. He invented flying chariots, and moving ftatues. He wrote on the nature of lines, on the telefcope, on the re- fledtion and refradtion of light, on optics, on glaf- fes, which could magnify or diminifli objedls,^ re- move them to a diftance, or make them to ap- proach near, on burning-glafles, and on meteors and aftronomy : he even attempted to corredt the errors