The History of Chemistry, Volume 1 (of 2)

CHAPTER I.

OF ALCHYMY.

The word _chemistry_ (χημεια, _chemeia_) first occurs in Suidas, a Greek writer, who is supposed to have lived in the eleventh century, and to have written his lexicon during the reign of Alexius Comnenus.[1] Under the word χημεια in his dictionary we find the following passage:

“CHEMISTRY, the preparation of silver and gold. The books on it were s...