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The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry

by M. M. Pattison Muir (d1931)

A light journey through the history of chemistry, from its start in the obscure mysteries of alchemy to what was, for the author, the cutting edge of the development of modern atomic theory … and whose developing blind ends we can now see with the advantage of hind sight. (Summary by Peter Yearsley)

• Gutenberg e-text
• Wikipedia – M. M. Pattison Muir
• LibriVox’s The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry Internet Archive page
• Zip file of the entire book – 143MB
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Total running time: 5:11:17
Read by Peter Yearsley
Dedicated Proof-Listener: Gesine
Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: J. M. Smallheer

mp3 and ogg files

• 01 – The explanation of material changes given by Greek Thinkers – 00:27:40
  [mp3@64kbps - 13.2MB]
  [mp3@128kbps - 26.5MB]
  [ogg vorbis - 18MB]
• 02 – A sketch of alchemical theory – 00:22:17
  [mp3@64kbps - 10.7MB]
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  [ogg vorbis - 15MB]
• 03 – The alchemical notion of the unity and simplicity of nature – 00:13:46
  [mp3@64kbps - 6.6MB]
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  [ogg vorbis - 9.21MB]
• 04 – The alchemical elements and principles – 00:21:09
  [mp3@64kbps - 10.1MB]
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  [ogg vorbis - 14MB]
• 05 – The alchemical essence – 00:30:49
  [mp3@64kbps - 14.7MB]
  [mp3@128kbps - 29.5MB]
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• 06 – Alchemy as an experimental art – 00:17:26
  [mp3@64kbps - 8.3MB]
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• 07 – The Language of alchemy – 00:15:42
  [mp3@64kbps - 7.5MB]
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• 08 – The Degeneracy of Alchemy – 00:15:40
  [mp3@64kbps - 7.5MB]
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• 09 – Paracelsus and some other alchemists – 00:11:50
  [mp3@64kbps - 5.6MB]
  [mp3@128kbps - 11.3MB]
  [ogg vorbis - 7.69MB]
• 10 – Summary of the alchemical doctrine — the replacement of the Three Principles of the alchemists by the single principle of Phlogiston – 00:30:03
  [mp3@64kbps - 14.4MB]
  [mp3@128kbps - 28.8MB]
  [ogg vorbis - 20MB]
• 11 – The examination of the phenomena of combustion – 00:25:29
  [mp3@64kbps - 12.2MB]
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  [ogg vorbis - 17MB]
• 12 – The recognition of chemical changes as the interactions of definite substances – 00:13:05
  [mp3@64kbps - 6.2MB]
  [mp3@128kbps - 12.5MB]
  [ogg vorbis - 8.39MB]
• 13 – The chemical elements contrasted with the alchemical principles – 00:25:01
  [mp3@64kbps - 12.0MB]
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  [ogg vorbis - 17MB]
• 14 – The modern form of the alchemical quest of the One Thing – 00:41:20
  [mp3@64kbps - 19.8MB]
  [mp3@128kbps - 39.6MB]
  [ogg vorbis - 27MB]

Cataloged on July 02, 2009