EXPERllvIENTS
In CHINESE ALCHEMY
by
June Paradise 1iaul
Sub~~tted in Partial FUlfillnlent
of the Requirenmnts for the
Degree of Bachelor of Science
at the
HASSACHUSETTS
11TSTITUTE OF TECffi'IOLOGY
June 1967
Signature of Author __
De~artment of ~~anities,
}my 9, 1967
Certified by
Thesis Supervisor
Accepted 'bjr
Chairman, D'paer~nenta1 Committee on Theses
ARCHIVES
JAN 30 1995
But if thou ,·Iilt enter this
CAMPE 6F PHILeS6Plft
Wi th thee take TYHE to guide thee in the ,.,ray;
For By-paths and Broad Hayes deepe valies
Here shalt thy finde,
vri th sights
pleasant
and hills
and gay,
Somethou shalt meete "Iith, uhich urrto thee shall
RECIPE this,
and that;
To DEGIPE thy selfe,
high
say,
"Iith a thousand things noz-e ,
and
others;
as
they have done before.
BLOOHEFIELDS BLOSSm,·1S, printed
by Ash~ole(I,1), 30$.
ACKNOl-lLEDGEHENT
The author would like to express her appreciation
for the
invaluable help that she recEdved' from Professor Cyril S. Snith
in beginning the experiments, as '\-lell as, for the use of his
Laboratory
and materiaJ..s.
I woul.d like to tha,n.U;:Katherine
Ruhl
and H. Lechtmanfor the ideas brought up in some of our laboratory
discussions.
I '.;QuIdalso like to thank Try husband for his help
in many of tthe tecJ-l.nical aspects of the experdment, as well as,
the patience and understanding shovmin reading and editing this
thesis.
But most of all I would like to thank Professor Nathan
Sivin, not only for hi.s help as thesis
initially
interesting
advisor,
but also for
me in the f1.eld of Chinese history of
thought and science, as vlell as for manyof the ideas that have
lead to the conclusions set forth in this thesis.
-\
...
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Section
ABSTRACT
3
INTroDucTIon
4-
PUBPOSE
6
A SHORT HISTORY OF CHINESE ALCHEHY
8
EXPERINENTS
10
AND EQUIPl1ENT
Equipment (Sun Ssu Mo)
10
Equipment (ActUally
12
Used)
Experimental Procedure
14
Results
16
EXPLANATION OF RESULTS
18
CONCLUSIONS
23
-'2.-
ABSTRACT
The following paper is concerned
the .results
an explanation
of
of some Chinese alchemical experiments that 'Wereperformed
by the author.
are
'tnth
originally
The methods and the results
of these experiments, ,,,Mch
from Sun Ssu Mof s alchemical treatise
TAN CHING
YAO CHUEH,
are ex..plained.
Based on the results
eA"P1ainssome of the possible
alchemy is then offered.·
effects
reasons for the continued popularity
The psychological
also exanined vIith particular
hallucinatory
of these experiInents a theory l-Thich
state
of the alchemist is
care being given to the possible
of arsenic,
of
mercury, and lead.
· Alcbemyr-is the sto~ of Man t s observatdon and reflection
the mature end: cause of what we now 10101.1
as chemistry
on
Robert l-10nd
INTRODUCTION
when someone mentions the ~~d
In general
mind immediately lights
like
this:
'alchemy'
onels
on the d8fini tj.on t~hich :may be something
Alchemy is that form of mystic-magical
that
were primarily
concerned "Iith makinrr Q'olrl, conterfei t gold, and in
inventing
by =wstics
an el:ixir
and charlatans
or
pseudo science
some instances,
'\-laspracticed
practice
who
of immortality.
However T bAli eve th~~~' f~T bettA~ nefinition
has been pre-
sented by Sir Robert Mond:
Alchemy is'the
story of ManIs observation and reflection
on the nature and cause of what we nov know as Chemistry:
Like all. history,
it records not only Man's groping for
but
the truth and for the enr-i chmerrt of his experiences,
at the same time the \·ridemng of the Human Mind and the
accompanying evolution of thought.
The remarkable and uneA~ected changes in appearance
that characterize
chemical reactions,
such as the phenomena of the diaappearanceandreappef~r&1lce
of an
efflorescence
in a. pud-Il.e , the combuatdr-n of a he~.vy
branch to a handful of white ashes and the conversion
of metals into dust and their reconversdon to metnl~,
from the earliest
ages.
have aroused Mants interest
\'1ith this
in mind one must also remember that
a pseUdo-science,
a definite
science
not a proto-science;
in itself,
itB~Owrt nonolusions, its
ground
of scientific
with its
own scientists,
DlR.terial.
-~ -
but rather
own methoas,
a1~hAmY was' nei the!'
it
its
was in fact
own theories,
and'a very complex back-
For example nk~Y of the chemical techniques used in modern
chemistry were ltno'tmto the ear1r alchemist.
ization, maceration,
decantation.
sUblimation, fractional
These include pulvercrystallization
and
They also invented alI of the apparatus needed for
these techniques including the crucbl.e and the alembic, 't-thich
later became the symbols of the ear-Iy alchemists.
-5-
�e systems which confront the intelligence remain basically
unchanged throug~ the ages;a1th01lgb they assume different forms •••
th~re"is nothing so disastrous inscien~e8s the Arrogant dogmatism
which. despises the past and admires nothing but the present.
Hoefer
The purpose 0f this thesis will be tvlOfold. First, it will
attempt to look at ,the alchemical recipes recorded by Sun Sau-Mo in
the alchemical 'tvork,
TAN CHING YAO CHUEH
(fl ~
~
'''' .::J:..
~
~
-:b .)
jr
0 k.
from a chemical point of vie\-T,and after performing them, examine
both the sonhisticAtion
of the scientific methods used and the
processes offered, and the exactness in the description
results.
The recipes
of the
that Sun S~u-Mo has recorded are varias
elixirs of immQrtnlity as well as a fe'" methods for ne..kingsuch
articles
as ~nitation
The format of the boo]l:is almost
pearls.
that of an elementary chemistl';Tlaboratory manual, with the amounts
of each chemical and the chemical techniques being very exactly
specified.
The above examination will then enable a consideration
of the psychological
state of mind
for theRA ChAmiCal preparations.
of
of the alchemist responsi~le
Such questions":as How much of
his work did the Chinese alchemist believe in?
Did he actually
believe in the eli'd.r of inm'Jortality? \·1hatwas the efrect of
people~sdeaths
due to chemical poisoning? and Where does alchenv
£it in the cbronolo~T of the development of chemistry? IrlP...y then
be answered partially or in full.
-6-
These questions can best be answered by first, performing
Sun·Ssu-Mo's e~eriments
and carefully examining the results;
secondly, looking into some of the background materinl on Chinese
alchemy, chemistry, pharmacology, as well as the history and philosophy of scientific thought.
Answering th~se above questions in the manner outlined will,
hopefully, add some useful material to the history of Chinese
science, as "rell as give a fair idea of the sta.te of mind of many
of the alchemists in China during the period ex~~ined.{ 617-700 A.D.).
-7---
A SHORT HISTORY OF CHINESE ALCHEMY
In chemistry, also we are now conscious of the continuity of
Mants intellectual
effort; no longer does the current generation
viell the work of its forerunners "Tith a disdainful lack of appreciation; and rar from claiming infallibility,
each successive age
recogni~es the duty for developing its heritage from the past.
Unknown
It ,vas through the early Taoists that the first
or alchemy appears in China.
For"
for the elixir
in order to support themselves
al.ona vr.i.th their
various
vie't.J'S,was soon to lead to a long and trlJitless
search
they turned to medicine making.
metaphtsical
da,~ of chemistry
This art,
of immortality.
The purpose, then, of alchemjr as it developed was threefold.
First,
it vas a search for the elixir
it was an attempt at making gold.
each other.
desires.
For to
0bta:i.n
of immortali.ty.
Secondly,
These TIk1.y,
indeed, conbradf cb
immortality one must givaup ,all human
HOltteVer,it could be said that the alchemist should
produce golc1purely for the sake of mankind and 'td thout any corru~tion of himself.
And besides,
that some of the best elixirs
Thirdly,
alchemy was in itself.
the Chinese alchemist believed
of immortality
n
contained gold.
a highly theoretical
attempt to
build a chemical model of the cosmic process, •• 4
Within the theories
and ideas of many of the alchemists
as Ko Hungwe can see these three ideas closely
fine the point of Ko Hung's theory is tbis:
intenroven.
such
"In
Wemortals can attain
lopgevi ty or even imrnortali ty if we taJ<e pains to deveJop human
nature;
life
for nature is full
of' such examp'les,
may be achieved in three ways:
-8~
first,
The fostering
by medici.nes;
of
second ,
by the aTtor breathing; third, bynetaphysical
thoughts.
These
thoughts are fully discussed in the Inner Part of the PAO PU TSU".
For in general
It
5
primitive science viewed all things as
resulting from the combination or interaction of the Two Contrary
Principles, one of them having all the positive qualities, active,
hot, dry, light, and spiritual, the other all of the negative
qualities, passive, cold, wet, heavy, and material.n6
associated
It
These were
with the two regulating powers of the universe, one
o£ them Yang, the principle of activity, the other Yin, the principle
of material acted upon."
?
And throughout the history of alchemy there has been & definite blending of a very definite laboratory science as exemplified
'qy Sun Ssu-Mo or a mwstical philosophy, or a combination of these
two as seen in Chang
Po-Tuan's "An Alchemical Poem".
For he says;
In blending lead and mercury to produce the medicine,
the amount of each should be such that it does no harm
to the other. If you wish to inquire what the true
lead is, the answer' will be that the moonlight shjnee
all day long on the western river...
Hunt for the
having-picture in the indistinguishable land, and
search for the true essence in the obscure world. Real
and unreal now blend into each other. Yet I do not
know nOw the medicine can be obtained meral, 'b.Y thinking.
-9~
IThe time has come 1, the Walrus said,
ITo talk of many things,
Of shoes and shipa- and sealing-waxor cabbages and kings.
And why the sea'is boiling'hot,
And whether pigs have vdngs'.
Lewis Carrol
EXPERIMENTS AND' EQUIPl4ENT
In this section I will describe the apparatus used, the
procedures followed, and some of the difficulties
incurred.
Equipment( Sun Ssn-Mo)'
The major equipment that Sun Ssu-No used in performing his
experiments consisted of a closed charcoal oven, various reaction
vessels ,grinding
as well as sieves.
apparatus, which was a form of marta!'and pestle,
The specifications
that Sun Ssu-Mo gi ves for
his charcoal oven are as follows:
It has a base height of 49.2 em
and an exterior width of 24.6 em.
The door is 14.7 em high and
12".3 em wide.
8.6 dmhigh
'lhe chimney is downward 't.nthan opening which is
and 6.1 em broad~
On each side of the oven, at the
base, there is a small openjng.
There are various types of reaction vessels mentioned for
the different experimentsl
tubes,as
These varied from bamboo and clay
well as a large iron vase, to a two part iron vessel
which is shown in Fig. 1.
This two part iron reaction vessel,
which, closely resembles two crucibles being placed mouth to mouth,
is most often ueed for reactions.
In the various experiments
the ingredients are, first, ground fine and sifted, and then,
either mixed and then placed in the vessel, o~ layered in the
vessel, or,a combination or both.
-10.-
The vessel is then sealed with a six-in-one lute, so-oalled
becanse it was origindly
made from seven ingredients.
Ssu-Mo says in his instructions
As Sun
for preparing t~~s lute:
The six-:-one(lute) is uniquely important in the
sublimation of metallic substances and the ~clica1
transformation of minerals. Since distant antiqu~ty
the sages of the melting and refining art have been
unanimous in keeping this matter obscure. The great
number of those "Tho have handed down formulas used
arsenoli te ~~~
(AS2,03), red bole ~1i FJ ~
(a red
siliceo1:1scla.y.:), shell of left-oriented oyster ~
J/rf.. '7J:.. ~1t , kalinite~%~ 70 [kA-a{S\71) • ' 2.
talc
;b. [3~gc).ZS'O~·2\\l.O])turkestan salt
( impure lJaCl), lake salt},g
is ~ [Na z. C O~ •
Na H COj • 2. \-\20])
and so forth; and there 'vere
those who foolishly employed earthworm. excreta ~
.$ j \
The amcients have also set out the
process~ Qy which these materials are prepared;
eve:t"3'0ne
moreoven, ms different. If they be c~rried
out, as a rtll~ one cannot bring about a result of
high quality.
n:.!1 "20 :,)
~':f
li
* .
Sun Ssu-MO then mentions that after having tried many of the
ancient recipes he has found that his·much simpler lute which
is made fromkalini te and red bole is "unsurpaeaabky
excellent. n
The procedure that Sun Sau-Mo uses for makinr; this lute is:
(1)
Put in 5.6 to 7.8 gm of ltalinite'[KAllS0~)i\1 \-\z6.\in
the
tube (see Fig. 2).
Cover with a tj.le and then lute to a thickness
of 2.5 to 5.0 nun with a mixture of equal
parts of fine sand and
yellow clay.
(2)
Bake to dryness over a low fire.
After replastering
and
re baking, roa.st in an oven for 7 days ( over a charcoal fire) in
an iron pan.
\1
It is then removed and ground to a fine powder.
- ll-
.J
(:3) Pound the red bole into a fine powder and mix to the consistenpy of mud.
FOTnl
this
and dry' it in the sun.
mixture into a cake 12.25 mm by 9S.0 rmn
Then place it in the ltalinite furnace
tor one day, after which it is pounded into a fine powder and sifted.
Mix equal amounts of the treated and untreated red bole.
(4)
This is then mixed with two
!!m.. (e1ther t\ilOparts or 5. 2gm)
*,
of kallnite and t'ed bole to a lute (thin) consistency.
Equipment
(Actually used)
Due to the fact that an exact duplication
of the above
apparatus would be not only difficult but also time consumlng and
rather expensive, I have made the following modifications.
Instead of a 8harco?~ oven I used an electric oven ( TYPE
1500 THERMO LINE ELECTRIC. FURNACEO 4tf wide, 3 3/4
4
of
tt
n:- deep inside with a maximum operating temperature
It could operate at about 900
This temperature
0
C
of 19000 F.
with some degree of safety.
was chosen for the experiment
heating the mixture Us tronglyu-.
high, and
that specified
The reason for this is that some
of the other reactions have instructions
of glowing red iron, which is around
However, since the temperature
to heat to the temperature
0
900
G.
of a charCOal fire does va:ry
(especially if the attendent has a tendency to fall asleep during
the course of a long night), I set up a timing device which allowed
me to yary the temperature
0
900
C.
about 75 tQ1-00 Oentigrade
degrees about
This timing device consisted of a ....motoDwhich ,.ras geared
*'I used 5.2 gm
- \ '2 -
to a six hOUTeycle.
.turnedtheoven
This gear then operated a microswitch which
off for one 15 minute and one 1.6 mini te period
during the courSe of tbe· six hour cycle.
temperature allo#Sthe
This variation in
vess:el to "breathe" through the porous
clay lute due to the fluctuation in internal temperature and
pressure.
Instead of the vesaeldescribed
I used a two part reaction
vessel composed of ~\~ cast iron plumbing pipenippiea
as
Sh01vn
in Figs. 3 and 4.
Initially I used the lute that was described above, substituting Mexiclay ( a red siliceous potterts clay) for the red bole,
but it comM.nually cracked upon drying, both in a desicator and
in the open room.
I therefore switched to using a lute made from
two parts clay to one part kalini te, wi th some sand added.
Instead of totally covering the outside of the rea~tion vessel
I put some· lute betwen
the lips of the tw
around the outside of the joints.
being to allow a tight seal.
nipples as well as
The real purpose of the lute
This method apparently gave a
sufficient seal.
The equipment. "tna'twas used by Sun Ssu-Mo "ras far from being
perfectly standard in size and shape among all the alchemists.
The equipment is Figs. 5 -
Pol
illustrate a few of the various shapes
and types of other alchemical equipment.
The description for making a iron two-part reaction vessel
(see Fig. ~) is that given by Needham, which comes from a Toaist
-13-
text of the Liang period ( +6 th century).
"'Method of making a yaQ-fu:I' The IO'oJ'er
iron bowl (t~eh-ru)
ha.sac~pa;city of one peck(ton)., a:'diameter of 9"' and a
heightol' 3"'. At the base which comes in contact with
thef'ire, the, thickness· i$ 0.8 in., but aroWld the four
sides thethickneas
is 0.3 in. The upper and lower
bowls are of equal thicknesses.
The base is flattened.
The' flange all around-is 1 t' inches wide and 0.3 in.
thick; it is also fla.ttened. The two handles at tl;,le
s,ide are three inches long and three and, inches vtide.
'rhey are situated,above the nange.
The upper bovl,
( i.e. the cover) is made of pottery (sbao ·wa). It
has a diameter of 0.3 in. The cover has a greater
curvature' ( than the lower bovll.The
nange is also
made flat. The yao-fu is used, for the preliminary
treatment of the ingredients .and hence its size. After
the ingredients have become refined they should be transferred to a: hsdao-fu (small vessel) (which measures) 6ft.
across at the mouth and 2i » in height. ~sides these
the shape and othel' dimensions ( of the lower bowl)
are the same ( as those for the yao-fu). For the cover
the c1±ameter i's 6.~·t"R.ndthe height 6'u. Besides these
the shape and other diminsions do not differ from those
of the predecessor. 9
t
Besides the above equipment the alchemists
steaming apparatus, water-baths,
jackets, sublimation
apparatus,
condensation
distillation
also had various
vessels, and cooling
and extraation.
appara.tus, and va.rious types of mortars and peatles.
Experimental
Procedure
After setting up the oven and Drenaring
the necessary
amount
of lute I calibrated the electric furnace to 890 -9000 C and
650 - 6900 c; the temperatures ativhich my first two experiments
would be run.
The following are the procedures
as outlined by Sun Ssu-Mo:
for these first t\olOexperiments
FORMULA FOR HAKI~G l'lINOR CYCLICALLY TRANSFORMED ELIXER+
Jt
Amorphous sulphur
S
4 liang (41'~6gm)
Mercury
Hg
1 chin (166.I.gm)
Massicot
PbO
3 liang (31':.2gm)
Gold
Au
l' liang (10.4grn)
The mercury, gold, andmassino:fj are forcefully ground
fine. Take a large iron vase and grind it clean and shiny.
Three liang of the powdered sulphur is first spread in the
bottom of the vase as a bed. Them place the aforementioned
three ingredients inside and spread the remaining one lj.a.ng·
of sulphur on top as a cover. Lastly put the cover of the
vase in place. lfuen al.L this i.sdone, seal. the vase tightly
'With six-one lute. It is heated, firs't 'tdth ~. J)'eni~,le
!1nrl th?rt
\.n.t,h n Bt..r-onc flame, for r;;ev~ndAys and nights.
.At the end
of that time it is cooled for a half day end opened. The
contents 'rill be, completely transformed into elixir. It
'-rillbe of a blazing lluuinosity, dazzling the eye.
The first experiment
lvaS
run for seven days at 8900 C in the
smallest set of cast iron nipples which had an inside dimneter of
one and one-half inches, as shown in Fig. 3.· The directions say
ttheatstronglyn,
and
in this case I set the oven :for ~O
o
r.,
which the charcoal fire could easily reach.
FOR1v1ULAFOR GRAND UNITY THREE ENVOYS ELInR+
*
Calomel
HgCI
1 chin (166,4gm)
Cinnabar
HgS
10 liang (104.0gn)
Amorphous sulpher
S
10 liang (104.0gm)
Realgar
AsS
10 liang (104.0gm)
The last three ingredients are pounded separately, then
mixed and placed in the reaction vessel, the method being
in no way different from that of the previous formula. Then
spread the calomel over all the other ingredients. Cover ,nth
silk cloth. Fit together the upper and lower sections of the
reaction vessel, lute, and sublime the ingredients.
This experiment was performed using one one-twentieth of amounts specified.
+
P~o-te.s.~or
C\\U E \-\.
l\f
S;viM
I:;
+rClYJ!i
\c.+ioV] s froht
the.
TAN C\i}N ~ lAO
For this second exPeriment I used the two larger iron nipples
ShOl~ in Fig.
4.
These had an inside diameter of 3 inches and
an outside diameter of 3
t inches.
Since arsenic sublimes at 615
D
C and boils at S140 C, I ran
this experinent at 6500 C which would allow the arsenic to
sublime but would not cause it to actually boil.
have ~tten
o'ther products.
only be determined after
temperatures
The different possible
nroducts can
these experiments have been run at various
and with various trace minerals
- \7-
added,
This 'is fairy gold...
and
1
t'Willprove so.
Shakespeare
EXPLANATION OF RESULTS
Physical and psychological effects of Lead, Arsenic, and Mercury
What were the actual results of eating these elixirs?
were undoubtably cases of poisoning resulting from this.
There
One
case of definite elixir poisoning is that of the Chin emperor
Ai TiC361-366
A.D.-)who , due to his search for an elixir of
in~ortality, died at the age of 25.
According to the Ohin Shu
(Official History of the Chin Dynasty):
He had a liking for the art of the alchemists. He
abstained from cereal grains, b~ consumed elixirs.
As the result of an overdose he was poisoneo and no
10
longer knew what was going on around him(pu shih wan chi).
There have been many other cases of elixir poisoning recorded
in 6hinese history, and the Chinese were well a11nre of the fact.
that these elixirs ver-e poisonous.
Why then did they continue to
take them?
In the Sung dynasty there was a rather prophetic passage
written by Shen Kua in his Meng Ohm
Pi Than (10S6)A.D.) in which
"he had given expression to the view that mercury compounds ,-rere
valuable in certain ways and might become even more so if we only
knew more about them.
He says:
My cousin Li Shan-5heng and several of the same
generation once transformed cinnabar into an elixir.
More than a year afterYTcrds the product was again put
into a reaction-vessel to be purified but then by mistake
one piece was left behin~. One of his students made
it into a pill and ane it, after which he became delirious
and died after one night. Now cinnabar is an extremely
good drug and can be, taken even by a new born baby, but
once it has been changed by heat, it can kill an (adult)
person. If we consider the change and transformation
of opposites into one another, since (c~nnabar) can be
changed into a deadly poison why should it not also be
changed intO some thing of extreme benefit? Since it
can change into something which kills, there is good
reason to beJieve that it may have the pattern-principle
(Ii) of saving lives; it is simply that we have not yet
found out the art ( of doing tJ-l..is).
Thus vIe cannot deny
the possibility of the existence of methods for trans,forming people into feathered immort~.ls but we have to
be very careful about 't<That
we do. n
This is a rather amazing idea for that time considering the
important use of a good number of organo-metallic compounds in
modern medidine.
It is indeed true that the Chinese believed in an elixir of
immortality which could be compounded from various metallic and
mineral substances such as mercu~·, minerals, sulfur, etc.
However,
many of the al cherd.ater.verevery much aware of the various dangerous
conaequenees of these drugs,
incl11di.np-' c1eR.t.h.
There 'Were many
alchemists who were undoubtB.b17·qUite willing to ignore these
effects, just as there were nmny who through antidotes vere willing
to try to counteract these effects.
Why was there such a need for these elixirs?
in the fact that the Chinese ~ind had no concept of
a hell, a purga.tory, or an after-life.
existence itself.
Maybe it lay
a
heaven,
All that existed vas
There was no concept of the eternal "soul tr
in either Confucinnism,or Taoism.
They had, hal-rever,believed in
immortals from the 5th century B.C. onvards s
"ethereal purified
beings, originally feathered likec1.birds,possessed of nagical
powers and wandering forever without material.need
-\9-
among the
mountians and fowest, there eternally to enjoy the contemplation
..12
of the beauty of Nature, the outward and visible rom of the Tao.
As such
Qy
use of these elixirs they may have tried to enter a
new immortal existence.
Another reason for the continued use of
these elixirs may lie in the actual physical and psychological
effects that they produced.
The follo\rl.ngis a description of
the actual medical effects of As, Pb, and Hg, the three elements
which may prove a valuable key to the understanding of the Ch:inese
alchemist:
13
Arsenic
Any of the soluble inorganie arsenicals are readily absorbed
from either the skin, when applied as an ointment, or from any of
the mucous membranes.
The actual amount of arsenical that is
absorbed is dependent upon the flDrm which is taken.
H
Hore 1-TiIIbe
absorbed if tween in the form of a fine powder than in the case
of a coarse granular substance.
It is deposited in the kidneys
and liver, as well as in the walls of the intestine, the skin,
spleen,
ano
lung tissue.
It is deposited to a lesser extent in the
brain and muscle tissue.
"Chronic arsenic poisoning yields a variety of signs and·
symptoms.
The first to .ppear are anoxia, wewa1ess, diarrhea Or
constipation, and occasionally nausea and vomiting.
progresses the follo1dng symptoms may appear;
A.sthe poisoning
selective edemas,
conjunctivitis, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose
and throat and dermatitis.
to cnneer formation.
Chronic arsen±c poisoning can also lead
ft·
-20-
However arsenic is still used in the treatment of myelogenous
leukemia as Fowler's solution, potassium arsenite, as well as
occasionally as a tonic on the grounds that
r1
a small amount of
d~llage to the vascular bed with resulting dilation of the capdllaries is good for one."
It is also used in the treatment of skin
disorders such as psoriasis.
Hercury14
"Both mercury vapor and ingested mercury can lead to chronic'
toxicity.
Nervous symptoms appear soon after exposure, ~dth
tremors and emotional irritabili ty vlhich may be accompanied hy
lassitude, headaches, insomnia, and a tendency to fatigue easlly.
The gi?cstro-i.ntestinaltract is also sbrongly affected.
fI
Mercury compounds however are used as antiseptics, diuretics,
and ea thartics •
Chronic mercury poisoning \.,hichmay result from exposure to
small anounts of mercury over extended periods of tme
can
lead
to loss of appetite, nutritional disturbances, anenia, h:>rpertension,
definite behavioral changes, :mental depression, irritability,
insomnia, intention tremors und shillting,fatigue and drowsiness,
and
occassionally hallucinations.
Lead15
With lead poisoning there often occurs cerebral syrnptoms such
as insomnia, excessive dreaming, nervous excitation or depression,
together with vertigo, nausea, visual disturbance, oelirjum,
stupor,
£.Q!!lg"
or possibl~ convulsions.
-21--
"Whether due to the effects
of lead upon the brain or to cmrculatory disturbances, these symptoms
indicate that the central nervous systen i.s involved frequently
in lead poisoning despite the
16
intoxication. n
10yT
incidence of sermous cerebral
Gold
Gold salts and gold suspensions in sesame oil and various
other oils have some therapeutic usefulness in the treat~ent of
rheumatoid arthritis and in cernain rare skin diseases such as
discoid lupus.
"Gold is certainly no miracle drug, but it is never-
the less of consideral>be benefi:b tt> :many individuals subjected to
17
a painful nnd prolonged disease."
I
believe from looking at these medical explanations of the
effects of lead, arsenic, l:1ercur;r,
and even gold,one
can see a
very probable reason for the partial success of the elixirs.
This
is
(1) As and Hg can rlelay deteriation of the body after neath.
(2) As, Hg, and Pb can be said to have definite effects upon
the mental system of the alche:mistsor person who inJested
them. or ,<[homay have been exposed ot As or Hg fumes.
The effect of arsenic being that of a tonic.
(3)
Even gold elixirs in the form of a suspension may have
at least served as a painkiller for certain diseases.
Every theory-which urges men to labour and research, l·rhicb
excites acuteness and sustains perserverance, is a gain to science;
for it is labour and research i.,rhich
lead to discoveries.
Liebig
CONCLUSIONS
In
conclusion alchemy
CDn
then seem to be that science
which had attempted to both "build a chemical model of cosmic
proceaaes"
and to develop an elixir of imr:lortality. It
Has
definitely
a science and not the predecessor of chenistry as is often said.
Yet it was not a science built on the foundation of "causalitytt.
Rather, it was built on the "idea of simultaneous resonance
betvleen categoricaJ.ly related physical entities.
18
WI
And too, it
was a science vdth both a philosophical and a psychological frr-mework.
Alchemy,~s
closely related tilth Taoism, the Chinese concept
of the f\organistic universe", yin-yang theory, and the five-elements
correspondences.
Yet it was a definite and exact chemical science
which had its own theories and its own methods.
Host of the
processes invol ved in modern chemistry 'VTerevery early known to the
aichemist.
These included pulveri~ation,
distillation, filtration,
decantation, and even fractional crystallization,
as "rell as, the
appropiate apparatus for these processes.
It is indeed true that the theories of alchemy "rere far from
bemng correct.
correct?
But uere all of the theories of science in 1900
How then could it be possible for all of the theories
of todays science to be correct?
Is it then not true that a theory
is important, not because it actually is the correct theory but
rather because there has been a rational and possible theory offered
and that this theory ;!na'Jt, in time, lead to the" correct explanationis it not here that the real test of good science lies?
-23-
It is this
that
is the test
to l-rhich alche:nw should be subj ected.
not s.coff at yin-yang
theory or the theories
cor-reepondence, for as A •.J. Hopkins points
One should
of the five-elements
oirbj
The Sun..god and Ivfoon-goddess; Yang and. Yin; masculine
andfemi·nine; .sulfur and mercury; positive and negative;
proton and electron: truly it may be said of chemical
theory tha.t the- more it changes the more it is the sane
thing.
The Doctrine of the Two Contraries seems to make
apecnliar
appeal to some deep-seated instinct in the
humanmind. As 'Hoefer remarks in more general terms,
the systems which· confront the ibltelligence remain
basically unchanged' through the ages, although they
aesume different forms; thus through mistaking forn for
basis, one conceives an unf'avorableopinion
of the
sequence. Wemust remember, he adds, that there is nothing
so disasterous in science as the arrogant dogmatism uhich 19
despises the past and admires nothing ~t the present.
The Chinese alchemist in many cases did give very eA1Jlicit
descriptions
results.
of his reactants,
Labor-atory pro.ceedures, and final
And it seems quite feasible
that any of the exaggerations
in the descriptions
of the products could easily
a- "heightened state
of avareness",
product and as such his state
propertios
it,
He expected to see a phenomenal
of mind helped hiM to exaggerate the
of the products he did see.
product produced in, the first
but the description
be explained by
For exanple, the "dazzling"
experiment did have some glitter
to
given by Sun Ssu-Ho is ver;f much of an
exaggeration.
The continuation
to create
an ~li~tr
and popularity
of immortality
of As, Pb; and Hg to cause certain
dreams,.
COTI1aS,
of alchemy and its
attempts
can be due to both the ability
types of haJ.luc:i.nations, vivid
and general mental excitation,
as well as, the ability
of As and Hg to prolong the body r s normal, process of physical
*
Note: I an 110t infering that any or these theories are correct.
I am however definitely
inferring that a theory· of opposites is very
appealing to the human mind as an explanation of certain phenomena.
-24-
deterioration after death.
immaginationl1RS
For although a. state of heightened
necessarY to describe these products, their
continued popularity was probably due to their psychotic effect.
Yet there is one more point abouf alche:my and its connection
,.,ithhistory and: psychology that··can be philosophized upon.
And
in this lies a theory vlhich is both a generalization and a particular.
Or as Thomas A. Ootran said:
It 1-1a8 Hegel "1ho shoved so clearly that the T:1ost
nE?arly unique being that can be concetved is by the very
act of conception made general. For ail thought invoihves
generalization, and the barest reference to an object
is an indication of a Qllality vrhich it shares ,·ri th other
objects. Conversely, the general involves the particula.r.
A general conception must be a conception of something;
arid that of 2Bich.it purports-to be the conception is the
particular. As
Carl Jung pointed out in his vTOrk on psychology and alchemy,
t-rhatthe al.ohemirrtsees, or rather" 'VThat he thinks he can see is
mainly the data. of his
directly into it.
\01m
unconscious which he is projecting
In other words, he obse"os
in matter, nature, and
the universe, certain quroltities and potential meanings which
apparently belong to it but of whose psychfc nature he is entirely
unconscious.
This is very much the casem1
classical alcher:~v
'orhere,the empirical science and mystical philosophy are so very
closely connected.
A senee of mystification
can arise from the fact that the
true mature of matter, of the universe, of eternity, or of nature
",as not knotm to the Chinese alcheTilist; he knew it only in hints.
~d
in this case the myste~J does not act mysteriously or
-'25'"-
"secretively;
but rather
it speaks a secret language,
it suggests itself by a variety of images which all
indicate j. ts true nature.
I an not speaking of a secret
guarded'by someons , "lith a content knovn to its possessor,
but, of a myster:-i', a matter or circomstance which is
'secret' i.e. known only through vague hints bub essentially
unknown,
•••••
In as much as hatried
ot explore it
he projected the unconscious into the dar]r..nessof me.tter
in order to illuxainate' it.
In order to ejqplain the mystery
of matter( or the universe, or na.ture, or the elixir of
imT:10rtality) he projected yet an other myste~- n~4ely
his 01·m unknown psychic background- into vrhat Has to
be explained.21
It was an involuntalj" occurrence rather
process.
Yet it't-las one that
success of"previous elixir
states
TIlay
than
an
intentional
have been accentuated by the
to cause hallucinations', and other rserrbal,
due to the Hg, As or Pb content.
The psychic projection
that occurs is not made; l~lt rather
it happens, it is sirJply there.
"In the darkness of anything
external
to me I find, ,·Tithout recognizing it as such, an interior
22
or psychic life that Ls my own;."
As such it troul.d be impossible
to e,qplain any of the universe or of the alchemists'
eA~erimenta1
resul ts b'tJ the fi ve-eler:1ents correspondences or yin-yang theor"'j,
and to say that this
is its
cause.
"On the contrary this theoI'"lJis
more likely to be a rationali zation of the' expe-d.enoe of pro23
jection."
The Chinese nlcher:list did not prai')tice his art
because he believed in yin-yang theory Qr the five-elements
correspondences of theoretical
grounds.
The idea is that because
he experiences the presence of the idea in his reactions,
universe and nature that he therefore
the
has a five elements corres-
pondence dr yin-yang theory.
It is then that we should look for sene of the real roots' of
alchemy"in the projections
rather
experienced by individual investigators,
than only in the philosophical
doctrines
of the time.
In other vords , Hhile performing his experdmerrbs the al.ohenuaf
wight have had certain
experd ences which appeared to htn
psychic
as the particular behavior or result of the chemical process.
The state
of mind for such psychic processes
could have been
partially due to his need to compensate,'for his uncertainty
about
death and the universe.
Yet, what het-Tas in reality
scious.
experiencing
In, ·t,J:l.i:s way he recapitulated
ledge of nature.
As
VIe
and mankind' discovered
was 'tIlls own uncon-
the, history
all knov science began 'vi th the stars,
in them the dominants of the unconscious,
the 'gods', as tvall as the curious psychological
zodiac:'
of man's know-
a complete projected
is. a primordial experience
qualities
theo~- of humancharacter.
to alchemy.
swIar
of the
AStrology
Stich projections
repeat themselves whenever man ~r±es to e)~lore. an empty darkness
and involuntarily
fills
it,d
th living form. ,,?4
ually probing into the dark recesses
I am not saying that a scientific
a\-ra.yby saying it is a' projection
s~g
And man is contin-
of the universe.
theory can be explained
of our unconscious.
that, c~rtain scientific observations m~
deal of 'exaggeration which .cen be partially
But I am
contain a great
explained by saying
that the observer was indeed in a heightened state of mental
a:t-tareness,and that it is important to try to understand the exact
-21-
causes of this' mental state as vrel1 as the extent to \-1mcb it
could influence s'ciel1tific observation.
science as 'tolellas for classical
-'2. 9-
This is true for modern
Chinese alchemy.
J
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~1Ve:
Fig.
5 Laboratory
as illustrated
bench or stove platform
called t1au, from W/904(a
by Joseph Needham in "The Laboratory
Sung Book)
Equipment of the Early
Medieval Alchemist" .
FIRE.
FIRE.
STOVE.
~ig.
6 Stove from w/874
The Laboratory
(a Sung Book) as illustrated
by Joseph Needham in
Equipment of the Early Medieval Alchemist".
-31"
\5
INC HES
Fig.
7 Reconstruction
of the yao-fu "bomb" from
W/874 ( a Liang book) as illustrated
Needham in "The Laboratory
by Joseph
equipment of the
Early Medieval Chinese Alchemists".
TABLE 1
CONPOillJDS AND ELEl'IENTS PRESENT IN THE THO REACTIONS**
Melting Point To
Expor-irierrt #1
C
Boiling Point TeO
Initial reactants
S
120
-3g.87
8nS
1063
1535
Hg
PhO
All
Fe(crucible)
other possible chemicals*
Pb
Fe25%&175% alloy
444.6
356.58
2600
3000
1600
327.43
1166
FeXSy
450-1193
--
Fe 0
xy
1420-1565
--
lIgAu amal.gams
Expcrdmerrb
112
room temperature
and above
Nelting Point ToC
Initial renctro1to
Hg2Cl?
--
JIgS
--
As2S2
26-27 tr
307~P
1535
Fa
Other ponsible chcnicnls*
As
8111-(36at.":1)
-3n.S7
450-1193
He
Fe:!,y
-Boiling Point Toe
400 (subl)
583. 5(subl)
-3000
615(subl)
356.58
--
subl- subl~es at tenperature given
36 ntm- 36 atnospheres
tr- transition point
*
**
Chemicals and. elememts that might have formed during the reactions.
TIus data
edition.
vlo.S
taken from the Handbook of' Chem.istT'Jend Physics, 44th
-33-
LIST OF REFERENCES
1.
I-fond, Sir Robert, uThe Study of Alchemy,ff Ambix, Vol. 1, No.1,
Hay
1937, p.1.
2.
Sivin, Nathan, Preliminary Studies in Chinese Alchemy, Doctoral
Thesis, Harvard University,
December 1965.
3.
Hauaurd , Chfkashj.go , Oriental
Alcheny, (Rokalmho Uchida, Tokyo"
1936), p.13.
11,-.
Sivin, NathM, Pre' :i..ninar:rStudies in Chinese Alchemy, Doctoral
Thesis, Harvard University,
December 1965, p. v.
5. Hausumi, Ohfkaehf.go
1936), p. 2(3.
6.
, Oriental
AlcheTIY, (Ro1cakuhoUchida, Tokyo,
Davis, T.L., tiThe Chinese Beginnings of Alchemy," Endeavour, Vol II,
No.8, October 1943, p. 156.
7. Ibid.,
p. 156.
8.
Si vin, Hathnn, Prcl:i.r.11nrtry Studies :i.n Ch:tnese Alchcny, DoctoraJ.
TheSis, Harvard University,
December 1965.
9.
Needham, Joseph,."Laborator:r
Eql1ipnent· of JGhe Early Hec1ievoJ.Chinese
Alchenint," Anbix, Vol. 7, 1959, p. 7~.
10.
Needham, Joseph,
1959, p. ~?2.
11.
Ibid.,
pp
12.
Ibid.,
p, 2/+5.
"Eli:dr
241-242.
13. Dipalna, Joseph( editor),
lUll
ce.,
Vol. 1.,,8,
Pod.aontng in l1edievvJ. China," ~,
Netr York,
Dri'l'
s PharT.1acoloDY
in Hedicine,
(Hc-Gra"rl
195f.t), p. 862.
14~. Ibid.,pp.B65
nnd
Harve:y', SteHart C., The Phamacolo d.cnl Basis of Thern eutics,
(I·k"l.cmiJ.lan,NOH York, 1965 , p. 965.
15. Dipalma, Joseph(editor),
Hill
co.,
Drill's
Pha.-"'-1acolor;y
in Hedicine,
Neu York, 1958), p.862.
(He Grn"r!
16.- Ibid., pp B5~853.·
17. Ibid.,
1B.
p. 872.
Sivin, IJathan, Prelininary Studies in Chinese Alchemy, Doctoral
Thesis, Earvard University,
Decetlber, 1965, p. 5.
19.
Hopldns, A.J., Alchomy, Child of Greek Phi1osophy,
p. 2S - TAKEN FROB READ p, 11-12.
(NoH York,
1934),
20. COHnn, ThomasA., u'.rheHistorian and the Philosophy of Sci.ence, n
ISIS, Vol. 38, November1947, p. 11.
21.
Jung, C.G., Pcycho}or,y and Alchemy, (Pantheon Books, N01-r York, 1953),
p. 129.
22.
Ibid.,
p. 129.
23.
Ibid.,
p. 128.
24.
Ibid.,
p. 129.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chan, Wing-tsi t,
No.4,
"Chinese Thought, n Reviel·' of Hetaphysics,
June 1955, pp 658-66S.
Vol.S,
COHntl,
Thomas A., "The Historian and the Philosophy
Vol. :G=-:,~, No. 81, Hay 1939, pp 11-1S.
Davis,
T.L., and Cho.oYun-To'une, "A Contribution
to the Study of
Alche:ny," Preceec1ins of the k1erican Academy of Arts and
Sciences, Vol. 73, No.5, July 1939, pp 97-117.
Davis,
T.L., and Chao Yttn-Ts~·ung, "The Chinese Beginnings of Al.cher.lY,"
Endeavour, Vol. ii, No.8, October 1943, pp 154-162.
Davis,
T.L., and Lu Chliang Wu, "Ohlrieae Alchemy," The Scientific
lfol1thJ.y, Vol. ::.:r"'..D., September 1930, pp 2?5-235.
Df.palma,
Dubs,
Joseph, lID, (editor),
Drillls
Pharmacology in Nedicine,
Hill Co~ Ne'" York, 1958), Chapters 53-55.
Homer H.,
Hodgrum,
of Science,"
liThe OrigIns
of Alchemy, II Ar.1bix, Vol. ix,
ISIS,
(HcGra'W'-
1961, pp 23-36.
Charles
D. (eell tor),
R.'=lndbook
of Cher.1ist and Phi"'sics, 44th
edf.tdon , (Chemical Rubber Pub'l.Lahi.ng Co, Ohio, 19 3 •
Jung, Carl G., Psychology and Alchemy, (RFC Hllll-tranclator),
(Pantheon Books, :NelrYork, 1953).
Li Ghrino-p rinr:, The Ghe:-1ical Arts of 01 d China,
Educnt:!.on, PClms;llvan~la, 19/1-8).e
(JournElJ. of ~her.rl.ca1
Haucurri., ChiJ:nf)h~i.
go, (Profer.oor llobuj i Sasn1ci-translntor),
AIcher:'{, (Ro]:c}:uhoUclrida, Tokyo, 1936).
Ncodhan,
Ol"ientnl
"An E.~.rJ.:Y'Hem.evaJ. Chinese Alche:m..i.calText on Aqueous
Solut:i.ons," Nlhi=c, Vol. 7, 1959, pp 122-158.
Joneph,
Needham, Joseph, "The Labcratorv Equipr":ent of the Early l·!edieval Chinese
Alchemist," k lbi..':, Vol. 7, 1959, pp 57-115.
1
Rend, John,' Prelude
Si vin,
Hilson,
to Ch8!iistry,
(l·iacmillan Co, Nel·rYork, 1937).
NathD.l1,Prel:i.ninar;r Stud5.es in Ch:tne~e nchgtn;i': The TANCHING
YAOCmJEH,Doctoral thesis,
Harvard University,
December, 1965.
lvillion Jerome,
pp 59/+-624.
"Alcheny j.n China,
II
eiba Symposia, Vol. 2, 1940,