CHY (217) CHY
CHYLOSIS
CHYME
« CHYMISTRY, or more properly CHEMISTRY, the Art of separating the several Substances where of mis’d Bodies are compos’d, by means of Fire ; and of composing new Bodies in the Fire, by the Mixture or different Substances or lngredients. See FIRE. The great Object of Chymistry, is to analyse, or decompound natural Bodies ; reduce them to their first Principles ; discover their hidden Virtues, and demonstrate their innen Contexture, or the Centre, as they call it, where in natural Substances concur. In a word, Chymestry is the Anatomy of natural Bodies, by means or Fire ; which is the Definition Hanneman gives us of the Art. The very learned Boerhaave defines Chymistry very scientifically : « An Art whereby senfible Bodies contain’d in vessels, or capable of being contain’d therein, are so chang’d, by means of certain lnstruments, and principally Fire, that their soveral Powers and Vertues are thereby discover’d, with a View to Philosophy, Medicine, &c. »
This Definition appears very prolix and circumstantial, and more like a Description than a Definition ; but with all his Endeavours, he assures us, he could not frame a shorter, that vould express the full Scope, Object, and lnstruments of Chymistry, so as to distinguish it from evry other Art ; which is a Point all the Writers of Chymistry have stumbled at.
For Chymistry cannot justly be call’d the Art of resolving Bodies, as Regius, Paracelsus, &c. define it ; since Mechanicks will also do that ; Not is the Matter mended, by saying, It is the Art of analysing Bodies by Fire ; as Helmont has done ; nor by Salts as othors would have it. These Definitions include only a Part, instead of the whole. And with as little Propriety is it term’d, The Art ot separating the Pure from the Impure ; inasmuch as it compounds as woll as separates, and frequently mixes the Pure with the Impure. Chymistry, on this footing, appears a very extensive Art ; Its Object, or the Materia Chymica, is all sensible Bodies, capable of being contain’d in Vessels ; and is accordingly divided into three Kingdoms, Fossils, Vegetable, and Animal. See BODY, FOSSIL, VEGETABLE, &c.
The Operations of Chymistry, include all the Changes produc’d in Bodies by natural Agents or lnstruments, see. Decoction, Infusion, Exhalation, Calcination, Extraction, Distillation, Crystallization, &c. See OPERATION, and ELEMENT ; see also DECOCTION, INFUSION, EXHALATION, DISTILLATION, CALCINATION, EXTRACTION, &c. The Effects, or Productions of Chymestry, may be reduc’d to Magisteries, Extracts, Tinctures, Elixirs, and Clyssus’s. See MAGISTERY, EXTRACT, TINCTURE, ELIXIR, &c.
The Instruments, or Agents of Chymistry, whereby its Operations are perform’d, are Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Menstruums, and Instruments properly so call’d, as Alembics, Cucurbits, Retorts, Pelicans, Furnaces, and Lutes. See FIRE, AIR, WATER, EARTH, MENSTRUUM, ALEMBIC, CUCUBRIT, RETORT, FURNAGE, and LUTE.
Chemistry is an Art of very great Antiquity, and is held ay some very learned Persons to have been practis’d in the Antediluvian World. Cham, the Son of Noah, is commonly held to have been its lnventor, from whom it is suppos’d to have taken its Name. Others refer the lnvention to Tubal Cain, whom the Scripture records as the lnventor of Instruments of Brass and lron. This is pretty certain, that some of the highest and most difficult Things in Chymistry must have been known by him ; among vwich are the separating and purifying of Copper and lron, the making of Brass, etc. See COPPER, IRON, &c.
The first mention we find made of the Art, is in Zozimus, the Panopolitan, who lived about the Year of Christ 400. « In the Sacred Writings, says that Author, we find certain Genii spoke of, who had commerce with Women. Hermes says as much in his Books upon Nature ; scarce any Author bot has some Foothteos of this Tradition. These Genii, intoxicated with the Love of Women, discoverd ’em all the Secrets of nature ; and taught ’em abundance of Things anfit for em to know ; for which reason they were banish’d from Heaven. The Book wherein their Secrets was contain’d, was call’d chema ; and hence the Name Chemia, or Chymia ».
The Text of Scripture Zozimus here refers to, is that passage in Moses, The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men, and took ’em to Wife.
This Antediluvian Origin of Chymistry is confirm’d by Tertullian. « The Angels that fell, says that Father, difcover’d Gold and Silver to Men, with the Arts of working ‘em, of dying Wool, &c. for which reason they were banish’d, as is related by Enoch ».
Borrichius looks on these Passages as authentic ; but adds, that Enoch was mistaken, for that the Angels he speaks of were not real Angels ; but the Descendants of Seth and Tubal Cain, who degenerating from their Fathors, gave themselves up to criminal Pleasures with the Women descended from Cain ; and in the Course of their lntrigues, divulg’d the Secrets God had trusted ‘em withal. Be this as it will, Chymistry, no doubt, was first practis’d in Egypt. According to Moses, Tubal Cain should he the first lnventor. Profane Authors refer it to Vulcan ; and some of the latest and best Criticks endeavour to shew, that Tubal Cain and Vulcan were the same ; as, indeed, there is found a great resemblance between their Names.
After Tubal Cain, the first Chymist we read of is Moses ; whose Skill in Chymistry is incontessable, from his burning and pulverizing the Golden Calf the Israelites had set up, and giving it tho People to drink. There is scarce a more difficult Operation in all Chymistry, than to make Gold potable. See GOLD. Chymistry had the common Fate of the other Arts, at the Declension of the Eastern Empire ; and lay bury’d and forgot till the Time of Rager Bacon, who retriev’d it. He was follow’d by Lully, Ripley, Basil Valentine, Paracelus, Van Helmont, Glauber, Boyle, Lemery, Homberg, &c. by whom the Art has been carry’d to its present degree of Perfection.
The first Chymists confin’d themselves to Metals ; In these latter Ages, the Bounds of Chymestry have been greatly enlarg’d ; and Plants, Animals, Minerals, &c. have been taken into it. ‘Tis but of late that Chymistry has been apply’d to the Preparation of Medicines ; Basil Valentine, and Arnoldus de Villa Nova, seem to have been the first that attempted it. Paracelsus and Van Helmont carry’d it to such a length, as to render Medicine almost wholly chymical. See MEDICINE.
Chymistry is divided into Metallurgia, Alchymia, Chymical Pharmacy, and Chymical Phylosophy. See METALLURGIA, ALCHEMIA, &c. Criticks are divided as to the Etymology of the Name Chymistry : It is usually derivd from the Greek χuμός, Juice ; or from χόων, to melt.
Boerhaave, and others, more justly derive it from the Egyptian Chema, or Kema, black ; and write it Chemia, not Chymia.
Others, making Chams the lnventor of Chymistry, derive the Term from his wame ; supporting their Etymology on the Signification of the Word חם Cham, which in the Hebrew signifies heat, hot, black ; all of them bearing some telation to the Operation of Chemistry.
Chymistry is also known undor vatious other Names ; it is sometimes call’d the Hermetical Art, from a Supposition of its being inventod by Hermes Trismingistus ; See HERMETIC. Others call it, the Egyptian Art, from the People among whom it was first practis’d ; Others the Sacred, or Divine Art ; Poiesis ; the Art of making Gold, etc. Others call it the Spagyric Art ; Paracalsus the Hyssopic Art ; others Pyrotechnia, &c. See SPAGYRIE, HYSSOPIC, PYRTECHNIA, &c. When the Chymists would express the most sublime Parts of their Art, they prefix the Arabic Particle Al to the Word Chymia, or Chymistry, and thus form Alchymny. See ALCHYMY.
Some Authors observe, that Dioclasian, after the taking of Alexandria, ordor’d all the Books of Chymistry, antiently wrote by the Egyptians, for making Gold and Silver, to be fought out and burnt ; that they might not have the Power of enriching themselves by this Art, or of putting themselves, by this means, into a Condition of revoling.
Authors on the Subject of Chymistry are very numerous ; Borel bas publish’d a Catalogue of most of ‘em, under the Title of Bibliotheca Chymia ; containing the Names of above ten thousand. Boeerhave is the latest, fullest, and infinitely the best ; he has given both the History Theory, and Practice, ni the finest, most orderly, and scientifical Way in the Word. Dr. Friend has reduc’d Chy
-mistry
