SCIENCE AMONG THE CHINESE 529 



tains the possibility of preventing their dissolution by a course of 

 physical discipline — a seed-thought which led the disciples of Laotze 

 to investigate the specific properties of matter in the two-fold search 

 for long life and riches. In studying both the vegetable and mineral 

 kingdoms Chinese alchemists were guided by the supposed analogy of 

 man to material nature, which led them to ascribe an essence or spirit 

 not only to animals and plants, but to minerals as well, so that in their 

 view matter itself was constantly passing the limits of sense and assum- 

 ing the character of conscious spirit. Thus was the world filled with 

 fairies and genii. 



We need not discuss in detail the characteristic ideas of Chinese 

 alchemy, but merely note that it had full vigor six centuries prior to 

 western alchemy, which did not appear till a.d. 400 when intercourse 

 was quite frequent between China and Byzantium, Alexandria and 

 Bagdad. The two schools had much in common : same aims, closely 

 corresponding properties ascribed to the two elixirs in each; principles, 

 means, mystical character of nomenclature, and extravagant style of 

 alchemic writings, all practically identical. So that, although it may 

 be granted that the leading objects of alchemical pursuit might have 

 occurred to men in any country as they felt their way towards a knowl- 

 edge of nature, yet an independent origin seems unlikely, and it is 

 almost certain that alchemy had its birth in the far east, yea in China, 

 since the claims of India seem excluded by the abundant proof that the 

 alchemy of China is not an exotic, but an indigenous product, the earli- 

 est forms of which are found in the " Book of Changes," a significant 

 title, whose diagrams date back to 2800 B.C., the text to 1150 B.C., and 

 the Confucian commentary thereon to 500 B.C. It is a striking fact 

 that this book, chief in the canon of Taoism, was spared from the flames 

 of the Tyrant of Ch'in to which all other writings of Confucius and 

 his disciples were consigned. 



8. General Cosmological Ideas. — Contrast the modern ideas of the 

 age and origin of the earth and of the extent of the universe in time 

 with the following conceptions of Chu Hi (Chu Fu Tsz), the most 

 famous of the eleventh-century philosophers : 



In the beginning heaven and earth were just the light and a dark air. This 

 one air revolved, grinding around and around. When it ground quickly much 

 sediment was compressed, which, having no means of exit, coagulated and formed 

 the earth in the center. The subtle portion of the air then became heaven and 

 the sun, moon and stars, which unceasingly revolve on the outside. The earth is 

 in the center; it is not below the center. 



Heaven revolving without ceasing, day and night also revolve, and hence 

 the earth is exactly in the center. If heaven should stand still for one moment, 

 then the earth must fall down; but heaven revolves quickly, and hence much 

 sediment is coagulated in the center. The earth is in the sediment of the air; 

 and hence it is said, the light, pure air became heaven, the heavy, muddy air 

 became earth. 



