Appendix. 451 



Boyle.* The faculty of medicine at Paris had alfo con- 

 demned alchemy in the year 1609.1 



The fallacious experiments however of the later alche- 

 mifts ; the methods they introduced to deceive the credulonsj 

 and defraud them of their property ; the myfterious and 

 afFefted language in which they delivered their inftrudions ; 

 the conneftion of the alchemical doflrines with the rofi- 

 crucian and theofophic jargon ; and the general prevalence 

 of more rational philofophy and more accurate chemiftry, 

 contributed to bring them into difgrace, and opened the 

 eyes of their readers to the vanity of their pretentions. 



The difgrace of alchemy, has of courfe afFefted its con- 

 fort fciences ; among thefe phyfiognomy mull be reckoned, 

 for Hermes Trifmegiftus, Rhafis, Avicenna and Albertus 

 Magnus, rank among the phyfiognomifts as well as the alche- 

 mifts; fo alfo do the theofophers Paracelfus, Fludd and 

 Behmen. Moreover, both alchemy and phyfiognomy have 

 been treated as equally real fciences by Porta, Schottus, and 

 Alfledius, and indeed by the generality of popular com- 

 pilers of the times.— The fame accufation therefore which 

 may be laid againil magic and aftrology with refpeft to 

 phyfiognomy, will apply alfo to alchemy. 



Among the other Angular opinions oftheserain queftion, 

 was the DoSlrine of Signatures. This was of two kinds : 

 fome philofophers holding that plants and minerals, and 

 even animals (particularly the former) had marks or figna- 

 tures impreffcd by the hand of nature, indicating the thera- 

 peutic ufes to which the things themfelves might be ap- 

 plied J while the theofophic myftics (comprehending al- 



• Ibid, and Life of Boyle prefixed to the folio edition of his Works, 



p. 83. 



■f Bergman ubi fup. 



J Such as having hollow fpatulas to ftir the mixture, and concealing 

 gold in the hollow part; having falfe linings tu the crucibles j ufmg lead 

 or mercury containing a flight amalgam of gold ; concealing gold in the 

 cover or the luting, ufing charcoal moiftened with a foluticn of gold, &c. 



G g 2 moH 



