102 LITERATURE OF THE ARABS. 



ors, in so far as regards its introduction in 

 dicine. Before their time this science was degraded 

 to the same level with magic and astrology, and 

 confounded with the reveries of alchymy, or the 

 art of making gold by means of the philosopher's 

 stone, which is usually described as a red powder 

 having a peculiar smell. Besides the virtue of trans- 

 muting metals, this precious compound was believed 

 to have the inherent property of charming evil 

 spirits, curing all diseases, and protracting the span 

 of human existence to an indefinite extent. The his- 

 tory of alchymy, from first to last, is full of fiction 

 and obscurity, and consists of little else than an 

 account of dupes and impostors who made a liveli- 

 hood by vending their mystic nostrums to the ig- 

 norant at an extravagant price; for, strange as it 

 may appear, multitudes were found credulous 

 enough to believe that wealth and immortality 

 could be bottled up in thumb- vials, or extracted by 

 means of the crucible from oxides and powders. 



This study, however, was attended with many 

 incidental advantages, by extending the boundaries 

 of chemical knowledge, teaching a greater degree 

 of facility in operations, and leading to the disco- 

 very of many new and valuable substances which, 

 without some such strong incentive, would have 

 perhaps remained much longer in obscurity. Struck 

 with the result of investigations which they did not 

 understand, the Arabs applied themselves to this 

 department of science, with the view of making it 

 subservient to the composition of medicines and 

 the cure of diseases. In conducting distillations, 

 and detecting the properties of various bodies, they 

 made great improvements. The three mineral acids 



