Sylvia Rose
Metal Salts: Ancient History to Modern DIY
Metal salts are compounds created from metals and acids. In history and today they enjoy uses in beauty, natural health, chemical...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 313 min read
Chloroauric Acid: Gold Salts & Extraction
Chloroauric acid H[AuCl4] is a yellow solution created in the 18th century. A gold(III) salt, chloroauric acid is an innovative compound,...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 295 min read
Renaissance Purgatives & Ancient Remedies
The Renaissance brings a unique approach to medicine. Based on the Four Humors theory of health the Galenic way, purging the body of...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 294 min read
Powder of Algaroth: Antimony Oxychloride Purgative
Antimony oxychloride or Powder of Algaroth is a compound first appearing in 15th century Europe. During the Renaissance Powder of...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 265 min read
Jan Baptist van Helmont: Renaissance Medicine
Jan Baptist van Helmont (1580 - 1644) is a Flemish physician, alchemist / chemist and natural philosopher. A disciple of Paracelsus , he...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 233 min read
Catalase: Unseen Enzymes Essential to Life
Catalase is an enzyme found in carbon life forms, including humans. It's known for its exceptional ability to decompose hydrogen peroxide...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 194 min read
Microbes: Bacteria, Actinomycetes, Protozoa, Fungi & Viruses
Microbes are invisible and exist everywhere, in air, water and soil. Scientists find microbes living in the charred soil wildfires leave...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 154 min read
Gum Arabic (Acacia Gum) Art, Food & Medicine
Gum arabic, also known as acacia gum, is a natural substance derived from sap of Acacia trees, especially Acacia senegal . This sticky,...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 134 min read
Flowers of Sulfur (Brimstone): Creation & Uses
Flowers of Sulfur, often termed Flowers of Brimstone, are crumbly pale yellow powders popular with chemists, botanists, and artisans....
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 108 min read
Seven Deadly Diseases of the Renaissance
Some graphics may be disturbing. Disease in the European Renaissance takes a grave toll. Ancient killers include smallpox, malaria,...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 14 min read
Spirit of Wine of the Wise: Alchemy Recipe
Spirit of wine, or spirits of wine, is a common alchemical ingredient in medical remedies and recipes of chemical transformation. This...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 305 min read
Carbuncle: Red Stone of Magic & Medicine
Carbuncle has many meanings. Today it most often describes a deep red almandine garnet gemstone cut with a smooth, convex face or...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 285 min read
12 Renaissance Medicines & Treatments
In the Renaissance new healing treatments come to light, many based on ancient medicine. In the 17th and 18th century these include...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 253 min read
Oil of Philosophers: Alchemy Health & Beauty
Oil of Brick is known as Oil of Philosophers by alchemists and Oleum de Lateribus (Oil on the Sides) by apothecaries. This medicinal and...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 254 min read
Arcanum Joviale: Alchemy of Sudorific Sweat
Arcanum Joviale is an alchemy medicine made of metal salts, taken to induce sweating. While the term sudorific is introduced in 1626,...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 215 min read
10 Wise Plants & Herbs for the Elixir of Life
The Elixir of Life manifests as potion, tea, powder, water, oil or soluble salts. This mystical creation is said to bestow immortality or...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 193 min read
Lunar Caustic AgNO3: Lapis Infernalis of Alchemy
Lunar caustic ( lapis infernalis ), Höllenstein (hellstone) or silver nitrate ( argentinium nitrium ) is esteemed by alchemists of the...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 164 min read
Paracelsus: Renegade Renaissance Physician
Renegade physician Paracelsus is one of the most dramatic figures of the European Renaissance. Doctor, alchemist, astrologer,...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 163 min read
The Alembic: Essential Alchemy Equipment
The alembic is an essential alchemical tool. It functions like a retort, which in lead, iron or copper form has been used through...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 154 min read
Arnaldus de Villanova: Medieval Alchemist
Arnaldus de Villanova (1240 - 1311) is a prominent figure of medieval alchemy, literature and medicine. He comes from Spain, studies at...
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