Basil Valentine: Secrets of Medieval Alchemy
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Basil Valentine or Basilius Valentinus is an enigmatic medieval Benedictine monk of Germany. It's thought to be a pseudonym, although the...
Sylvia Rose
Sep 134 min read
Zinc (Zn): Essential Metal in Alchemy & Medicine
Zinc (Zn) is an essential metal of life and one of the four components in the Tetrasomia of Maria in alchemy. The 30th element on the...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 83 min read
Moonwort (Botrychium Lunaria): Folklore, Magic and Medicine
Botrychium lunaria, lunary or common moonwort has a long history of use in folklore and medicine. It's found in the alchemy of Maria the...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 74 min read
Avicenna (Ibn Sina) Medieval Islamic Scientist
Avicenna also known as Ibn Sina, an Islamic visionary whose contributions span various including philosophy, theology, medicine and...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 52 min read
Bolus of Mendes: Healer Philosopher of Egypt
Bolos of Mendes (Bolus of Mendes) is a Neo-Pythagorean writer of the Nile Delta in the 3rd century BCE. He publishes several works under...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 273 min read
Alchemy & Renaissance Glass: Antonio Neri
Antonio Neri is a Renaissance Florentine priest, well known for contributions to alchemy and glassmaking. As a youth Neri is drawn to the...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 246 min read
Herbal Remedies in Medieval Alchemy
Herbal remedies are ubiquitous in medieval alchemy, a practice combining elements of science, spirituality, and mysticism. Recipes are...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 245 min read
4 Infused Wines of Ancient Medicine
Myrtle, Rose, Scammory and Flowers of Brass are four infused wines used medicinally in the ancient world. Infused wine in medicine often...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 214 min read
Urine in Medieval Alchemy & Medicine
In the medieval world, urine is a surprisingly versatile body fluid with a wide range of applications beyond the obvious disposal...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 216 min read
Phosphorus, Uroscopy & Power of Pee
Urine has medical and practical applications though history. Renaissance alchemist Hennig Brand discovers phosphorus by boiling his...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 173 min read
Sweet Wormwood: Malaria Miracle Cure
Artemisia annua or sweet wormwood appears in traditional Chinese medicine texts of Ge Hong ( 283 - 364 AD) as an early remedy to treat...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 173 min read
Ge Hong: Teachings Alchemy Medicine
Ge Hong (葛洪; Gě Hóng , 283 - 364 AD), or Zhichuan (稚川) is a Chinese linguist, philosopher, physician, alchemist and writer during the...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 175 min read
Malaria: Roman Fever & Renaissance Plague
The malaria parasite P. falciparum has existed for up to100,000 years. Its numbers rise c. 8000 BCE with the Neolithic Revolution....
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 135 min read
Alchemy: How to Make Rosaceum Oil
Rosaceum or rosaceum oil is used in alchemical recipes for coloring gold or gems, and also has medicinal properties found in texts such...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 134 min read
Dioscorides: Natural Medicine of Ancients
Pedanius Dioscorides is a surgeon in the army of Emperor Nero . His knowledge of surgery and other medical skills suggests study in...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 135 min read
Vinegar Cures of Physician Dioscorides
Pedanius Dioscorides (c. 40 - 90 AD), a Greek physician. is known as the father of pharmacognosy. Pharmacologist, botanist and prolific...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 65 min read
Celandine: Plant Toxins & Medicine
Celandine (Chelidonium majus) is a popular medicinal plant in the ancient world, also appearing in gold-making recipes of alchemists. Use...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 28 min read
Alexandria: Jewel of Ancient History
Alexandria is on the Mediterranean coast at the Egyptian settlement Rhacotis, later the Egyptian quarter of the city. Due to its vast...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 294 min read
Theriac: Miracle Snake Venom Potion
Making a proper theriac takes months. The recipe calls for plants collected in season, and the distillation or fermentation of herbs,...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 275 min read
Four Humors & Medical Stagnation
The theory of the four humors dominates medicine for two thousand years. Since the time of the ancient Greeks to the 19th century, humor...
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