Technikatörténeti szemle 22. (1996)

Papers from the Second International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Eger, Hungary, 16–19 August, 1995) - Pérez-Bustamente, A. Juan: The Holistic Concept of Alchemy

- pharmacologic alchemy (body healing) - materialistic alchemy (matter ennoblement) Noteworthy, all these considered projections exhibit quite common features implying the aims of purification and transmutation as applied to the human spirit (soteriological aspect), to the human body ("iatrochemistry", "chymiatria") or to inanimated matter (chemical alchemy). Such a holistic picture enables to understand easily the existing reciprocal relationships underlying the esoteric and exoteric aspects of traditional alchemy which can be envisaged both as a general mystical purification philosophy as well as a metaphysical philosophy of matter which can be used for the purpose of elaborating specially pure and active substances (elixirs, spirits, essences, quintaessences, arcana) suitable both for material and spiritual ennoblement of matter and the human body. In oriental alchemy the search for elixirs was focused mainly within a macrobiotic context, in connection with ascetic practices, towards the attainment of rejuvenation and inmortality while in occidental alchemy the projection of elixirs falls within a frame both of hylemorfism and stoicism conceptions and is focused mainly to the attainment of material transmutation and gnostic, neoplatonic and christian mysticism related to soteriological concepts (eternal salvation). The pharmacological aspect of elixirs although existing in hellenistic alchemy was specially important in Chinese and islamic Alchemy and became important in european Alchemy in the late mediaeval period (A. Vilanova and Rupescissa, specially) reaching a climax with Paracelsus (16th c.) leading to the "latrochemlcal, Revolution" of the 17th c. which can be envisaged as the confluence of oriental, islamic and european pharmacological aspect of Alchemy ("Iatrochemistry", "Chymiatria") which led stepwise to our actual concepts of pharmacology, pharmacotherapy, Medical Chemistry, etc. Many specific and subtle differences between oriental and occidental alchemies (for instance the concept of inmortality, the objectives of the elixirs, etc.) derive from the corresponding religious and moral basis underlying the particular cultures. As a result, western alchemy was profoundly impregnated successively by gnostic, stoic, neoplatonic and later on christian mystics and hermetic tenets while oriental alchemy is based on mysticism and ethics derived from vedic, brahmanic, budhist taoistic and tantrlc doctrines and ascetism which led to contemplative and quiestist philosophies seeking for rejuvenation, longevity and cosmic inmortality which could be obtained both by exoteric external or by esoteric internal (ascetic) alchemy. Life-giving, vital or animated elixirs such as "Potable Gold", "cinnabar-gold", etc. played a fundamental role in external Chinese alchemy in connection with the rejuvenation, etheralisation and spiritualization of the human body.