Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The role of gold in alchemy. Part III

  • Published:
Gold Bulletin Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Through the centuries gold-making has been alternately encouraged and banned by rulers and clergy, and the number of alleged transmutations is considerable. Undoubtedly, deliberate fraud or deception was involved although often it cannot be proved from the historical accounts. With the advent of modern nuclear physics and chemistry the alchemist’s goal of transmutation has finally been realized, although the process is far from cost-effective.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Egyptian directions for preparing alloys resembling silver and gold are given in ref. 67a

  2. G.M. Ross, ‘Leibniz’, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  3. J. Lenihan, ‘Science in Action’, The Institute of Physics, Bristol and London, 1979, pp. 179–180

    Google Scholar 

  4. E.R. Caley,J. Chem. Educ., 1926,3, 1149–1166; 1927,4, 979–1002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. J.R. Partington, ‘A Short History of Chemistry’, 3rd Ed., Harper & Brothers, New York, 1957, p, 17

    Google Scholar 

  6. A. de Rochas,Popular Science Monthly, 1980,36, (6), 814–820

    Google Scholar 

  7. É.-F. Geoffroy,Mém., Acad. Roy. Sci., Paris,1722, 61

  8. J. van Lennep, ‘Art & Alchimie: Étude del’lconographieHermétique et de ses influences’, Éditions Meddens, Paris, Brussels, 1966

    Google Scholar 

  9. N. Lenglet Dufresnoy, ‘Histoire de la Philosophie Hermétique’, Constelier, Paris, 1742, Vol. 2, pp. 35–40

    Google Scholar 

  10. For example, the review,L’Initiation, founded in 1888 by the celebrated Parisian occultist Papus, is still published in Paris by his son Dr. Philippe Encausse. August Strindberg published a number of his ‘scientific’ works in this review. For a biography of Papus see P. Encausse, ‘Papus (Dr. Gérard Encausse): Le “Balzac de l’Occultisme”: Vingt-Cinq Années d’Occultisme Occidental’, Pierre Belfond, Paris, 1949

  11. Paracelsus College, Utah Institute of Parachemistry, P.O. Box 6006, Salt Lake City, Utah 84106, ‘a non-profit educational institution formerly named Paracelsus Research Society, chartered by the State of Utah in 1963 and recognized by the Government of the United States of America’, carries out ‘research in laboratory alchemy and related subjects,…publishes a quarterly journal “Essentia” [and provides] two-week residential classes… with dormitory facilities provided for a nominal fee,… Tuition is free for those accepted’ (letter from Viola Engel to George B. Kauffman, May 15th, 1981). The recent death of Frater Albertus, the college’s founder and Prime Teacher, has caused an interruption in its activities.

  12. H. Davy, ‘Elements of Chemical Philosophy’, J.Johnson & Co., London, 1812, Vol. 1, pp. 478–489

    Google Scholar 

  13. Anon. [W. Prout],Ann. Phil., 1815,6, 321–330; 1816,7, 111–113; reprinted in L. Dobbin and J. Kendall, ‘Prout’s Hypothesis’, Alembic Club Reprint No, 20, Edinburgh, 1932 and in D.M. Knight (Editor), ‘Classical Scientific Papers — Chemistry, Second Series’, American Elsevier Publishing Co., New York, 1970, pp. 17–29. See also O.T. Benfey,J. Chem. Educ., 1952,29, 78–81; W.H. Brock,Medical History, 1965,9, 101–106;Ann. Sci., 1969,25, 49–80, 127–137; D.F. Larder,Centaurus, 1970,15, 44–50

  14. W. Crookes,J. Chem. Soc., 1883,53, 487–504;Reports of the British Association, 1886, pp. 558–576; ‘Genesis of the Elements: A Lecture delivered at the Royal Institution, on Friday Evening, February 18, 1887’, [n.p.] London, 1887;Chem. News, 1889,60, 27–30, 39–41; 51–53; 63–66

    Google Scholar 

  15. W.V. Farrar,Brit. J. Hist. Sci., 1965,2, 297–323; D.M. Knight, ‘The Transcendental Part of Chemistry’, Dawson Publishing Co., Folkestone, Kent, England, 1978

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. F. Jollivet-Castelot, ‘La vic et l’âme de la matière: Essai de physiologie chimique; Études de dynamochimie’, Société d’Éditions scientifiques, Paris, 1894; ‘La révolution chimique et la transmutation des métaux’, Chacornac, Paris, 1925; ‘Études d’hyperchimie, chimie et alchimie’, Émile Noury, Paris, 1928; ‘La fabrication chimique de l’or: procédés Jollivet-Castelot’, Douai, 1928

    Google Scholar 

  17. R.F. Trimble,J. Chem. Educ., 1980,57, 645–646;The Hexagon, 1981,71, (3), 41–44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. R. Schwabele,L’Echo de Mines et de la Métallurgie, 1904, 1341

  19. A. Mercier,Rev. litt. comparée, 1969,43, 23–46

    Google Scholar 

  20. A. Cockren,Occult Rev., 1942,69, (2), 61–62, 65;Light, 1942,62, (3213), 257–258

    Google Scholar 

  21. C.R. Cammell, ‘Heart of Scotland’, Robert Hale, London, 1956

    Google Scholar 

  22. Fulcanelli, ‘Le mystère des Cathédrales et l’Interprétation Esotérique des Symboles Hermétiques du Grand-Oeuvre’, J. Schemit, Paris, 1926; ‘The Mystery of the Cathedrals: Esoteric Interpretation of the Hermetic Symbols of the Great Work’, transl. from the French by M. Sworder with prefaces by E. Canseliet, introd. by W. Lang, Neville Spearman, London, 1971. See also Fulcanelli, ‘Les Demeures philosophales et le symbolisme hermétique dans ses rapports avec l’Art sacré et l’ésotérisme du Grand Oeuvre’, J. Schemit, Paris, 1930

  23. E. Rutherford, ‘The Newer Alchemy: The Transmutation of Elements’, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1937

    Google Scholar 

  24. T.J. Trenn, ‘Transmutation: Natural and Artificial’, Heyden & Son, London, Philadelphia, Rheine, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  25. A. Romer (Editor), ‘The Discovery of Radioactivity and Transmutation’, Dover Publications, New York, 1964

    Google Scholar 

  26. H. Becquerel,Compt. rend., 1896,122, 420–421, 501–503, 689–694, 1086–1088

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. J.J. Thomson,Electrician, 1897,39, 104–108;Proc. Roy. Inst.,1897, 418–432;Phil. Mag., 1897,44, 293

    Google Scholar 

  28. E. Rutherford and F. SoddyJ. Chem. Soc., 1902,81, 321–350, 837–860;Phil. Mag., 1902, [6]4, 584–585; 1903, [6]5, 576–591;

    Google Scholar 

  29. W. Ramsay and F. Soddy,Nature, 1903,68, 246. These articles are reprinted in ref. 179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. T.J. Trenn, ‘The Self-Splitting Atom: The History of the Rutherford-Soddy Collaboration’, Taylor & Francis, London, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  31. E. Rutherford,Phil. Mag., 1919,37, 537, 562, 571, 581;Proc. Roy. Soc., 1920, 97A, 374–400; T.J. Trenn,Ambix, 1974,21, 53–77

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. F. Joliot and I. Curie,Compt. rend., 1934,198, 254–256;J. Phys. Radium, 1934,5, 153–156

    Google Scholar 

  33. E. Fermi, E. Amaldi, O. D’Agostino, F. Rasetti and E. Segrè,Proc. Roy. Soc., 1934,A146, 483–500

    Google Scholar 

  34. J. Chadwick,Proc. Roy. Soc., 1932,A136, 692–708; 1933,A142, 1–25; H.A. Shadduck,J. Chem. Educ., 1936,13, 303–308

    Google Scholar 

  35. O. Hahn and F. Strassmann.Naturwiss., 1939,27, 451–453; O. Hahn,Scientific American, 1958,198, 76–84; H.G. Graetzer and D.L. Anderson, ‘The Discovery of Nuclear Fission’, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1971

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. H.D. Smyth, ‘A General Account of the Development of Methods of Using Atomic Energy for Military Purposes under the Auspices of the United States Government 1940–45’, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1945; F. Soddy, ‘The Story of Atomic Energy’, New Atlantis, London, 1949

    Google Scholar 

  37. G.T. Seaborg, ‘The Transuranium Elements’, Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, 1958; ‘Man-made Transuranium Elements’, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1963; ‘Transuranium Elements: Products of Modern Alchemy’, Dowden, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, 1978

    Book  Google Scholar 

  38. D.S. Greenberg,Omni Jan., 1981,3, (4), 52–54, 109; R.B. McColm,Omni, Jan., 1981,3, (4), 46–51, 86–88; T. Kidder,Science 82, Mar., 1982, No. 2, 54–64; R.W. Conn,Scientific American, Oct., 1983,249, (4), 60–71; D.E. Thomsen,Science News, 1984,125, (1), 10–11; J.L. Bromberg, ‘Fusion: Science, Politics and the Invention of a New Energy Source’, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  39. A. Gaschler.Z angew. Chem., 1924,37, 666–667; A. Miethe,Naturwiss., 1924,12, 597–598; 1925,13, 635–637; A. Miethe and H. Stammreich,Naturwiss., 1924,12, 1211–1212; Zanorg. Chem., 1926,158, 185–243; H. Stammreich,Naturwiss., 1924,13, 744–745; H. Nagaoka,Naturwiss., 1925,13, 682–684;J Phys. Rad., 1924, [5]6, 209–216;Nature, 1925,116, 95–96; see also F. Soddy,Nature, 1924,114, 244–245

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. O. Hönigschmid and E. Zintl,Naturwiss., 1925,13, 644;Z. anorg. Chem., 1925,147, 262–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. F.W. Aston,Nature, 1925,116, 208

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. E. Tiede, A. Schleede and F. Goldschmidt,Naturwiss., 1925,13, 745–746;Ber., 1926,59, 1629–1641;or]195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Anon.,Scientific American, 1925,33, 296–298;

    Google Scholar 

  44. H.H. Sheldon and R.S. Estey,Ind. Eng. Chem., News Ed., 1926,4, (23), 5–7;

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. M.W. Garret,Nature, 1926,118, 84;Proc. Roy. Soc., 1926,A112, 391–406;

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. E. Paternò,Atti Accad. Lincei, 1926, [6]4, 541–544;Gazz. chim. ital., 1926, 57, 25–28;

    Google Scholar 

  47. F. Bernardt,Phys. Z., 1926,27, 713–715;

    Google Scholar 

  48. E. Duhme and A. Lotz,Ber., 1926,59, 1649–1651;Z. anorg. Chem., 1927,161, 180–182;

    Google Scholar 

  49. E.H. Riesenfeld and W. Haase,Naturwiss., 1925,13, 745; 1925,58, 2828–2834;Ber., 1926,59, 1625–1629;

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. W. Machu,Österr. Chem. Ztg., 1938,41, 376–381

    Google Scholar 

  51. F. Haber, J. Jaenicke and F. Matthias,Ber, 1926,59, 1641–1648; Z.anorg. Chem., 1926,153, 153–183

    Google Scholar 

  52. R. Sherr, K.T. Bainbridge and H.H. Anderson,Phys. Rev., 1941,60, 473–479

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. P. Bendix,LBL Magazine, Fall, 1980, 29–30; K. Aleklett, D.J. Morrissey, G.T, Seaborg and W. Loveland, ‘Production of Gold Isotopes by Relativistic Heavy Ion Reactions with Bismuth’, paper presented before the Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, 179th National Meeting, American Chemical Society, Houston, Texas, 1980, 24th March; K. Aleklett. D.J. Morrissey, W. Loveland, P.J. McGaughey and G.T. Seaborg,Phys. Rev. C., 1981,23, 1044–1046

  54. F. Soddy, ‘The Evolution of Matter’,Aberdeen University Review, Feb., 1917, reprinted in ‘Science and Life: Aberdeen Addresses’, E.P. Dutton & Co., New York, 1920, p. 107

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, California State University, 93740, Fresno, California, USA

    George B. Kauffman

Authors
  1. George B. Kauffman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kauffman, G.B. The role of gold in alchemy. Part III. Gold Bull 18, 109–119 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214693

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214693

Keywords

Search

Navigation