Assignment title:
Question 9) What was alchemy? What later subjects did it embrace? What was the philosopher's stone? Compare and contrast the alchemical traditions associated with Jabir ibn Hayyan and al-Razi.
Islamic scholars wanted to utilize their knowledge and to apply philosophy to the material world. "Alchemy was in some ways the precursor to the modern material sciences of pharmacology (iatrochemistry), chemistry, mining and smelting, and parts of physics and engineering, as well as aspects of biology such as the study of fermentation, decay and reproduction. At a basic level, alchemists were trying to identify, classify, and systematically produce useful or ...
