Download or read book The Quest for Aqua Vitae written by Seth C. Rasmussen and published by Springer Science & Business. This book was released on 2014-04-23 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is one of the most ubiquitous chemical compounds in the history of the chemical sciences. The generation of alcohol via fermentation is also one of the oldest forms of chemical technology, with the production of fermented beverages such as mead, beer and wine predating the smelting of metals. By the 12th century, the ability to isolate alcohol from wine had moved this chemical species from a simple component of alcoholic beverages to both a new medicine and a powerful new solvent. Of course, this also began the long tradition of production of liqueurs and strong spirits for consumption. The use of alcohol as a fuel, however, did not occur until significantly later periods. This volume presents a general overview of the early history and chemistry of alcohol production and isolation, as well as a discussion of its early uses in both the chemical arts and medicine.

Download or read book The Quest for the Phoenix written by Hereward Tilton and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2012-10-24 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author presents with this intellectual biography of the Lutheran alchemist Count Michael Maier an academic study of western esotericism in general and to the study of alchemy and rosicrucianism in particular. The author charts the development of Maier's Hermetic worldview in the context of his service at the courts of Emperor Rudolf II and Moritz of Hessen-Kassel. The problem of the nature of early Rosicrucianism is addressed in detail with reference to Maier's role in the promotion of this "serious jest" in the years immediately prior to the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War. The work is set in the context of ongoing debates concerning the nature of early modern alchemy and its role in the history of Western esotericism.

Download or read book Doctors and Distillers written by Camper English and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-07-19 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “At last, a definitive guide to the medicinal origins of every bottle behind the bar! This is the cocktail book of the year, if not the decade.” —Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist and Wicked Plants “A fascinating book that makes a brilliant historical case for what I’ve been saying all along: alcohol is good for you…okay maybe it’s not technically good for you, but [English] shows that through most of human history, it’s sure beat the heck out of water.” —Alton Brown, creator of Good Eats Beer-based wound care, deworming with wine, whiskey for snakebites, and medicinal mixers to defeat malaria, scurvy, and plague: how today's tipples were the tonics of old. Alcohol and Medicine have an inextricably intertwined history, with innovations in each altering the path of the other. The story stretches back to ancient times, when beer and wine were used to provide nutrition and hydration, and were employed as solvents for healing botanicals. Over time, alchemists distilled elixirs designed to cure all diseases, monastic apothecaries developed mystical botanical liqueurs, traveling physicians concocted dubious intoxicating nostrums, and the drinks we’re familiar with today began to take form. In turn, scientists studied fermentation and formed the germ theory of disease, and developed an understanding of elemental gases and anesthetics. Modern cocktails like the Old-Fashioned, Gimlet, and Gin and Tonic were born as delicious remedies for diseases and discomforts. In Doctors and Distillers, cocktails and spirits expert Camper English reveals how and why the contents of our medicine and liquor cabinets were, until surprisingly recently, one and the same.

Download or read book Roger Bacon and the Incorruptible Human 1220 1292 written by Meagan S. Allen and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-01-01 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the Franciscan alchemist Roger Bacon’s (1220-1292) interest in the role of alchemy in medicine, and how this interest connected with the thirteenth-century milieu in which he was writing. Though twelfth-century Latin alchemy had largely been concerned with transmuting base metals into noble ones, Bacon believed that the natural principles taught in alchemy would be better used in medicine. In an age where many physicians were theorizing about ways to prevent the effects of aging, Bacon held that combining alchemy and humoral medicine would allow one to extend their life by decades, even centuries. By examining Bacon’s alchemical, medical, and mathematical works, this book argues that Bacon combined a number of sources to create a unique plan for prolonging human life. His understanding of disease and aging was ultimately Galenic in nature, and his understanding of how pharmaceuticals work can be traced back to his mathematical theories, especially that of the multiplication of species. The book provides a new system for organizing Bacon’s alchemically-produced medicines, and explains what Bacon saw as the difference between each, and how they could have different physiological effects. Bacon is situated within the thirteenth-century contexts in which he was writing – that of the university-educated and newly professionalized medical practitioners, who were invested in finding ways to extend human life; and the Franciscan order, with their understanding of the innate goodness of the physical body, the resurrection, and corporeal union with God. Filling a major lacuna in scholarship on the history of medieval medical writings, this book provides vital reading for historians of medicine, pre- and early modern European science, and medieval philosophy and religion.

Download or read book Newton the Alchemist written by William R. Newman and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-12-11 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A book that finally demystifies Newton’s experiments in alchemy When Isaac Newton’s alchemical papers surfaced at a Sotheby’s auction in 1936, the quantity and seeming incoherence of the manuscripts were shocking. No longer the exemplar of Enlightenment rationality, the legendary physicist suddenly became “the last of the magicians.” Newton the Alchemist unlocks the secrets of Newton’s alchemical quest, providing a radically new understanding of the uncommon genius who probed nature at its deepest levels in pursuit of empirical knowledge. In this evocative and superbly written book, William Newman blends in-depth analysis of newly available texts with laboratory replications of Newton’s actual experiments in alchemy. He does not justify Newton’s alchemical research as part of a religious search for God in the physical world, nor does he argue that Newton studied alchemy to learn about gravitational attraction. Newman traces the evolution of Newton’s alchemical ideas and practices over a span of more than three decades, showing how they proved fruitful in diverse scientific fields. A precise experimenter in the realm of “chymistry,” Newton put the riddles of alchemy to the test in his lab. He also used ideas drawn from the alchemical texts to great effect in his optical experimentation. In his hands, alchemy was a tool for attaining the material benefits associated with the philosopher’s stone and an instrument for acquiring scientific knowledge of the most sophisticated kind. Newton the Alchemist provides rare insights into a man who was neither Enlightenment rationalist nor irrational magus, but rather an alchemist who sought through experiment and empiricism to alter nature at its very heart.

Download or read book A History of Taxation and Taxes in England from the Earliest Times to the Year 1885 written by Stephen Dowell and published by . This book was released on 1888 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Elixir written by Theresa Levitt and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2023-04-25 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A story of alchemy in Bohemian Paris, where two scientific outcasts discovered a fundamental distinction between natural and synthetic chemicals that inaugurated an enduring scientific mystery. For centuries, scientists believed that living matter possessed a special quality—a spirit or essence—that differentiated it from nonliving matter. But by the nineteenth century, the scientific consensus was that the building blocks of one were identical to the building blocks of the other. Elixir tells the story of two young chemists who were not convinced, and how their work rewrote the boundary between life and nonlife. In the 1830s, Édouard Laugier and Auguste Laurent were working in Laugier Père et Fils, the oldest perfume house in Paris. By day they prepared the perfumery’s revitalizing elixirs and rejuvenating eaux, drawing on alchemical traditions that equated a plant’s vitality with its aroma. In their spare time they hunted the vital force that promised to reveal the secret to life itself. Their ideas, roundly condemned by established chemists, led to the discovery of structural differences between naturally occurring molecules and their synthetic counterparts, even when the molecules were chemically identical. Scientists still can’t explain this anomaly, but it may point to critical insights concerning the origins of life on Earth. Rich in sparks and smells, brimming with eccentric characters, experimental daring, and the romance of the Bohemian salon, Elixir is a fascinating cultural and scientific history.

Download or read book Archaeological Chemistry written by Mary Virginia Orna and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2020-11-24 with total page 519 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Highlighting its broad, multidisciplinary nature, this volume presents new research and applications in the field of archaeological chemistry, which focuses on the application of chemical techniques to the study of the material remains of the cultures of historical or prehistorical peoples. Consisting of 18 chapters written by a diverse collection of international authors, this volume highlights new research in archaeological chemistry, and shows how the field combines aspects of analytical chemistry, history, archaeology, and materials science. Current efforts to include archaeological chemistry in science education are also presented. As this book utilizes current scientific advances to better understand our past, it will be of broad general interest to the chemical, archaeological, and historical communities.

Download or read book Royal Tour written by Amy Alward and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-10-18 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sam Kemi is off on another Hunt around the world, chasing secret potions and magic diaries in the second novel of the “charming and humorous” (Kirkus Reviews) Potion Diaries series. After winning the Wilde Hunt, things are looking up for Sam Kemi and her family’s potion business—until suddenly they aren’t... When someone goes after her grandfather, stealing his memories and priceless knowledge, the Kemi’s Potion Shop is forced to close and Sam is left scrambling for answers—without her grandfather’s help. Part of Ostanes’s mind is trapped in those memories, and without them he’s lost and confused. And the more time passes, the worse his condition becomes. Hoping to reverse the effect of dark potions on the body, someone is looking for the recipe for aqua vitae—an elixir that can cure any illness—lost in the pages of an old Kemi family diary. But aqua vitae could also be the key to bringing her grandfather back, and that’s all Sam really wants. Determined to find Ostanes’s memories and the recipe first, Sam finds herself on the most important and perilous Hunt of her life.

Download or read book 99 Drams of Whiskey written by Kate Hopkins and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2009-05-26 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kate Hopkins knew there had to be more to whiskey than using it as a mixer. She had an unquenchable thirst to learn more about "the drink" and set out on an ambitious itinerary researching its history. Combining comprehensive research with informal narrative, Hopkins entertains and educates the readers on whiskey's place in the history of the world. She visited historians and pub owners, went to distilleries owned by corporations who sell thousands of gallons per day, and artisans who sell thousands of gallons per year, and interviewed the aficionados and the common drinkers, because one of the best aspects of whiskey is not just its taste, but the stories about the drink that are told around the bar. As an added bonus, she discusses the fine art of distilling, the proper ways to drink whiskey, and provides tasting notes on different brands, all in the hope of discovering the best shot of the liquor.

Download or read book Mendeleyev s Dream written by Paul Strathern and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2014-06-10 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this elegant, erudite, but entertaining book, Paul Strathern, the award-winning novelist and expositor of complex ideas, unravels the dramatic history of chemistry through the quest for the elements. Framing this history is the life story of the nineteenth-century Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleyev, who fell asleep at his desk and awoke after conceiving the periodic table in a dream--the template upon which modern chemistry is founded and the formulation of which marked chemistry's coming of age as a science. From ancient philosophy through medieval alchemy to the splitting of the atom, Mendeleyev's Dream is the true story of the birth of chemistry and the role of one man's dream.

Download or read book The New Kindred Spirits written by F. Paul Pacult and published by BenBella Books. This book was released on 2021-06-01 with total page 641 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The All-New Bible of Spirits In 2008, F. Paul Pacult published the second edition of his groundbreaking book of reviews, Kindred Spirits. In the dozen years since, interest in distilled spirits has exploded, and craft distilleries have popped up around the country and the world. Now, in The New Kindred Spirits, Pacult provides a new and comprehensive compilation of more than 2,400 detailed evaluations of whiskeys, brandies, vodkas, tequilas, rums, gins, and liqueurs—an indispensable reference for any spirits enthusiast or professional. The New Kindred Spirits is essential for: • Consumers who are just beginning their personal adventure in spirits and want the dependable tutelage of the expert whom Imbibe Magazine recently called "…an all-knowing spirituous oracle, a J.D. Power of liquor." • Seasoned spirits consumers looking to expand their repertoire and in need of a reliable, highly detailed purchasing guide. • Industry insiders who would like to increase their knowledge about all spirits categories—and see what the competition is up to. • Retailers looking for both a trusted guide to help their clientele make buying decisions, and an educational textbook for their sales staff. • Restauranteurs/bar owners/bartenders who sell spirits and need to know more about them in a time of increasingly knowledgeable customers. • Journalists, educators and other writers who regularly or occasionally cover or teach distilled spirits and mixology. New in this edition, The New Kindred Spirits will also cover the craft distiller explosion—wherein thousands of small, independent distillers burst onto the scene—through hundreds of reviews of craft spirits. The world's most respected and trusted spirits authority, F. Paul Pacult is a critic, journalist, and the creator of F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal, which provided meticulous and unbiased spirits reviews for twenty-eight years. But whether reviewing old standby spirits or up-and-comers, readers can count on Paul's steely, unemotional critic's eye, just as they have since 1991. More comprehensive than ever before, The New Kindreds Spirits remains true to the guiding principles of careful judgment, no advertising allowed, occasional wisecracks, and totally unbiased opinions.

Download or read book Liqueur written by Lesley Jacobs Solmonson and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2024-07-06 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to the cultural history of liqueurs from a celebrated spirits journalist. The original recreational spirit, liqueurs traveled the Silk Road, awaited travelers at the Fountain of Youth, and traversed the globe from ancient times through the industrial revolution and beyond. In this thrilling exploration of liqueur’s global history, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson describes how a bitter, medicinal elixir distilled by early alchemists developed into a sugar- and spice-fueled luxury for the rich before garnishing a variety of cocktails the world over. The book invites readers on a multi-faceted journey through culinary history, driven by humanity’s ages-long desire for pleasure.

Download or read book A History of Taxation and Taxes in England written by Stephen Dowell and published by . This book was released on 1884 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Alexander the Great in the Persian Tradition written by Haila Manteghi and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-02-28 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alexander the Great (356-333 BC) was transformed into a legend by all those he met, leaving an enduring tradition of romances across the world. Aside from its penetration into every language of medieval Europe, the Alexander romance arguably had its greatest impact in the Persian language.Haila Manteghi here offers a complete survey of that deep tradition, ranging from analysis of classical Persian poetry to popular romances and medieval Arabic historiography. She explores how the Greek work first entered the Persian literary tradition and traces the development of its influence, before revealing the remarkable way in which Alexander became as central to the Persian tradition as any other hero or king. And, importantly, by focusing on the often-overlooked early medieval Persian period, she also demonstrates that a positive view of Alexander developed in Arabic and Persian literature before the Islamic era. Drawing on an impressive range of sources in various languages - including Persian, Arabic and Greek - Manteghi provides a profound new contribution to the study of the Alexander romances.Beautifully written and with vibrant literary motifs, this book is important reading for all those with an interest in Alexander, classical and medieval Persian history, the early Islamic world and classical reception studies.

Download or read book Anna of Saxony written by Ingrun Mann and published by Winged Hussar Publishing. This book was released on 2017-01-23 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since her early youth at the glittering court of Dresden, Anna had been known as a difficult child and troublemaker. Servants complained about her violent outbursts, while courtiers bemoaned her general disregard for aristocratic female etiquette. Upon reaching her teenage years, the princess’ guardians decided that Saxony’s enfant terrible should leave home as quickly as possible by marrying a foreign suitor in a preferably far-away land. Enter William of Orange: handsome, charming, and heir to one of the Netherlands’ largest estates. The fact that he was also a profligate partier and lover of women was conveniently overlooked. Anna immediately fell for the Dutch bon vivant despite warnings from a few well-meaning relatives. For one, William was a Catholic, while Anna adhered to the Protestant teachings of Martin Luther, critical voices cautioned, correctly predicting future trouble for the princess in the Catholic Netherlands. Furthermore, the prince’s liege lord, the fanatical Philip II of Spain, very much disapproved of a match between his premier vassal and a “Lutheran heretic.” There was also the issue of plain Anna’s growing obsession with the roguish William; an obsession that was not reciprocated. In the end, the impetuous princess threw caution to the wind. No other than William would do for a husband, she insisted, while publicly announcing that “every vein in my body heartily loves him.”

Download or read book Fermented Beverages written by Alexandru Grumezescu and published by Woodhead Publishing. This book was released on 2019-03-05 with total page 676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fermented Beverages, Volume Five, the latest release in The Science of Beverages series, examines emerging trends and applications of different fermented beverages, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The book discusses processing techniques and microbiological methods for each classification, their potential health benefits, and overall functional properties. The book provides an excellent resource to broaden the reader's understanding of different fermented beverages. It is ideal for research and development professionals who are working in the area of new products. - Presents research examples to help solve problems and optimize production - Provides recent technologies used for quality analysis - Includes industry formulations for different beverages to increase productivity and innovation - Includes common industry formulations to foster the creation of new products