Here's what we got for the 1st chapter so far. (Attachment included)
What's needed:
Probably need to replace all repeating text -
"Alchemists enjoyed prestige and support through the centuries,
though not for their pursuit of those goals, nor the mystic and
philosophical speculation that dominates their literature. Rather it
was for their mundane contributions to the chemical industries of
the day the invention of gunpowder, ore testing and refining, metal
working, production or ink, dyes, paints, and cosmetics, leather
tanning, ceramics and glass manufacture, preparation of extracts &
liqours, and so on. It seems that the preparation of aqua vitae, the
“water of life”, was a fairly popular “experiment” among Europeans.
Potions, from antiquity until well into the Modern Age, a physics
devoid of metaphysical insight would have been as unsatisfying as
a metaphysics devoid of physical manifestation. For one thing, the
lack of common words for chemical concepts and processes, as well
as the need for secrecy, led alchemists to borrow the terms and
symbols of biblical and pagan mythology, astrology, kabbalah and
other mystic and esoteric fields so that even the plainest chemical
recipe ended up reading like an abstuse magic incantation.
The best known goals of the alchemists were the transmutation of
common metals into gold or silver (less well known is plant alchemy,
or “spagyric”); the creation of a “panacea,” a remedy that supposedly
would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely; and the
discovery of a universal solvent.
Although these were not the only uses for the science, they were the
ones most documented and well known. Starting with the Middle
Ages, European alchemists invested much effort on the search for
the “philosopher’s stone”, a legendary substance that was believed
to be an essential ingredient for either or both of those goals. The
philosopher’s stone was believed to mystically amplify the user’s
knowledge of alchemy so much that anything was attainable."
That would mean we need write ups for "The Right Use of the Ingredients", "The Right Dosage of Potions", and "Different Methods of Potion Preparations"
We also need "A Historical Potions Timeline" and "Practical Work".
