Chemistry, Medicine, and Gold‐Making: Tycho Brahe, Helwig Dieterich, Otto Tachenius, and Johann Glauber

17th century chemistry was concerned largely with iatrochemistry (medicinal chemistry) and the transmutation of metals, especially with the purpose of making gold. Thus, Johann Rudolph Glauber made a living making and selling chemicals such as nitric acid and medicaments such as aurum potabile (drinkable gold), but he also believed in the transmutation or “improvement” of metals and the “augmentation” of gold, and he sold recipes for such processes. This perspective aims to provide a snapshot of the range of 17th century chemistry by analysis of the efforts of four representatives to make drugs, chemicals, and gold. It will be concluded that early modern chemists were unable to break out from the conceptual doctrines imposed by Aristotle and Paracelsus, which made transmutation perfectly logical. No further scientific advance could be made until the idea that all things are composed of the same basic constituents was abandoned in favour of the atomic theory. Three major objectives of 17th century chemists were the preparation of proper chemicals, the preparation of herbal and inorganic medicines (iatrochemistry), and the making of gold by transmutation of lesser metals. The doctrines of Aristotle and Paracelsus that all things were made from the same, primary constituents, implied the feasibility of transmutation. In addition, much effort was expended in search of universal medicines and the universal solvent, the alkahest. The graphic shows Glauber's explosion of fulminating gold to obtain a medicinal gold tincture (adapted from Furni Philosophici, Part 2, Amsterdam, 1647. The red fumes have been added by the author).