Definition
Application of the principles of alchemy for medical purposes, in particular for the harmonization of human nature and extension of healthy life.
Overview
Medical alchemy, or the application of alchemy for medical purposes, has been long associated with the pursuit of human longevity and amelioration of the morbid aging process (Maxwell-Stuart 2012). Thus, alchemy can be considered one of the foundational elements in the history of gerontology (Stambler 2014). The beginning of flourishing of medical alchemy can be traced to the medieval Islamic (Arab and Persian) medical scholars who coined the term “al-kimia” where “al” is the Arabic definite article. However, the origins of the field are much earlier and more varied geographically, including precedents in ancient Egypt and ancient Greece that inspired the works of Islamic scholars. The etymologic suggestions for the origin of “kimia” include...
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References
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Stambler, I. (2019). Medical Alchemy in History. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_382-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_382-1
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
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