| Popis: |
FOR THE history of medieval Arabic chemistry, among the most rewarding texts are those devoted to the practical arts and their chemical technology. Unlike the alchemical works, these propaedeutic treatises are very objective with perhaps only a minor bit of fancy which might occasionally invade them. Alchemy, on the other hand, although it arose from solid experience and positive prac tise, was heavily colored by a chimerical imagination.1 In the early medieval period, chemical technology is described mainly in Latin, Persian, and Arabic texts. These texts are few but they have enriched our knowledge of this area out of all proportion to their number. The sources of these treatises are to be found in many geographical areas?in the Greek works of Alexandria and Byzanti um, in the oral literature of the practical workers in the arts at the time, and in earlier works of the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Indi ans, and Persians.2 A Persian text by Abulqasim 'Abdallah ibn Xli ibn Muham mad ibn abi T?hir of Kashan is concerned almost entirely with minerals and perfumes.3 The most significant chapter is its last, on faience and ceramic techniques. This section describes a technology which is rare in Arabic literature except for scattered fragments.4 Some important works for the history of chemical technology are by Muratori,5 ibn Badis,6 authors of pharmacological works,7 writers on agriculture,8 perfumery,9 warfare,10 and alchemy.11 Other texts, in cluding those on botany, zoology, travel, geography, and instruments, often contain fragmented information of a chemical nature. Texts devoted to the metallurgy of silver and gold only are not ex tant. However, some old Latin texts which contain material on this |
