litharge
Iraq
8th Century
Source: Sezgin, F. Chapter 8: Chemistry and Alchemy. In Geschichte des arabischen Schrifttums.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
litharge, vinegar
Preparation Steps
The material is used in a chemical procedure (tadbîr) to alter the qualitative characteristics of a substance on a quantitative basis. Adding litharge to vinegar alters its acidic taste, a process explained through the theory of 'ilm al-mizan (science of the balance), where specific characteristics (hawass) are based on numerically ascertainable proportions (p. 7).
Original Recipe Text
The material is used in a chemical procedure (tadbîr) to alter the qualitative characteristics of a substance on a quantitative basis. Adding litharge to vinegar alters its acidic taste, a process explained through the theory of 'ilm al-mizan (science of the balance), where specific characteristics (hawass) are based on numerically ascertainable proportions (p. 7).
Evidence
"If, e.g., vinegar loses its acidic taste when litharge is added, it means that vinegar had at first a specific composition which can be expressed in numbers and that this was altered through the addition of litharge which can likewise be expressed numerically."
Remarks
Litharge is cited as a prime example of Jabir b. Hayyan's belief in the mathematical order of the material world. Its ability to alter the composition of matter is used to justify the correctness of alchemical procedures when based on mathematical rationale (p. 7).
Scientific Analysis
Chemical CompositionPbO
Analytical Techniques
Textual analysis
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
RegionIraq
Approx. Year750
Source Information
AuthorSezgin, F. Chapter 8: Chemistry and Alchemy. In Geschichte des arabischen Schrifttums.
CollectionJabir b. Hayyan
Language
N/A
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