Achemy

The Alchemist Michał Sędziwój, a painting from Julian Tuwim's collection, XIX century

 Although alchemy may have a rather tarnished reputation today it was, in fact, the beginning of modern biology, medicine and chemistry.

Alchemists were, as a whole, focused on finding means of perfection. For some that meant finding a universal medicine that could cure any disease. For others, it meant seeking out the universal solvent - something that could dissolve any solid. For still others, it involved attempting to purify metals.

Much of European alchemy was focused on the creation of the Philosopher's Stone (or the Sorcerer's Stone for Harry Potter fans in the United States). It was believed at the time, the all metals were made of gold (the pure metal) with varying degrees and types of impurities. Thus, if you could remove the impurities, you would be left with gold.

Further, it was thought that since all people drink and all people die that perhaps the cause of death was (at least indirectly) impurities in the things that people drank. Something that could remove those impurities would create an "Elixir of Life" that would keep someone alive indefinitely.

Although this clearly did not work, the alchemists laid the groundwork for our understanding of common metals and non-metals, common elements, reactions, gas behavior, solvents, and more.

Although many alchemists used secret symbols and codes to hide their experimentation from prying eyes, their recording of experiments and, eventually, their sharing and publishing discoveries led to the beginnings of what we now know of as chemistry.