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Alchemical Distillation Apparatus
Glass or metal distillation apparatus used in medieval alchemy and pharmacy to separate and purify volatile substances, centered on the retort and th…
Timeline
- 701–1000Baghdad · IraqIslamic alchemists of the 8th–10th centuries improved retort and condenser designs in Baghdad and elsewhere, using distillation to separate volatile spirits, laying the groundwork for later alcohol and medicinal tincture preparation in both apparatus and practice.
- 1101–1300Toledo · SpainArabic alchemical and pharmaceutical texts translated in Toledo and elsewhere in the 12th–13th centuries introduced illustrations and procedures of distillation apparatus to Latin Europe; monastery apothecaries and university medical faculties began equipping retorts for experimental distillation.
- 1210–1220Montpellier · FranceAround 1210–1220, medical faculties and monastery apothecaries such as those in Montpellier commonly used distillation apparatus to prepare medicinal alcohol and aromatic oils; distillation gradually transformed from an alchemical secret art into a teachable pharmaceutical technique.
Sources
- The Alchemy Reader — Stanton J. Linden (2003)
- Science in the Medieval World — Sa'id al-Andalusi (1991)