Related
Decorated initials from BL Sloane 1044, f. 155v
Apparatus from BL Sloane 3548, f. 25
Illuminated initial from BL Sloane 1056, f. 1v
Entombment from BL Sloane 2565, f. 132v
Decorated initials from BL Sloane 1044, f. 169v
Line-fillers from BL Sloane 1044, f. 94
Illuminated initial from BL Sloane 1044, f. 142
Plants from BL Sloane 4016, f. 104v
Decorated initial from BL Sloane 1044, f. 106v
Alchemical apparatus from BL Sloane 1091, f. 161v
Summary
Diagram of alchemical apparatus. Image taken from f. 161v of Miscellany, including the Rosarius minor (ff. 125-132); a version of De leone viridi (ff. 102-104). Written in English; Latin.
Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) was a physician and naturalist who played a crucial role in the development of British museums and libraries. Sloane was a fellow of the Royal Society and a physician to the royal family. He also traveled extensively and collected items from all over the world.
Sloane's collection was vast and eclectic, encompassing a wide range of subjects, including natural history, botany, ethnography, medicine, antiquities, and more. His manuscript collection included medieval and early modern texts, as well as materials from various cultures and time periods. His collection formed the basis for the British Museum (now part of the British Library), the Natural History Museum, and the British Museum Library (now part of the British Library).
A medieval philosophy having as its asserted aims the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity. It was practiced in most of the ancient world, from China and India to Greece. Alchemy migrated to Egypt and was later revived in 12th-century Europe through translations of Arabic texts into Latin. Medieval European alchemists made some useful discoveries, including mineral acids and alcohol. The revival led to the development of pharmacology and to the rise of modern chemistry. The gold-making processes of alchemists were finally discredited, but not until the 19th century.