CHEMISTRY IN THE MIDDLE AGES: 5 MAIN DISCOVERIES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The main discoveries of chemistry in the Middle Ages were, among others, gunpowder, sulfuric acid or the water bath. This is not a time when discoveries abound, since the great religious influence in social life prevented much research, especially in Europe. In fact, much of the new ideas were developed in China or Arab culture.

Chemistry is defined as the science in charge of studying the different components of matter, as well as their transformations when they face each other.

It is one of the fundamental sciences for the human being since, without it, the vast majority of medicines would not have been discovered.

5 Outstanding Discoveries of Chemistry in the Middle Ages

For many experts, talking about chemistry during this period is quite controversial. In reality, what is studied is the so-called alchemy, which mixes this science with others such as physics, metallurgy or medicine. Likewise, it has philosophical elements and, in Europe, it was related to esotericism.

The alchemists wanted to find a way to turn any metal into gold, transforming matter. Others, like Paracelsus, influenced its medical side.

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Gunpowder was created in China and not precisely to be used as a weapon. Paradoxically, his invention occurred when trying to invent an elixir of immortality. Later, writings from the 9th century already describe its potential as an explosive element.

The secret of the gunpowder will not arrive in Europe until some time later. The Byzantines and Arabs were the first to introduce it to the continent, around 1200 AD. Half a century later, Roger Bacon describes in one of his works how to produce it.

2- Water bath

Although it seems a minor discovery, the truth is that it was a great change both to develop some laboratory techniques, and to cook.

The legend says that it was invented by an alchemist named María de Alejandría (3rd century), known as María la Judía.

At first, sand and ash were used to raise the temperature of a container with water into which another container was introduced with what was really wanted to heat. Today it is widely used in pastry techniques.

3- Sulfuric acid

Sulfuric acid is one of the most powerful and corrosive chemical compounds out there. It is known that it was studied in the 8th century by the alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan and that, a century later, another Arab scientist, Ibn Zakariya al-Razi, was able to obtain the substance.

The Europeans, for their part, called this compound vitriol. Due to its characteristics, they considered it the most important chemical compound and tried to use it as a philosopher's stone.

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Although it is true that humans have always used substances to improve their body odor, the scientific approach to create them did not occur until the Middle Ages.

It is Al-Kindi, born in the 9th century, who wrote the first book on the subject: On the Chemistry of Perfume and Distillations. In his work he describes more than a hundred recipes to create this type of compounds, aromatic waters or substitutes for some drugs.

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The Arab Jabir Ibn Hayyan was the creator of the so-called absolute alcohol, today called ethanol. It is more pure chemistry than alchemy, being the mixture of various chemical elements.

Absolute alcohol was used, and is used, in the pharmaceutical industry. It is a very powerful disinfectant, just like an antifreeze.

References

1. Beginning. The serendipity of alchemy. Retrieved from principia.io
2. Alonso Giner, Mercedes. Impact of chemistry on society throughout history. Recovered from losavancesdelaquimica.com
3. Snell, Melissa. Alchemy in the Middle Ages. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
4. Khan Academy. From Alchemy to Chemistry. Retrieved from khanacademy.org
5. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray. History of Chemistry during Ancient and Medieval Ages. Retrieved from mtholyoke.edu