The Summa Perfectionis of Pseudo-Geber: A Critical Edition, Translation, and Study

by William R. Newman

Alchemy was a subject of no small controversy in the Middle Ages. To some scholastics, alchemy seemed to arrogate the power of divinity itself in its claim that man could replicate the products of nature by means of art; others viewed alchemy as a pure technology, unworthy of inclusion in a curriculum devoted to the study of scientiae. The Summa perfectionis of Pseudo-Geber, written around the end of the 13th century as a defense of the art, became `the Bible of the medieval alchemists,'and was still being used as late as the 17th century. The present work contains a critical edition, annotated translation, and commentary of the Summa.

Genres: Alchemy, Religion, Occult, Nonfiction

785 pages, Leather Bound

First published July 1, 1991

About the author

William R. Newman is the Ruth Halls Professor in the Department of the History and Philosophy of Science at Indiana University and the author of Gehennical Fire and Promethean Ambitions, as well as the coauthor of Alchemy Tried in the Fire (which was awarded the 2005 Pfizer Prize for the best book in the History of Science), all published by the University of Chicago Press.

Reviews

[Levi Gadd · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is often painfully hard to find any reliable resources on the art of alchemy. There is, for certain, a great deal of simple trash out there on the subject. William R. Newman, however, manages to create a masterful piece of scholarship while also being exceptionally readable. This tome of a textbook is one of the most reliable resources on the subject of general medieval alchemy, and is the best introduction for anyone keen on this great and ancient art.

The book begins with an introduction to the text of the Summa Perfectionis, as well as laying the groundwork for the Great Art and the philosophers with which it is concerned. Newman touches on the fascinating subject of the medieval debate over art: can art really surpass nature? If so, then is it possible for real gold to be made artificially? He expands on the philosophers’ beliefs about how metals like gold and silver are created in the earth’s crust. One will most commonly find the belief that all gold and silver are made by unique and highly specific ratios of sulphur, lead, and mercury, and additionally by the perfect balance of heat and cold.

Furthermore, Newman’s translation of the Summa Perfectionis itself is highly readable for the average reader, while still keeping its mysterious air and archaic diction. One will also find it greatly convenient that Newman provides a prolific amount of footnotes, which, with great insight, explain what is actually happening chemically in the experiments described throughout the corpus.

Though the way the alchemists viewed the world was fundamentally incorrect, we owe them a great debt, for without them modern chemistry itself would cease to exist. A great misconception, I believe, is that people think alchemists were simply mad wizards. That is evidently far from the truth. Their observant view of the world and of how it worked largely laid the foundation for the way the modern scientist goes about his work. Far from being mad, the medieval philosophers were the very beginning of modern scientific genius. One need only look back at real history to see that the inquisitive and curious mind of humanity, and the blessed ability to learn and pursue knowledge, is something that has never truly faded.