Alchemy started in the East with the mummification conducted by the ancient Egyptians and ended with the chemical revolution of Lavoisier. During this period man tried to adjust to his environment using natural products, whether mineral, vegetable, or animal. Fire played an important role in this respect. A vast literature was created that was transmitted to the West mainly by the Arabs. The chemical revolution took place in 1777, nearly at the same time as the Industrial Revolution. With it, alchemy came to an end and the age of chemistry, metallurgy, and colonisation of the East began.
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