Minima Natura: The Theories of the Atom and Matter in the Latin Writings of Lucretius, Alchemists, and Boerhaave

This presentation will focus on the evolution of the atom and molecular chemistry throughout the history of Latin literature, focusing in particular on the work of Lucretius, the Alchemist writers (including Jerber) and up to the work of the chemist Boerhaave in the 18th century. These writers will be compared among themselves in terms of their ideas of the atom and atomic nature, and also to the more advanced theorists of the late 19th and early 20th century. Evidence is gathered from their Latin writings and also translated into English. This rich history found in the Latin sources illustrates how our modern notion of the atom evolved through those who wrote in Latin, and illustrates how much the later physicists and chemists borrowed from their terminology and methods