The Sceptical Chymist

"Alchemy is dead; long live Chemistry."

Robert Boyle attacks the ancient Greek theory of the four elements (earth, air, fire, water) and the alchemical principles of salt, sulfur, and mercury. He proposes instead that matter is made of "corpuscles" (atoms) and defines the modern concept of a chemical element.

This is the book that separated chemistry from alchemy. It marks the transition from magic and mysticism to rigorous experiment and the atomic theory. Essential for understanding the history of science.