Editing Azoth (section)

{{Short description|Idealized substance in alchemy}}
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{{rewrite|date=March 2017}}{{Citations needed|date=June 2023}}}}[[Image:Fotothek df tg 0008247 Theosophie ^ Alchemie ^ Hermetik.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Fourth woodcut illustration from [[Basil Valentine]]'s ''Azoth'' (1613)]][[File:Fotothek df tg 0008248 Theosophie ^ Alchemie ^ Hermetik.jpg|thumb|Sixth woodcut from the series in [[Basil Valentine]]'s ''Azoth'']]'''Azoth''' is a universal remedy or potent [[solvent]] sought after in the realm of [[alchemy]], akin to [[alkahest]]—a distinct alchemical substance. The quest for Azoth was the crux of numerous alchemical endeavors, symbolized by the [[Caduceus]]. Initially coined to denote an esoteric formula pursued by alchemists, akin to the [[Philosopher's stone|Philosopher's Stone]], the term ''Azoth'' later evolved into a poetic expression for the element [[Mercury (element)|mercury]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}} The etymology of 'Azoth' traces to [[Medieval Latin]] as a modification of 'azoc,' ultimately derived from the [[Arabic]] ''al-za'buq'' (الزئبق), meaning 'the mercury.'<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Definition of Azoth |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/azoth |access-date=22 July 2013 |publisher=Merriam-Webster Dictionary}}</ref>

The scientific community does not recognize the existence of this substance. The myth of Azoth may stem from misinterpreted observations of solvents like mercury, capable of dissolving gold. Additionally, the myth might have been fueled by the occult inclinations nurtured by alchemists, who rooted and steered their chemical explorations in superstitions and dogmas.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}