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CHEMIST
ZOSIMUS OF PANOPOLIS (fl. early 4th century AD)
Life
Zosimus was from Panopolis in Upper Egypt, but lived in Alexandria. A student of Porphyry, he was the first to distinguish Physics and Chemistry as separate sciences, and the first to use the term "chemistry". He is cited by Synesius.
Work
His main work was an encyclopaedia on chemistry in 28 books, five of which are extant:
1. On the evaporation of sulphur water (mercury).
2. True account of the sacred and divine art making gold and silver.
3. On instruments and chimneys.
4. On lime.
5. On yeasts. Includes a description of the process of brewing beer.
Also extant is a description of how to construct a distilling apparatus.
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