中国古代化学实践中的醋

从古到今一直被当作烹调操作调味品的食醋,在中国古代科学技术史上,曾经是一种重要的化学试剂。在世界科学技术史上,具有重要地位的化学原始形态的中国炼丹术中,醋不仅是一种常用的溶剂,而且也是常用的酸性试剂和粘合材料,只是在外丹术逐渐式微并被近代化学取代以后,食醋才退出化学家的视野,成为食品专家和厨师的专宠。因此当我们今天重新研读这些炼丹著作时,才觉得作为东方神秘文化精华的中国炼丹术(包括外丹和内丹),仍然有深入探讨的必要,而且也完全有可能从其中获得某些真正的科学精华。

Vinegar in Chemical Practice of Ancient China

More than a flavouring delighting the Chinese table for centuries, vinegar served as an im-portant chemical reagent in the history of science of Ancient China, especially in alchemy, or the univer-sally recognized primitive form of chemistry, where vinegar was widely used as a dissolvent, an acidic rea-gent and an adhesive material. This prominent role of vinegar had not been replaced until modern chemistryreplaced alchemy when it retreated from the laboratory and became popular in the kitchen. So when we to-day read the abundant literature on alchemy, we find it necessary to research deep into this mysterious ori-ental skill. It is highly possible that we will touch upon the essence of science within.