The Alchemist’s Web
University of Strathclyde and Arizona State University
Biography
Zaellotius Wilson is a PhD Candidate at Arizona State University. Her dissertation topic explores the non-symbolic motives of including flies, spiders, and snails in art of the Middle Ages and Early Modern periods.
Introduction
During the EARTH Scholarship exchange, Zaellotius will be based at the University of Strathclyde under the mentorship of Professor Erica Fudge. She will undertake research that will form part of a chapter within her thesis, looking to connect the work of early alchemists with the use of insecticides. Early alchemists used their knowledge of plants to sell toxic remedies to combat insect infestations. The goal of the project is to engage with current discourse about insecticides and habitat destruction while promoting insect driven research. Currently, there are few insect-scholars, so this project hopes to encourage humanities-based interest in insect scholarship. Zaellotius‘ project looks to add voices from the past to the conversation about the use of insecticides.
Research
During the late Middle Ages and Early Modern eras alchemists conducted experiments to learn about natural phenomena. These experiments produced varying knowledge about minerals, plants, and living creatures. The hypothesis for the Alchemist’s Web queried if late medieval and Early Modern alchemist experiments knowledge about insects or insecticides.
The project examined the Young Collection, a collection of alchemists manuscripts at the University of Strathclyde. Included in the collection were several manuscripts by Albertus Magnus. Albertus Magnus was an eleventh-century doctor of the church and alchemist. His manuscripts offered understanding of the types of experiments and observations that occurred in the Middle Ages.
Pharmaceutical alchemy manuscripts described insecticides and insect repellants were understood. For example, some alchemists sold recipes using the red agaric mushroom to kill flies in the home. Other alchemists advocated for the use of lavender and mint to repel insects and other living creatures deemed as vermin.
The next steps in the project are to translate texts of the copyrighted material. The translations so far have described the experiments with specific plants and possible uses. It is hoped that the translations will support ongoing research cultural understanding of insect and human relations during the late Middle Ages and Early Modern eras.