The following lists of about 4000 manuscripts from over 100 libraries includes most of the major collections of such manuscripts. I am placing this on the Web site in the hope that other scholars may be willing to exchange information on alchemical manuscripts. No one has yet sytematically surveyed alchemical manuscripts, and scholars in this area usually have to rely on information from friends and colleagues about interesting manuscript material.
I have been gathering these listings from published and unpublished catalogues for a number of years. I estimate that this represents about 75% of all alchemical manuscripts in existence. The descriptions are taken from catalogues that vary in the quality of their entries. While some are excellent, others are somewhat lacking. Only by examining each manuscript and making an exact description would it be possible to develop an accurate catalogue, however, in the absence of any other comprehensive source this catalogue will be a start to the investigation of the manuscript tradition in alchemy. Many of these manuscripts have multiple components. I would be very pleased to receive any corrections, amendments, or additional information about manuscript holdings. - Adam McLean.
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