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Frizlar, Martin Von (ca. 1750)

This was a German alchemist living in the last half of the 18th century. Apparently he was a Hessian living near the village of Frizlar. As a young man he studied pharmacy that he intended to make his profession, but became interested in the quest of making gold. When the celebrated alchemist Lascaris came to Germany Frizler hastened to join him to glean his secrets. He in the company of several other young men was allowed to witness the celebrated alchemist perform numerous experiments, and while observing them Frizlar thought that the great secret lay open to him; but, afterwards, when attempting to reduplicate the experiments he discovered that Lascaris had shamelessly tricked him, and had even taken advantage of his ignorance. Thereafter, unlike many young frustrated appendices that stubbornly pursued alchemy, Frizlar vowed to give up the futile search completely and returned to pharmacy that became his lifelong work. A.G.H.