The early study to chemistry. Known as alchemy, grew up in the first few centuries. A.D. at Alexandria in Egypt. The alchemists were especially concerned with discovering a way to turn base metals into gold. The learning of the earlier Greek philosophers. such as Hippocrates and influences on the Egyptian alchemists. Alchemy came under Arab influences on when the armies of Islam conquered Egypt during the seventh century. The Arabs carried its study of Western Europe when they advanced into Spaid. During the twelfth and the following, few centuries alchemy was studied widely in Europe and attract the attention of many learned meds. Although they were doomed to fail in their attempts to make old. their work paved the way for the growth of a great deal of new chemical knowledge which proved to be of considerable value to the future chemists.