Note 517 — THE QUEEN OF THE SERPENTS.[507]
Richard Francis Burton translation
Arab. “Símiyá” from the Pers., a word apparently built on the model of “Kímiyá” = alchemy, and applied, I have said, to fascination, minor miracles and white magic generally like the Hindu “Indrajal.” The common term for Alchemy is Ilm al-Káf (the K-science) because it is not safe to speak of it openly as alchemy.