List of discredited substances


This page is a list of substances or materials generally considered discredited.
A substance can be discredited in one of three ways:
  1. It was widely believed to exist at one time but no longer is. Such substances are often part of an obsolete scientific theory.
  2. It was once believed to have drastically different properties from those accepted now. It was widely claimed and believed to possess significant properties that are no longer attributed to it.
  3. It is currently believed to exist as part of a theory that has not met the theoretical and experimental requirements of mainstream science. In particular, such a theory must be predictive.

    Alphabetical list of substances whose existence is discredited

SubstanceTheorized byFrom whenAlleged definitionDiscredited by
Aether ancientA substance with rapid, circular motion that makes up celestial bodiesatomic theory
AlicornancientThe horn of the unicorn, has mystical healing propertiesfailure to find any since medieval times
AlkahestParacelsus1493–1541A universal solvent, which can dissolve every other substance, including gold
AndrewsiteThomas Andrews1871-1990Green mineral named for Thomas AndrewsConfirmation in 1990 that substance is composed of other minerals
CaloricAntoine Lavoisier1783Weightless fluid, the substance of heatatomic theory, in which heat is interpreted as energy of motion of atoms.
CoroniumCharles Augustus Young and William Harkness1869Chemical element in the solar coronaIn the 1930s, Walter Grotrian and Bengt Edlén discovered that the spectral line in question was due to highly ionized iron.
Élan vitalHenri Bergson1907Substance or force bearing the property of lifemolecular biology
Elixir of lifemythologyancientSubstance believed by alchemists to confer immortalityNever having been found
ErototoxinsJudith Reismanafter 1955Addictive chemicals produced in the brain by pornographyThere are addictive opioids in the brain related to pleasure in general, but not specific to pornography... "The only problem with Dr. Riesman’s elegant “erototoxins” theory was that facts stood in the way of her opinion and testimony."
Luminiferous aether18th centuryMedium for the propagation of lightMichelson-Morley experiment
MiasmaancientFoul smell believed to carry diseasesmodern biology, in particular the discovery of actual infectious agents
NebuliumWilliam Huggins1864An element in the Cat's Eye NebulaIn 1927, Ira Sprague Bowen showed that the observed spectral lines are emitted by doubly ionized oxygen.
N-raysProsper-René Blondlot1903A form of radiation emitted by most substancesa simple null experiment, where Blondlot thought he could see N-rays even when an essential optical element had been removed from the experiment
Odic forceCarl Reichenbach1845Force bearing the property of lifeLack of experimental evidence and any predictive theory. Never accepted by science.
Orgone energyWilhelm Reich1930sEnergy bearing the property of lifeLack of experimental evidence and any predictive theory. Never accepted by science.
PanaceaalchemistsancientSubstance curing all illnessbiology and medicine
Philosopher's stonealchemistsancientLegendary substance that could transmute lead into precious metalsWhile lead can be transmuted via nuclear fusion into higher elements like gold, this occurs in the cores of collapsing stars, and cannot possibly be done chemically
PhlogistonJohann Joachim Becher1667Weightless substance present in combustible materials and released when they are burnedmodern chemistry, specifically the discovery that combustion is combination of various substances with oxidizers, most commonly oxygen.
Polywaterlate 1960sAn apparently polymerised form of watermore careful experiments with rigorously cleaned glassware
Ptomainesalkaloids found in decaying matter thought to cause food poisoningDiscovery of bacteria / Germ theory of disease
Red mercuryhoax1979Controversial substance supposedly of use to terroristsIts actual nature, if any, is unclear. The notion may have been invented for use by Soviet and Russian sting operations targeting nuclear materials trafficking. It is also possible that the phrase may have originated as a codeword in Soviet nuclear weapons development, much as the word "copper" was once used to obfuscate "plutonium" during the Manhattan Project.

Alphabetical list of substances whose properties are discredited

This is not to be construed as implying that these items--are discredited. What is listed are fire, water, metal, etc. as universal principles or fundamentals.