The term ALCHEMIST MERCURY is composed of two words, ALCHEMIST and MERCURY. Alchemists were practitioners of an ancient form of chemistry that sought to transform base metals into gold and to discover the elixir of life. MERCURY was a key element in alchemy, and it was believed to be the universal solvent. The crossword solution AZOTH is a term used in alchemy to refer to the first matter from which all other substances are created.