In the Middle Ages, alchemists were, among other things, trying to discover an alkahest.
Assuming they’d ever found one, how woud they have stored it?
A friend suggested storing the components separately, then mixing it very carefully when it was needed. 
peter morris, you’re not from England are you? I know a Peter Morris from England. Small world
I am from England, as it happens. I might be the one you know. Mind you, Peter Morris is a fairly common name. Offhand, I can’t think of any Canadian musicians I know. Perhaps iyou could tell me your name, or where you know your Peter from.
If the alchemists had discovered acetone, I guess they would have stored it in glass bottles like we do now. =) Acetone isn’t exactly the Universal Solvent but it can dissolve basically anything. Complemented by a few other solvents – water for strongly ionic compounds and various mixtures of strong acids and bases for metals, polymers, glass and rocks – it’s possible to find a solvent than can dissolve almost anything. But there are so many things that dissolve readily in acetone that the alchemists probably would have declared it to be the alkahest. Many alchemists claimed to discover methods of converting base metals to ‘Solar gold’, and acetone would be far closer to being the true alkahest than any lead-to-gold procedure.
Ha. I know it’s a fairly common name, Peter. Wouldn’t it be strange if you were the same guy?
I once sailed across the english channel on a ship, and drank a bottle of wine or two with a bespectacled chap called Peter Morris. He’s such a busy guy I doubt he has time for this board.