Most of 'his' work was aimed at gathering alchemical knowledge that had existed before him, especially as regarded the philosopher's stone.
mˈoʊst əv hɪz wˈɜːk wʌz ˈeɪmd æt ɡˈæðɚɹɪŋ ælkˈɛmɪkəl nˈɑːlɪdʒ ðæt hæd ɛɡzˈɪstᵻd bᵻfˈoːɹ hˌɪm, ɪspˈɛʃəli æz ɹᵻɡˈɑːɹdᵻd ðə fɪlˈɑːsəfɚz stˈoʊn.