Paracelsus: The Biography Of An Alchemist And Dreamer

Although most people know him as Paracelsus, his real name was Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim. He was one of the most interesting figures in the history of medicine and science. He was considered by some to be a little crazy, visionary and no doubt very imaginative.

One of Paracelsus ‘ most striking features was his great intellectual ambition. He was eager to find the philosopher’s stone, an unknown substance that would make it possible to turn lead into gold. He also wanted to find the elixir of eternal youth, which he worked very hard for.

In addition to his fantastic adventures, Paracelsus also became an extraordinary researcher. Many consider him the father of toxicology and pharmacology. You could say he was sort of a cross between wizard and scientist. He was certainly ahead of his time, given that he stuck to his mythical and mystical beliefs.

The beginning of a genius

Paracelsus was born in 1493, in an area close to present-day Zurich, Switzerland. Several members of his family were doctors, including his father, and this greatly influenced his interest in this discipline.

In his youth he worked as a mining analyst. This gave him a lot of knowledge about minerals, which later determined his work. When he was sixteen years old, he entered the University of Basel. A few years later he obtained his doctorate from the University of Ferrara.

Paracelsus was convinced that medicine was not something to be taught in a school. From the beginning, he was highly critical of the official medicine of his time. He doubted Hippocrates, Avicenna and Galen. Because of this, his colleagues mistrusted him.

Paracelsus, an experimenter

Very early on, Paracelsus chose to experiment alone and work directly with the sick. This led to a bad reputation with the doctors. People also rated his physical appearance.

He was short, bald, and obese, so many people didn’t take him seriously. Perhaps that’s why this genius always preferred the company of the most defenseless.

The experiments and innovative methods that he began to use successfully led to a lot of gossip. He was said to have made a pact with the devil. He was popularly known as “the accursed physician.” They accused him of magic and witchcraft, although he believed strongly in God.

Tension with his colleagues and other authorities led him to lead a nomadic existence. It wasn’t long before he started having conflicts with the people around him wherever he went, so he kept going elsewhere. However, he was known as a very good doctor.

Alchemy and Chemistry

Paracelsus used minerals and chemicals to treat disease, something that no one else did then. This allowed him to treat patients who had incurable diseases at the time. There are testimonies that he successfully treated cases of epilepsy, leprosy and gout. He was the first doctor to identify syphilis and propose a treatment with mercury.

This great researcher also invented laudanum. This was one of the first chemical painkillers to become known. In addition, he researched poisons in great detail and formulated an adage that still stands to this day: “The dose makes the poison.”

Unlike the other doctors of his day, Paracelsus was very close to his patients. He also believed that his knowledge should be in the public domain. Therefore, he made speeches to the community, explaining his science in simple language.

Paracelsus’s Attitude to Medicine

Paracelsus established that medicine had four main pillars, namely:

• natural sciences
• astronomy
• chemistry
• love

He believed that plants and minerals did not have healing power on their own. Instead, to be effective, they needed goodness and inspiration from God.

Unlike his colleagues, he always believed in the benefits of surgery. At that time, barbers were the only ones performing operations and only in very specific circumstances. Centuries later, many doctors were still inspired by their methods.

It is important to note that not every doctor was his enemy. Among his admirers was none other than Erasmus van Rotterdam, whose personal physician and friend he was. A German prince also gave him his protection.

Paracelsus died at the young age of 47, murdered by a group of thugs who wanted to rob him. However, they wasted their time because he had donated all his possessions to the poor.