The Alchemist And Dreamer Paracelsus: A Biography

Most people have heard of him as the alchemist and dreamer Paracelsus, but his real name was Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim.

He was one of the most interesting figures in the history of medical science. By some he was considered a little crazy, a visionary and undoubtedly very inventive.

One of Paracelsu’s main features was his great intellectual ambition. He was very anxious to find “the stone of the wise” – an unknown substance that, according to legend, could turn lead into gold.

He also wanted to invent the youth elixir, something he worked very hard on.

Paracelsus became a prominent researcher and many believe that he is the father of medical science. You could say he was a kind of hybrid between a magician and a  .

He was definitely ahead of his time, given that he was behind his mythical and mystical views.

A genius is born

Paracelsus was born in 1493 in an area near present-day Zurich, Switzerland. Several members of his family were doctors, including his father, and this greatly affected his interest in the subject.

During his youth, he worked as a mining analyst, which gave him great knowledge of minerals. This then proved to be crucial to his work.

When he was 16 years old, he started at the University of Basel. A few years later, he earned a doctorate from the University of Ferrara.

Paracelsus was convinced that medicine was not something that could be taught in an institution. From the beginning, he was very critical of the medicines that were available at that time.

Paracelsus experiment

Paracelsus went in very early to experiment and work directly with the sick. This gave him a bad reputation.

People judged him even by his physical appearance. He was short, bald and thick, which made many people reject him.

Perhaps that was the reason why this genius always preferred to mingle with the people who were most defenseless.

The experiments and innovative methods he began to apply made many people turn a deaf ear. He was often called “the accursed doctor”. He was accused of magic and sorcery even though he was a devout believer.

Tensions with his colleagues and other authorities led him to move from place to place. It did not take long before conflicts arose with people around him, no matter where he went.

However, he was known to be a very good doctor.

The alchemist and dreamer Paracelsus: Alchemy and chemistry

Paracelsus uses minerals and chemicals to treat diseases; something that no one else did at this time.

This allowed him to treat patients who had diseases that would not otherwise be treatable. There are testimonies that tell that he managed to treat cases of epilepsy, leprosy and gout.

He was the first doctor to identify syphilis and suggested a treatment with mercury for it.

The alchemist and dreamer Paracelsus also invented laudanum. This was one of the first chemical sedatives. He also examined poisons and coined a proverb that is still used today: “The dose makes the poison”.

Unlike other doctors at this time, Paracelsus had a very close relationship with its patients. He also believed that this knowledge should be made public.

He therefore gave speeches in which he explained science as basic as he could.

The alchemist and dreamer Paracelsus and the medicine

Paracelsus believed that medicine had four categories: the natural sciences, astronomy, chemistry and love.

He believed that plants and minerals did not help the person to get better just by themselves. In order for them to be effective, goodness and inspiration from God were needed.

Unlike his colleagues, he was very convinced that surgery was good. At that time, barbers were the only ones allowed to perform surgery and only in very special circumstances.

Centuries later, many physicians felt inspired by their methods.

It is important to point out that not every doctor was his enemy. Among his admirers is Erasmus of Rotterdam, who was a doctor and close friend.

He was also given protection by a German prince.

Paracelsus died at the age of 47 during a robbery. However, the group that attacked him did so in vain because he had already donated all his belongings to the poor.