Theophrastus bombastus von hohenheim biography of william

Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim, a German alchemist and physician better known as Paracelsus, was born Nov. 11, 1493, or perhaps Dec. 1, or then again, maybe May 1, 1494. Anyway, he was born, of that we may be sure. Paracelsus was one of the great renegades in the history of science. He was convinced that human disease is chemical in nature, that the only proper remedies are chemical ones, and that traditional herbal remedies are useless. In Basel, where Paracelsus was appointed city physician in 1527, he used the occasion of the Feast of St. John to throw the collected works of Galen and Avicenna (the most respected of Greek and Islamic physicians, respectively) onto the ritual bonfire. Not surprisingly, he was not city physician for long. On another occasion, he lashed out at his critics: "Let me tell you this: every little hair on my neck knows more than you and all your scribes, and my shoebuckles are more learned than your Galen and Avicenna, and my beard has more experience than all your high colleges."

So Paracelsus was arrogant, and more than a little intemperate. Still, he was exactly what medicine needed--someone to completely overturn the applecart and challenge physicians to start over with a brand new set of principles. He died unloved, and relatively unknown, in 1541, but within a century his works had effected a revolution in iatrochemistry—medical chemistry--almost as thorough as the one launched by his contemporary Copernicus, who died just as unknown in 1543. There is a well-known portrait of Paracelsus by Quentin Massys, which survives only in several copies (first image above), but we prefer the black-and-white woodcut in one of our Renaissance portrait books (second image above), even though it is less colorful, since it reminds us of another Paracelsus diatribe: “I am monarcha medicorum (king of physicians) and I can prove to you what you cannot prove.

Contentious, cantankerous, and sometimes self contradictory, the peripatetic Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, better known as Paracelsus, was arguably the prototype of the physician-scientist. Born in a Swiss hamlet in 1493, his brief life spanned a period of seismic change in religion, politics, and science. Like an ex-president or celebrity chef, this medieval magus was known to and by a laundry list of the rich and famous. Phillip Ball, a prize-winning author on scientific matters, has attempted to capture the breath and essence of this man and his times in The devil’s doctor: Paracelsus and the world of Renaissance magic and science.

The fascination Ball stirs in his account of the life of Paracelsus stems not from the fact that his subject treated German humanist Erasmus or consorted with Swiss theologian Zwingli, but rather that he mediated the transition between alchemy and chemistry and between astrology and astronomy at a time when barbers, apothecaries, and priests were gradually ceding ground to scientists, surgeons, and physicians. Like Robert Boyle, William Harvey, and Francis Bacon, all notable figures from this important time of transition, Paracelsus simultaneously retained and disrupted distinct elements of old beliefs.

Paracelsus gained his training in the traditional way, first, through apprenticeship to his physician father, then as an “intellectual vagabond,” moving between the universities of medieval Germany. His assumed name, meaning “beyond Celsus,” referred to the Roman scientist and author of De re medicina. During his time, medicine and science, just like religion, were based on the fundamentals of received truth. The ancient texts of Aristotle, Galen, and Ptolemy were memorized as literal guides to contemporary medicine and science and their subjugation to the stars.

While numerology, uroscopy, and astrology may seem like amusing echoes of our discarded past, these disciplines had a certain logic that underpinned a thri

Swiss physician, philosopher, theologian, and alchemist (c. 1493 – 1541)

For other uses, see Paracelsus (disambiguation).

Paracelsus (; German:[paʁaˈtsɛlzʊs]; c. 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance.

He was a pioneer in several aspects of the "medical revolution" of the Renaissance, emphasizing the value of observation in combination with received wisdom. He is credited as the "father of toxicology". Paracelsus also had a substantial influence as a prophet or diviner, his "Prognostications" being studied by Rosicrucians in the 17th century. Paracelsianism is the early modern medical movement inspired by the study of his works.

Biography

Paracelsus was born in Egg an der Sihl [de], a village close to the Etzel Pass in Einsiedeln, Schwyz. He was born in a house next to a bridge across the Sihl river. His father Wilhelm (d. 1534) was a chemist and physician, an illegitimate descendant of the Swabian noble Georg [de]Bombast von Hohenheim (1453–1499), commander of the Order of Saint John in Rohrdorf.

Paracelsus' mother was probably a native of the Einsiedeln region and a bondswoman of Einsiedeln Abbey, who before her marriage worked as superintendent in the abbey's hospital. Paracelsus in his writings repeatedly made references to his rustic origins and occasionally used Eremita (from the name of Einsiedeln, meaning "hermitage") as part of his name.

Paracelsus' mother probably died in 1502, after which Paracelsus's father moved to Villach, Carinthia, where he worked as a physician, attending to the medical needs of the pilgrims and inhabitants of

I recently found myself going down the rabbit hole of Japanese manga and anime fandom online. Now, this is something I know nothing about. I’ve never really been into anime or manga, but I was fascinated to learn about Van Hohenheim or ‘Hohenheim of Light’, a character who is a powerful alchemist in the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist, clearly inspired by the historical alchemist Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493-1541), better known as Paracelsus. From what I read, it seems that this series uses many alchemical concepts, including the homunculus, which I will talk about later. Of course, it’s sensationalised and highly exaggerated – in all fairness, the series isn’t pretending to be historically accurate or anything. But still, centuries after Paracelsus, it’s incredible to see how he is still a part of the conversation when it comes to alchemy. Paracelsus was one of the most controversial people of his day and his work and those of his followers deeply shaped the history of science and medicine. So I thought it would be interesting to introduce him (even though he’s not remotely as handsome as ‘Hohenheim of Light’) and to talk a little bit about Paracelsianism too, from its connection to magic and alchemy, Protestantism and reform, to the idea of chemical medicine, and even creating life from dead matter – like a proto-Frankenstein tale of sorts, believe it or not! Of course, although this is a long text, it’s just an introduction to all these subjects, and if you want to learn more, I highly suggest checking out the reading recommendations at the end. Now, without further ado, let’s dive into it!

An Adventurous Character

Paracelsus was born in the Swiss village of Einsiedeln around 1493. His parents’ marriage was what we could call ‘mixed-class’, since his father was descended from the nobility, although he