Paracelsus (born Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim; November 11 or December 17, 1493 - September 24, 1541) was a German-Swiss Renaissance physician, botanist, alchemist, astrologer, and general occultist. “Paracelsus”, meaning “equal to or greater than Celsus”, refers to the Roman encyclopedist Aulus Cornelius Celsus from the 1st century, known for his tract on medicine. He is also credited for giving zinc its name, calling it zincum, and is regarded as the first systematic botanist.

• Early Life and Education
• Travels and Innovations
• Theoretical Perspectives
• Later Life and Legacy

Paracelsus was born at Einsiedeln, Switzerland, of a Swabian chemist father and a Swiss mother. He was brought up in Switzerland and as a youth worked in nearby mines as an analyst. He started studying medicine at the University of Basel at the age of 16. There is speculation he gained his doctorate degree from the University of Ferrara.

He later journeyed to Egypt, Arabia, the Holy Land, and Constantinople seeking alchemists from whom to learn. On his return to Europe, his knowledge of these treatments won him fame. He rejected the conventional treatment of wounds, which involved pouring boiling oil onto them to cauterize them or letting them become gangrenous before amputating the limb. Paracelsus believed in allowing wounds to heal naturally if they were drained and kept free of infection.

He pioneered the use of chemicals and minerals in medicine, introducing the name “zink” for the element zinc around 1526. His approach to medicine involved experimenting and focusing on chemical remedies for illnesses.

Paracelsus rejected Gnostic traditions but retained elements of Hermetic, Neoplatonic, and Pythagorean philosophies. He was critical of the magic theories of Agrippa and Flamel, though it is noted that Flamel's works were not in circulation before Paracelsus' death. Paracelsus did not consider himself a magician but was a practicing astrologer, which was common among university-trained physicians of his time.

Astrology played a significant role in his medical practices. In his *Archidoxes of Magic*, Paracelsus dedicated sections to astrological talismans for curing diseases and invented the Alphabet of the Magi for engraving angelic names on talismans. His views on health were that it relied on the harmony between the microcosm (the human body) and the macrocosm (Nature), suggesting that mineral imbalances in the body could cause illness and be treated with chemical remedies.

Paracelsus summarized his approach: “Many have said of Alchemy, that it is for the making of gold and silver. For me such is not the aim, but to consider only what virtue and power may lie in medicines.” His ideas laid the groundwork for modern medicine, and remnants of alchemical traditions, such as the Caduceus, can still be seen in medical symbols today.

Paracelsus gained a reputation for arrogance, leading to conflicts with other physicians. He held the chair of medicine at the University of Basel for less than a year, during which he angered his colleagues by publicly burning books by other physicians. Legal troubles over a physician's fee forced him out of the city.

He wandered Europe, often in poverty, revising old manuscripts and writing new ones but faced difficulties finding publishers. In 1536, his *Die grosse Wundartzney* (The Great Surgery Book) was published, leading to a brief resurgence in his popularity.

After his death, Paracelsianism emerged, advocating his medical practices and therapies against traditional Galenic medicine. His motto, “alterius non sit qui suus esse potest,” means “let no man belong to another that can belong to himself.”