BIOL 400 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Jan Baptist Van Helmont, Franciscus Mercurius Van Helmont, Nicholas Culpeper
Document Summary
Chemistry: alchemy again importance of alchemy to chemistry. Provided techniques, materials, and concepts that were fundamental to the development of chemistry. deficiencies of alchemy as a science. The search for the elixir and philosopher stone were ultimately futile and these things had to be separated from the practice to pave the way for chemistry: paracelsus (1493-1541, his real name: philippus aureolus theophrastus bombastus von. Paracelsus = better than celsus: life and personality. He chose the name paracelsus because celsus was well known as a medical authority due to the printing of his book. He studied at various universities, but he rejected academia and travelled. He said, a doctor must seek out old wives, gypsies, sorcerers, wandering tribes, old robbers and such outlaws and take lessons from them. He worked with an alchemist, trithemius, and worked in mines to learn about metallurgy and the properties of metals, which figured later in his medical practice.
