Alchemy as a field is interesting due to its ability to encourage a search for perfection and not just simply in the physical world but also, and perhaps more importantly, in the spiritual sense. Out of many great alchemists, I will write about Paracelsus and his quest to find the philosopher’s stone as an effort to improve the field of medicine and the sacred practice of healing. To achieve this, I will briefly discuss the history of alchemy as a science and art and define related concepts including: Mangum Opus and the philosopher’s stone. Then, I will briefly discuss the life of Paracelsus as context for his academic and spiritual endeavors. Finally, I will explore Paracelsus’ alchemical contributions to the field of medicine, the art of healing and its significance today.
Alchemy is a science and art where humans and nature collaborate to find “an agent of material perfection”. In other words, alchemy can be considered to be the search for mastery over the natural world and the unknown psychic void, a union of sorts. It aims to obtain the transfiguration of “base metals” into “noble metals,” create elixirs to achieve human longevity and immortality and develop a panacea to cure all diseases. Given its goals, the practice of alchemy is related to the religious belief of redemption, regardless of the alchemist’s religion or country of origin. One of the main concerns for the study of alchemy was perfecting the human soul, which could be done by finding and using the philosopher’s stone or the “tincture” or “powder” to cure diseases, extend life and achieve spiritual revitalization.
From the Middle Ages to the end of the 17th century, alchemists were focused on finding the philosopher’s stone, a fabled alchemical substance with the capability of chrysopoeia, the transformation of base metals into gold. During this time, efforts to uncover the philosopher’s stone were of utmost importance and this desire for perfection still plays a significant role in our society to this day. These efforts were so critical at the time that they were referred to as Magnum Opus, or the “Great Work”. The legendary substance, also known as the elixir of life, was so significant due to its attributed uses of rejuvenation and the achievement of immortality that it remained the main focus of alchemists for centuries. All in all, the stone symbolizes “perfection, enlightenment, and heavenly bliss” which are desired ideals.
Initially, alchemists sought to discover the philosopher’s stone; however, their intentions evolved to seek the “quintessence of various substances” so that life-prolonging elixirs could be formulated from each one. Interestingly, traditional medicine incorporates the idea of “transmutation of natural substances,” and achieves this transformation through the use of pharmacological and spiritual methods. Multiple lab techniques can be used to perform the chemical art of separating impure from the pure substances.
Ultimately, the quest for the stone allowed for and provided an area of study and knowledge that contributed to the “sciences of chemistry, metallurgy, and pharmacology”. In order to achieve the transformation between common metals to precious metals, alchemists used heated the base material in a crucible called the philosopher’s egg. An important aspect of this transformation were the color changes observed. The black color change represented that the old material had died and would begin to be revitalized while the white color was the required color for the creation of silver. The red color represented the color required for change into gold.
Alchemists believed that if left alone within the Earth, metals naturally develop into gold . They based this belief on the natural pathway of many life processes such as the development of a child, the transformation between a seed to a tree and the pearl within an oyster. Alchemists saw these transmutations as a movement towards perfection and believed the art of alchemy to be an attempt to participate in this divine process. In fact, this art is so significant event today as illustrated by society’s fascination with a “dream of progression and transformation” where the only limiting factor to continue sculpting our future is the loss of imagination and will .
Paracelsus Theophrastus, also known as Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, was a famed yet controversial doctor born in Einsiedeln, Switzerland close to the late fifteenth century. Paracelsus is considered to be an early contributor to modern scientific chemistry, but more importantly, he is deemed to be a reformer of sixteenth-century medicine. For this reason, he is often referred to as “the father of chemistry and reformer of materia medica,” the “Luther of Medicine,” and even as the “godfather of chemotherapy”. Paracelsus grew up in a time of Renaissance humanism where answers were sought out from ancient writing, but where a new way of thought was also developing. This new way of thinking sought to find truth in the study of nature and “in man’s relationship to macrocosm”. Due to his desire for wisdom and discovery, Paracelsus is often considered to be a symbol of the “emerging scientific attitude of the Renaissance man” . Given that Paracelsus symbolizes the “Faustian man” or a philosopher with an unending desire for knowledge, he is an example of the human desire to achieve perfection and transmutation.
Paracelsus is such an interesting character because he was revolutionary, controversial yet also determined to teach members of the medical profession and the public the importance of chemistry in medicine and other fields but was met with ridicule even after his death. Furthermore, Paracelsus’ inquiries and studies were aimed for the purpose of becoming a better doctor, as he was devoted to the world practice of healing. This is illustrated by his idea to utilize alchemy in order to make medicines that could cure diseases instead of making gold. Paracelsus’ ultimate goal to master the art of healing, influenced his perspective and the way that he understood the philosopher’s stone. He describes the philosopher’s stone primarily for its medicinal qualities and writes that a small dose is enough to cure a “whole race of internal diseases” and get rid of all toxins in the body where all “superfluity is radically removed…and transmuted”. Paracelsus views the philosopher’s stone almost as a universal medicine that can remove and transmute diseases and allow for “the regeneration of nature and the restoration of youth”.
Paracelsus’ contributions span across many fields leading his name to be connected to many innovations in areas of study such as chemistry and medicine. He is generally regarded to be a major contributor to modern science and greatly impacted other minds that later played a role in the scientific revolution. Although Paracelsus’ considered himself to be an alchemist, his thoughts on poison created a venue for the reintroduction of chemistry into the field of medicine. Paracelsus’ publications dealt with medical problems such as treatment for gunshot wounds and include the first book on occupational disease. This book focused on silicosis, or what is known as miner’s disease, and explained that this disease came from inhaling metal vapors rather than as a punishment given to individuals by the spirits of the mountains. His medical contributions include a clinical description of syphilis and a proposed treatment that included carefully measured mercury compounds.
This great alchemist is known for bringing chemistry and the scientific method into the field of medicine in what is known as the era of “New Chemical Medicine”. He believed that there were three humors (salt, sulfur and mercury) that when separated from each other could lead to disease. This separation from pure and impure is a strictly alchemical way to look at disease and the function of organs in the body. It is an interesting and different way to look at human health which opposed the humoral theory of Galen, widely accepted as the foundation of medicine at the time. Interestingly, Paracelsus words “in all things there is a poison, and there is nothing without a poison…it depends only upon the dose whether a poison is poison or not” are words and ideas that I learned in my toxicology course a year ago. This goes to show the how significant his contributions are to our learning even today.
Additionally, Paracelsus was a strong believer in target organ specificity, which refers to the concept that diseases are localized to specific organs (Joseph 4). Paracelsus delved deeper into this idea and went as far to say that chemicals had specific sites where they could bind to have achieve their highest potential or maximum effects within the body. To add to his contributions to the field of toxicology, Paracelsus supported and encouraged utilizing animals to experiment both the beneficial and toxic effects of chemicals to the human body. Although he was ridiculed, with time his influence on medicine has proven to be significant since Paracelsus touched upon important issues such as the interconnections between religion, science and medicine, as well the importance of utilizing ancient wisdom along with evidence obtained from experimentation and observation. Despite the ridicule he faced, Paracelsus was considered to be confident and arrogant as shown by the fact that he named himself “para-Celsus” meaning above Celsus, a renowned Roman medical writer. Although we might consider Paracelsus to be the first “medical chemist,” in all truth he considered himself to be an alchemist and his scientific objectivity is riddled with astrology and mysticism. Perhaps, his foundation in alchemy can best be observed through his remarkable discoveries in chemotherapy, which were based upon his insight into metallurgy and chemistry.
Throughout this essay, I explored the field of alchemy and its relatedness to other fields such as medicine, toxicology and chemistry. By looking at Paracelsus and his alchemical contributions to the field of medicine, we observe this alchemists’ profound influence in modern science. Paracelsus search for the philosopher’s stone illustrates how this mythical substance was viewed differently by alchemists depending on their interests and pursuits. Overall, Paracelsus played a critical role in the field of medicine and the art of healing and portrays a beautiful example of how alchemy has influenced and continue to influence society today.
