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Article: Paracelsus
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- Chemistry: Foundations and Applications
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Paracelsus
GERMAN PHYSICIAN, ALCHEMIST, AND SCIENTIST
1493
–
1541
Paracelsus was born Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther and Nicolaus Copernicus. He adopted his
pseudonym based on his assertion that he was a better physician than Celsus, the first century c.e. Roman author on medicine acclaimed in Renaissance Europe (he was "Para-Celsus," or beyond Celsus). His self-promotion as "The Most Highly Experienced and Illustrious Physician
…
" has given us the word "bombastic," derived from his birth name.
Paracelsus gained his early medical knowledge from his father, who was a physician. He followed this education with formal ...