Beginnings of Chemistry: Paracelsus

   This post is a divergence from my usual reaction of the day, and more of a history lesson on one of the founders of what science is today, named Paracelsus.  Paracelsus was born in 1493 into an age of alchemy, where most men of that science were striving to turn anything into the valuable element of gold.  So naturally, as a man in love with the natural world, he would be immersed into the world of science (alchemy, medicine, astronomy, and botany).  In a lifetime of chasing this witchcraft and non scientific method of medicine, he finally had his epiphany in seeing that there were better methods in the science of medicine.  He found that it was better to search for drugs, to then prepare and purify them for use, than to use the previous methods of healing.  An example of this was that he was the first to make a tincture of opium, which was named by him laudanum, where he determined that the opium alkaloids were more soluble in alcohol than water and resulted in him making this laudanum solution.  At first people were skeptical of him because of his title as alchemist, meaning that he was related to the history of alchemists failing at producing gold.  Because of this he found it his mission to change peoples opinions of alchemy and science.  He gives a beautiful quote, that has much relevance still today for science skeptics:

"It's name will no doubt prevent its being acceptable to many; but why should wise people hate without cause that which some others wantonly misuse? Why hate blue because some clumsy painter uses it? Which would Caesar order to be crucified, the thief or the thing he had stolen? No science can be deservedly held in contempt by one who knows nothing about it.  Because you are ignorant of alchemy you are ignorant of the mysteries of nature."

     In changing the mission of the 16 century alchemist, he also set out to change the methods of the physician stating clearly that "if the physician were not skilled to the highest degree in alchemy, all his art was in vain".  With today's sciences we see clearly that he set future scientists in the right direction, and produce technology to better the human race.

Source:
Jaffe, Bernard. Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry. Hutchinson's Scientific and Technical Publications, London, 1931