Iatrochemistry

Iatrochemistry is a historical approach to medicine that emphasizes the chemical basis of health and disease. The term, derived from Greek roots meaning “physician” and “chemistry,” refers to a school of thought in early modern Europe that sought to explain bodily processes and illnesses through chemical principles and to treat them with chemically prepared remedies. It is closely associated with Paracelsianism, which challenged traditional Galenic and humoral theories in favor of a more empirical, experiment-driven medical chemistry.

Originating in the 16th century, iatrochemistry emerged with Paracelsus and his followers. They argued that diseases could be understood as chemical disturbances in organs and that medicines should be formulated from minerals, metals, and plant substances. This approach stressed observation, dosage, and the use of specific chemical substances rather than general humoral classifications. The period also featured experiments in distillation, calcination, and other alchemical-alchemical techniques used to create remedies, sometimes described as spagyrically prepared medicines.

Practices of iatrochemistry included the preparation of mineral and metallic medicines (such as arsenicals, antimonials, and mercury compounds), as well as plant-based chemistries, often guided by a belief in balancing the body’s “enemies” and “emulators.” Chemical theory was used to explain pharmacodynamics and to rationalize treatment choices, influencing early pharmacology and medical chemistry.

By the late 17th and early 18th centuries, iatrochemistry declined as modern chemistry and the experimental method transformed medicine, but it contributed to the shift toward chemical pharmacology and the eventual separation of medicine from traditional Galenic doctrine. Its legacy lies in the move toward quantifiable, material approaches to healing.