Paracelsian

Paracelsian refers to anything related to Paracelsus (c. 1493–1541), a Swiss physician and alchemist, or to the medical philosophy and practice associated with him. The term is used for Paracelsus’s reform movement in early modern medicine, sometimes called Paracelsianism or iatrochemistry.

Central to Paracelsian thought was a shift away from Galenic humoralism toward observation, clinical practice, and chemical remedies. Paracelsus promoted iatrochemistry, applying chemistry to medicine and using minerals, metals, and plant-based preparations to treat disease. He argued that the body is governed by chemical processes and that disease can be addressed with targeted chemical agents rather than only balancing humors.

Among Paracelsian ideas are the three primes salt, sulfur, and mercury as foundational principles; the view that medicines must be tailored to disease and patient; and the macrocosm–microcosm correspondence linking the body to the larger world. The movement emphasized experimentation and experience over reliance on established authorities.

Paracelsian medicine faced opposition from traditional Galenic authorities and church-linked scholars and gradually declined as medical orthodoxy evolved. Nevertheless, Paracelsian ideas contributed to the emergence of iatrochemistry, toxicology, and later pharmacology, influencing European medicine in the 16th and 17th centuries and shaping the move toward empirical science.