Iatrochemistry

The Iatrochemistry - derived from Greek: ιατρός ( Iatros = doctor ) and χημεία ( chemeia = literally " the art of [ metal ] foundry " ) - and also known as Chemiatrie, Chemiatrik or Chymiatrie, is founded by Paracelsus in the 16th century medical school.

Paracelsus made an attempt to take a close connection between a drug and the disease, which was treated with it to produce. To this end he formulated his theory of the microcosm - man - and macro cosmos - its environment. Both consisted of the same elements and therefore would create the disease, when the " outer" mineral ignited his twin in the body and so the disease brings to the outbreak. The treatment was to produce a cure of the causative mineral and administered to the patient. The preparation of these remedies was done with alchemical methods, called by Paracelsus also Spagyrik.

This doctrine could not prevail because of his writings did not show that such a disease is exactly assign its mineral cause. Johan Baptista van Helmont (1577-1644) tried to develop this theory, but failed on the same problem. The formulas of Paracelsus were effective and not prevailed, to the theory, however.

The research results of Van Helmont, however, led to the emergence of Iatrochemischen school in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the exponent Franciscus Sylvius ( 1614-1672 ) and Thomas Willis ( 1621-1675 ). They reformulated the galenic doctrine of opposites in chemical terminology as " acid " and " alkaline " and attempted physiology and pathogenesis based on these chemical opposites to explain.

First Chairs of Iatrochemistry at German universities were established in the 17th century:

Important early representatives of Iatrochemistry were van Helmont and Martin Ruland father and son. During the 17th century in particular, providing Sylvius the Iatrochemistry on a more rational basis.

The combination of chemistry with medicine or pharmacy was relaxed until the 18th century. In 1750, the newly established Chair of Chemistry was established in the Faculty of Arts, much to the dismay of the members of the Medical Faculty of the University of Uppsala at the Swedish University of Uppsala ( by Johan Gottschalk Wallerius represented ). Background for this decision were the economic interests: more economic benefits they promised from a scientific support of mining.

Also the part of the medical Iatrochemistry was increasingly displaced by the particular by Herman Boerhaave in Holland, Friedrich Hoffmann in Germany and Thomas Sydenham represented in England rational - empirical medicine.