Iatrochemistry

The Iatrochemie - derived from Greek : ιατρός ( Iatros = doctor) and χημεία ( chemeia = literally "the art of [metal] foundry", "chemistry") - as well as Chemiatrie , Chemiatrik or Chymiatrie called, is a mainly by Paracelsus In the 16th century, widespread utilization of alchemy (as a basis for the production of the purest possible remedies) for medicine.

Paracelsus attempted to establish a precise link between a drug and the disease it was used to treat. To this end, he formulated his doctrine of the microcosm (world of the tiny) - man, and the macrocosm (world of the gigantic) - his environment. Both consist of the same substances and therefore the disease arises when the “outer” mineral ignites its twin in the body and thus causes the disease to break out. Treatment consisted of making a remedy from the causative mineral and administering it to the patient. The production of these pure remedies (as active substances freed from impure “slags” mainly by “sublimation” and “distillation”, which he called arcana ) took place with alchemical methods, also called spagyric by Paracelsus .

This teaching could not prevail, because from his writings it was not clear how a disease could be assigned to its mineral cause. Johan Baptista van Helmont (1577–1644) tried to develop this theory further, but failed because of the same problem. Paracelsus' formulations were effective and prevailed, but the theory behind them was not.

However, the research results of van Helmont led to the emergence of the Iatrochemical School in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the exponents Franciscus Sylvius (1614–1672) and Thomas Willis (1621–1675). They reformulated the galenic theory of opposites in chemical terminology as "acid" and "alkali" and tried to explain physiology and pathogenesis on the basis of these chemical opposites.

The first chairs for iatrochemistry at German universities were established in the 17th century:

• 1609: Appointment of Johannes Hartmann as professor of chymiatry at the University of Marburg ,
• February 21, 1641: Werner Rolfinck is appointed Professor of Iatrochemistry at the University of Jena .

Important early representatives of iatrochemistry were van Helmont as well as Martin Ruland the elder and Martin Ruland the younger . In the course of the 17th century, Sylvius in particular put iatrochemistry on a more rational basis.

The link between chemistry and medicine or pharmacy was only loosened in the 18th century. In 1750 the newly established Chair of Chemistry (represented by Johan Gottschalk Wallerius ) in the Philosophical Faculty of the Swedish University of Uppsala was established, much to the displeasure of the members of the Medical Faculty of Uppsala University. The reason for this decision were economic interests: It was hoped that more economic benefits would come from scientific support for mining.

In medicine, too, iatrochemistry has been increasingly replaced by rational-empirical medicine, represented in particular by Herman Boerhaave in Holland, Friedrich Hoffmann in Germany and Thomas Sydenham in England.

See also:

• Iatromathematics and Iatroastrology
• Iatrophysics

literature

• Pierer's Universal Lexicon . Volume 3, Altenburg 1857, p. 896.
• Harris L. Coulter: Divided Legacy. A History of the Schism in Medical Thought Vol. II, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley 2000, ISBN 1-55643-371-9 .
• Bernhard D. Haage: Iatrochemistry. In: Werner E. Gerabek , Bernhard D. Haage, Gundolf Keil , Wolfgang Wegner (eds.): Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-015714-4 , p. 651 f.
• Reijer Hooykaas: The theory of elements of the Iatrochemiker. In: Janus 41, 1937, pp. 1-28.
• Christoph Meinel : "... to make chemistry more applicable and more charitable" - Scientific change in orientation in chemistry in the 18th century. In: Angewandte Chemie . Vol. 96 (1984), H. 5, pp. 326-334, doi: 10.1002 / anie.19840960505 .
• Roy Porter : The Art of Healing. A medical history of mankind from ancient times to the present day. Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Heidelberg / Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-8274-1454-7 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Bernhard Dietrich Haage: Iatrochemistry before Paracelsus. In: Würzburg medical history reports. Volume 14, 1996, pp. 17-27; here: pp. 17–19.
2. ^ Albert Gossauer: Structure and reactivity of biomolecules , Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zurich, 2006, p. 262, ISBN 978-3-906390-29-1 .
3. ↑ Bernhard Dietrich Haage: Iatrochemistry before Paracelsus. In: Würzburg medical history reports. Volume 14, 1996, pp. 17-27; here: pp. 19–23.