Today is the birthdate (according to some sources, heck it’s not entirely known what year he was born in never mind the date) of Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hoffenheim or, as he’s more widely known, Paracelsus. (My kids are lucky I only learned the name ‘Bombastus’ after they were born, that would have least been a middle name)

He was a Swiss physician who was fascinated by everything. At 14, he began travelling Europe from university to university in search of great teachers. He wasn’t sufficiently impressed with what he found, wondering later “Why the high colleges manage to produce so many high asses”

He’s known as the father of toxicology, and was an early proponent of using reduced doses of poisons to treat conditions and can reasonably be said to have created chemotherapy.

My favourite quote of his is “The universities do not teach all things. So a doctor must seek out old wives, gypsies, sorcerers, wandering tribes, old robbers and such outlaws and take lessons from them.” Which is a nice lead to experiencing different views, different people and finding new things. Much like the job this place does.

He also named the element zinc. Can you imagine a world without zinc?

 

Get to posting, you lovely people!