A famous Renaissance physician and alchemist known for challenging medical traditions and experimenting with chemical treatments.
A Latinized version of the Swiss doctor's actual name, Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim. 'Paracelsus' roughly means 'beyond Celsus,' referring to the Roman medical writer Celsus, suggesting his superiority.
Paracelsus was wild—he burned medical textbooks to prove they were wrong, gave medicines to patients that other doctors thought would kill them, and basically invented the idea of experimental medicine while everyone else was still following Galen's theories from 1,300 years before.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.