Stock Photo - Paracelsus Aracelsus (Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim) (1493-1541), Swiss-born German physician and alchemist. Paracelsus studied at Vienna University before becoming a military surgeon in the service of Venice. This enabled him to travel extensively in Europe and the Middle East, learning about alchemy. He set up a practice in Strasbourg in 1526, before moving to Basel the following year as town physician. He gained a considerable reputation as a healer. Paracelsus was the first to describe the lung disease silicosis, connected goitre with minerals in drinking water, and recognised the importance of chemistry in medicine (Iatrochemistry).