Iatrochemistry
/ˌaɪətrəʊˈkɛmɪstri/noun
A historical approach to medicine that explained bodily processes and treated disease through chemical substances and reactions.
Did you know?Iatrochemistry flourished in the Renaissance, especially through Paracelsian medicine, which blended chemical remedies with astrology, spiritual forces, and the belief that nature’s hidden signatures could reveal cures.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἰατρός (iatros)
“Physician or healer”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἰατρικός (iatrikos)
“Medical or relating to healing”
Late Antique Greek
Greek
χημεία (chēmeia)
“The art of transmuting or working with substances; the source of the later word family associated with chemistry”
Arabic and Medieval Latin
Arabic/Latin
al-kīmiyāʾ / alchimia
“Alchemy, the learned art of transforming and purifying substances”
16th Century
English
chemistry
“The developing study and practice of chemical substances, emerging from alchemy”
17th Century
English
iatrochemistry
“A medical system applying chemical theories and preparations to the human body”
Modern English
English
iatrochemistry
“The historical chemical school of medicine, particularly associated with Renaissance and early modern practitioners”
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