Paracelsus

Paracelsus (November 11 or December 17, 1493 - September 24, 1541) was a famous alchemist, physician, astrologer, and general occultist. Born Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, he took the name Paracelsus later in life, meaning "superior to Celsus", an early Roman physician. He was also known by the pseudonym Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim.

Contributions to toxicology

Paracelsus, sometimes called the "father" of toxicology, wrote:

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:"The dose makes the poison."

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In other words, the amount of a substance a person is exposed to is as important as the nature of the substance. For example, small doses of aspirin can be beneficial to a person, but at very high doses, this common medicine can be deadly. In some individuals, even at very low doses, aspirin may be deadly.

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Dose-response assesses the dose levels at which adverse effects were observed in test animals, and these dose levels are used to calculate an equal dose in humans.

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