Andreas Libavius, born around 1560, lived and worked in Germany at a time when the field of chemistry was still trying to grow out of its ancient association with the mystical alchemy. Libavius sought to resolve some of the philosophical issues stirred up with the death of Paracelsus. His career began well into a generation after Paracelsus tried to give life to chemistry by focusing its purpose on developing medicines. Paracelsus was ineffective and inaccurate in presenting his ideas. After his death, there was a great division among those studying chemistry. The division was between those who wished to study the effective application of generalizable principles and those who wished to learn and practice the ancient ways. The iatrochemists who sought to develop medicines out of minerals were, in a primitive way, working to grow the field into a true science. Galenists were those who still relied on the...