Joseph Du Chesne (Quercetanus) (1546-1609)

Name: Portraits of Joseph Du Chesne (Quercetanus)
Author: C. Ammon
Date: 1652
Medium: Engraving
Location: n/a
Publisher: n/a
Credit: Wellcome Library
Photo by: n/a
Copyright: CC BY 4.0 (Attribution 4.0 International).
Permalink: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/vx25jbd6
Description: Joseph Du Chesne was a Protestant Huguenot surgeon that was a declared supporter of Paracelsianism in France. He was part of a dissenting faction of French Paracelsians that tried to establish themselves in Paris to the chagrin of the University, which attempted to banish them from the city. Du Chesne promoted the tria prima as Boyle later pointed out, but he also introduced the idea of five principles, which was later championed in France and became a favourite theory of many alchemical physicians.