Western alchemy flourished in Egypt, Islamic world, and Europe from 13th to 18th centuries. Indian and Chinese alchemists made Eastern contributions. Alchemy continues to be practiced today by a few
Term "homunculus" means "little man" in Latin. First documented in Paracelsus's 1572 work on alchemy. Used in neurology to describe brain's sensory neuron maps
Paracelsus was born in Switzerland as a semi-serf to a noble family. His father was a physician who encouraged his medical studies. He traveled extensively, including claims of Tatar captivity in Moscow