Tartar, Paracelsus

Tonna, Fabrizio. Laboratory notes. The alkahest preparation of the components and obtainment of the Sal Tartaricum Paracelsii (the Tartar of Paracelsus). Alchemy J 4, no. 3 (Winter 2003). [http //www,alchemvlab. com/AJ4-3.html. 

Like arsenic salts, the history of antimony compounds as therapeutic agents dates back to medieval age when Paracelus (1493-1541) recommended metallic antimony and its salts as a cure for many diseases. Although the above panacea made Paracelsus the father of iatrochemistry, the therapy was later rejected by patients due to toxic effects [1,9]. The interest in antimony compounds revived during 1918-1920 when the medicinal value of tartar emetic (10), a mordant prepared in 1847 by boiling antimony trioxide and cream of tartar in water [14], was established by Christopherson [15] and Rogers [16]. 

---