Paracelsus (Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, 1493 - 1541) was a Swiss physician, botanist, alchemist, astrologer, and general occultist. He is also credited for giving zinc its name, calling it zincum. Astrology was a very important part of his medicine, and he was a practicing astrologer. He devoted several sections of his writings to the construction of astrological talismans for curing disease, providing talismans for various maladies as well as talismans for each sign of the Zodiac. He pioneered the use of chemicals and minerals in medicine. He is also credited with creating laudanum, an opium tincture very common until the 19th century.