Original text and detailed historical and medical commentary by Irmgard Müller. This is the first monograph on the diseases of a specific professional group. The work marks the beginning of occupational medicine literature. It focuses on lung diseases (tuberculosis, lung cancer, pneumoconiosis) as well as metal poisoning (mercury, arsenic, sulfur, copper, lead, etc.) and the production of chemical compounds as remedies using alchemical procedures. The intellectual tradition of the Paracelsian concept of disease, which blends alchemical knowledge, astrology, magical correspondences, ancient humoral theory, and quality pathology into a new understanding of health and illness, is explained, along with the reception history of this maverick in medicine. Irmgard Müller is a professor emerita of history.