On Chemistry, Scientists, and the Arts

The International Year of Chemistry series finishes with this article. Over a period of a year, the 11 previous articles have provided historical and contemporary glimpses into the field. They have also discussed different aspects of chemistry's complex structure as a major field of science.Early chemistry evolved from metallurgy (1) and alchemy-turned-pharmacy (2, 3), and from its very early stages of development, chemistry has been linked with the quest to understand human health and disease. In fact, a “chemist” was originally a physician who decided to follow the Paracelsian path, as opposed to Roman (Galenic) medicine (3, 4). Later, physician–chemists, and physicians working together with chemists, formulated the field of biochemistry and clinical chemistry (5). Subsequent practical implications of chemistry added yet another major dimension, leading to the development of entire new industries (6).The spectacular scientific discoveries needed an increasingly complex infrastructure to ensure and maintain the validity of newly gained knowledge, as well …