Werner Rolfink was a German physician, scientist and botanist. He was a medical student in Leyden, Oxford, Paris and Padua. He earned his master's degree at the University of Wittenberg under Daniel Sennert

Daniel Sennert

Daniel Sennert was a renowned German physician and a prolific academic writer, especially in the field of Alchemy or Chemistry. He held the position of professor of medicine at the University of Wittenberg for many years....

, and his MD

Doctor of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...

 in 1625 at the University of Padua

University of Padua

The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...

 under the guidance of Adriaan van den Spiegel

Adriaan van den Spiegel

Adriaan van den Spiegel, name sometimes written as Adrianus Spigelius was a Flemish anatomist who was born in Brussels. For much of his career he practiced medicine in Padua, and is considered one of the great physicians associated with that city...

. In 1629, he became a professor at the University of Jena, where he rearranged and expanded the university's botanical garden

Botanical garden

A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...

 (the Botanischer Garten Jena

Botanischer Garten Jena

The Botanischer Garten Jena is the second oldest botanical garden in Germany, maintained by the University of Jena and located at Fürstengraben 26, Jena, Thuringia, Germany. It is open daily; an admission fee is charged....

). His experimental research involved chemical reactions and the biochemistry of metals. He rejected the view that other metals could be transformed into gold.