THEOPHRASTUS

BOMBASTUS

VON

HOHENHEIM

CALLED

PARACELSUS

HIS

PERSONALITY CHEMIST

AND

INFLUENCE AND
REFORMER

AS

PHYSICIAN,

JOHN
PROFESSOR
OF CHEMISTRY

MAXSON
EMERITUS,

_STILLMAN
STANFORD UNIVERSITY

CHICAGO

LONDON

THE

OPEN

COURT

PUBLISHING

CO.

copyright

by

The

Open

Court

Publishing

Company

1920

PRINTED

IN

AMERICA

TO

THE

BUILDERS

OF

THE

SCIENCES

OF

CHEMISTRY

AND

MEDICINE

WHOSE

LABORS

HAVE

CONTRIBUTED

TO

THE

REALIZATION

OF

THE

DREAM

OF

PARACELSUS

OF

ENCE SCI-

FOUNDED

NOT

UPON

DOGMA

BUT

UPON

OBSERVATION

AND

EXPERIMENT,

THIS

STUDY

IS

DEDICATED.

CONTENTS.

PAGF,

Preface
v

Introductory

The

Early

Life

of

Paracelsus

11

The

Paracelsan

View

of

Nature

25

Medical

Theory

44

Defiance

to

Medical

Faculty

and

Profession

63

As
a

Reformer

in

Medicine

80

The

Chemist

and

Reformer

of

Chemistry

91

Contributions

to

Medical

Science

and

Practice

113

The

Mission

and

Ethics

of

the

Physician

132

Paracelsus
as a

Theological

Writer

142

The

Later

Years

of

Strenuous

Labor

159

The

Last

Days

of

Paracelsus

174

Bibliography
:

181

viii

PARACELSUS.

writings
that
no

of other the his

Paracelsus
treatment

have

been

introduced,
well
convey

in

the

belief

could
of his the

so

some

sion impresthe

of of
texts

personality appeal
for that third
to

Swiss

physician
and

and followers. folio

acter charThe edition of

contemporaries
are :

used

purpose

the

Strassburg

of

1616

(the
;

impression

of
Bucher from

Huser's
und

original Schrifften,

edition
burg, Strass-

1589-90)

the and in

Chirurgische
extracts

1618;
contained
Versuch

Paracelsus monumental
der

manuscripts bibliography

as

Dr.

Karl
der

Sudhoff's
Echtheit

einer 2

Kritik

Paracelsischen

Schrif-

ten,

vols.,
author

Berlin,
takes

1894-99. occasion
of the
to

The Professor

express

his

gratitude
for
much man Gerof

to

Karl

Rendtorfif
in

Stanford

University
of the

valuable

assistance

interpretation
J.
S. and'
P.

Early
also

texts,
Stanford
in the for

and

to

Professor

Tatlock,

the

faculty,
same

for

his

helpful
For the the

clarifying
of alone the is

suggestions
translations,

connection.

accuracy author

as

their

imperfections,

responsible.

J.
Stanford

M.

S.

University,

March

15,

1920.

INTRODUCTORY.

THE
of
were

period

of

the

late

Renaissance is from many

and

the

Protestant

Reformation

points
influences of the

vievv

of

great
in

human

interest. about
a

Many

active of
all
man

bringing
to

readaptation
a

spirit

changing
violent
as

conditions,
the held bonds the
In

ment readjusttradition of
men

the

more

of

and in
the

authority
fetters
of

had

so

long

minds

accepted

dogmas.
many

art,

literature,
and bold
to
a

philosophy,
thinkers
new arose.

politics, theology,
Men of mental
were

strong

becoming
powers. the

aroused

consciousness medieval
more

their

Reacting spirit
of
man

from be-,

the
came

slavery,
and

independent
domain
was

self-assertive.
latest
to

The

of the field

thought
of natural Greek

share

in

this

impetus
hundreds

science.
and Roman

After

many

of
art

years
been which

since

science
quests, con-

and

had

overthrown

by
there
all

barbarian existed
tive comparawas

during
intellectual
to

period
and

sterility
clerical been had the

learning
all

fined con-

the had there

orders

and censored

independent
the both

thought
Church,
and

jealously gradually
a

by

medieval
within toward and
au-

developed
movement

without and

Church

restless

question

criticism

of

accepted

dogmas

PARACELSUS.

thorities. and
to test

There

arose

an

ambition

to

reinvestigate
and of

by

reason

the the

basis of knowledge

faith.
took

Naturally
in those the and
as

place
to

beginnings of this movement of thought most clearly domains

time So
the
to
no
"

related

theology
however,

scholarly thought of the in speculative philosophy.

movement
was

in

long,
ical clerthe

this

limited
was

to

classes, and
medium of

its

expression

confined

manuscripts
could
in

in scholastic
occur,

Latin,
the

great

popular participation could

of the

and

authority
any
flict con-

Church
of

great

measure

control
in

infections with

thought
the be

considered

dangerously
toward

accepted
could

beliefs.

Nevertheless,

tendency

independent
It found of outlet

thought
at

not

extinguished.
the

first in other and of

new

directions, in
literature forms

revival

interest

in the art forth

"

of the ancients, in the bursting

of art, in

painting, sculpture,

architecture
Two

and

literature. influences
had arisen

great century

during

the

teenth fif-

to
a

accelerate

the intellectual

ing awakenof the

of

Europe,

remarkable
in number of

development
and
scope of

universities, both
and
the

teaching,
metal

invention

printing by
universities
fourteenth had

movable

types.

Many
in the

of the

older
and

been

founded
or even

thirteenth

centuries
of

earlier.
in

Among

the

more

prominent

these

were",
; in

Italy,Naples, Salerno, Bologna, Padua,

in

Pisa

Spain, Valladolid, Salamanca,

Paris, Montpellier, Toulouse;

Seville; in France,

England,

Oxford

INTRODUCTORY.

and

Cambridge ;. in Bohemia, Prague; in Poland, berg, HeidelCracow ; in Austria, Vienna ; in Germany, Cologne,
In

Erfurt.

the

fifteenth of
as

century

there

were

founded
the

large number
Empire,
Rostock

in universities,particularly

man Ger-

Wiirzburg
Louvain

(1403), Leipsic (1409), (1426),

Munich Greifswald

(1419), (1472),
In Mainz

(1456), Liineburg
stadt

(1471), Upsala
also
as

(1472), Ingol(1477),

(1477),

Tiibingen

Budapest (1478).
were

(1465),
France

(1476),
several
in
new

Copenhagen
universities

established,

Aix

Provence

(1409), (1441)
sixteenth

Poitiers
and

(1431),
In

Caen
the

(1437), Bordeaux
earlier half of the

others.
were

century
Breslau

established,

e.g.,

Wittenberg

(1505),

Frankfort-on-the-Oder

(1502), (1506),
the
a

Marburg
The of

(1527), Konigsberg development printing

the ideas
of the

(1544), Jena (1557).

and
to
tension ex-

universities
to

both of

served

bring

larger
of

constituency
the time.

representative thinkers operative

the
in

Many
down

other

events

were

breaking
The its

the barriers of traditional and

conservatism.

discovery of America,
wealth
ocean

exploitation of
the
were

by
route

Cortez
to

and India

Pizarro,

discovery opening
commerce

of the
new

(1498),
of trade
The

centers
new

and
sources

currents

and power

and
was

of the

wealth. German of the

of

Spain

growing,
The
was

great

Empire Pope
in

losing

ency. coher-

prestige
As

temporal

aflfairs

disputed.

the

power

of the emperor

waned,

PARACELSUS.

the

influence

of the
were

German

princes increased.
the

The

German

cities in

gaining,
while

feudal

barons

minishi diand ence. influalso

authority,
were

the

mercantile
and Bible
of

middle

classes The

increasing
and

in wealth of the

printing
more

circulation

occasioned

wide-spread
and
was

criticism

current

theological thought,
the

largely influential
which

in
sulted re-

development
in the

of

schisms,

eventually
Paracelsus'
a

Protestant
von

Reformation.

Theophrastus
he
came

Hohenheim,

or

as

to

be
He

generally called, was

illustrates
at
once

true

child

of

this
its

period.

its

independence,
as

self-confidence, its boldness

of old and and The
a new

of

thought

well

as

its confusion
upon from that

tendencies,

its

ence dependitself

tradition

its

struggle
lifetime

to

free

bondage.
fell in

of
most

Paracelsus

(1493- 1 541)
realize this the

period
the that

of the

tellectu fertile inWe of may

activity
if
we

of

Renaissance.
the span

recall of

his

life

touched
Leonardo

lifetimes
da

Michelangelo, Machiavelli,
Rafael,
Columbus,
Me-

Vinci, Ariosto,
More,

Copernicus,
lanchthon,
whom
a

Thomas

Erasmus,

Luther,
and

Rabelais, Vesalius, Cardanus,

names

others left

these

will suggest,
upon
was

and

who
of

have

distinct

impress
of

the

development
in the year

tion. civilizathe

Paracelsus

born
an

following
with
its

discovery
1

America,

event

which

con-

in accordance by Hohenheim of using Latinized time or Hellenized Thus names. Agricola (from Bauer), Melanchthon (from all German Schwarzerd), CEcolampadius (from Hausschein), temporaries conname was

The
a

Paracelsus
custom

adopted
of

with

common

of

writers

the

"

of

Hohenheim.

INTRODUCTORY.

sequences

had
and

much

influence

toward

energizing the
of
the

thoughts

stimulating
followed. four have

the

imagination
the

generation Through
fame of

that

nearly
of the

centuries
come

name

and
us

Paracelsus

down that

to

with

something
the
that

legendary
It is

haze

characterizes

age
he

of fables. left
a

quite generally recognized

upon have the

distinct

impress
the

theory

and

practice of medicine, though

differences
and of

there

existed
of that

great
ence influor

opinion
on

as

to

extent

whether,
to

the

whole,

it of
a

was

beneficial
science.
era

detrimental is admitted

the he

development inaugurated
the of medieval
to
use

the

It

that

new

in chemical

activityby diverting
from cation

attention

of
to

chemists the

the vain
of that

aims

alchemy
rational sometimes
younger

appli
"

chemistry
he

in medicine.
some

It is recognized

introduced
surgery.

ideas

into the
the

practice
father of

of

Pare,
a

called

of modern

surgery, is said
to

contemporary
his

Paracelsus,
to

have

acknowledged
Erdmann him

debtedne in-

the

earlier

writer.^

in his

History of Philosophy
the
era

credits

with

having
know

augurate in-

of the

modern

development
readers Paracelsus

of the that

philosophy
his life and

of

nature.

English
have been

thought inspired the

Books
we

of Robert

Browning.
to

written for the

have much

to

show

that

Paracelsus

must

look
scholars

beginnings attempted
of the

of
to

homeopathy.
find in the and
2

Goethe

works material
The

of Paracelsus
of Faust.

tion inspirahave

Modern

mystics
1911,
p.

Cf.

Stoddart,

Life of Paracelsus, London,

65.

PARACELSUS.

sought
the who

in

him

fertile

source

of

the
are

revelation
not

of

occult have of

in nature, found the

while

students
the of there

wanting
nition recog-

in his necessary

doctrines
basis

earliest

modern have

scientific
been

method. have As

Writers,

moreover,

who

disputed
with
his

all these

claims.
so

work,

with

his

character

and

sonality. per-

By
or

many has

of his been
a

disciplesand
as a

critics skilled
a

early cian, physiand

modern
a

he

extolled

wise

teacher,
unselfish and

great reformer,

sincere his

pious and

man.

By
other

many

of

sional profeson

opponents
other
a

by

critics he
as an a

has,

the tist, ego-

hand,

been
a

characterized drunken

ignorant

charlatan,

braggart,
be

superstitious
Somewhere
must

visionary. Evidently
in this confusion the
true not

all of this of

can

true.

contradictory
for he
was

estimates
no

lie sonage perbination com-

Paracelsus,
and of could have

mythical impossible

possessed
these varied
"

no

qualities.
come

But

whence have real

antagonistic estimates,
so

and
were

why
his and

opinions

extremely
what
his
to

What
acter char-

accomplishments
To

true

personality?
which,
research of in the has essay.
no

attempt

summarize

the

answers

past few
to

decades, modern
these

historical
the task

made

questions

is

this

There

is, indeed,
how
it
came

great
that

in difficulty the

standing under-

about

German-Swiss

physician
attributes.

became
It
was

thus his

credited fortune
or

with

contradictory
to

misfortune

have

INTRODUCTORY.

become

the

originator
came

of

school

of medical

titioners, prac-

which death and which

into influence
more

mainly
century

after

his
a

for

than
or

waged
Par-

bitter warfare acelsists

and

with

the older

Galenic

school.
or

anti-Paracelsists

supported
and

demned con-

the the

theory, practice, life

leader of the and adherents and
powers.

character
school.

of

acknowledged
and credulous
tales

newer

ish Fool-

admirers

credited

and
and
or

spread
malicious
to

legends

of his

wonderworking
but

miraculous

Equally
of
the

foolish
or

hostile
other

antagonists invented
the

credited and

fables
of the in

detriment
of

character
and

life

founder the

the

despised
it

hated

schism. and

For

medical centuries science

"

profession
was

of the with

sixteenth
the critical
were

seventeenth
of modern
"

not

weapons

with

patient and
of
the

mentation experisettled,
weapons of
"

that

differences

opinion
and

but

they
time

were

settled
the

with

traditional

borrowed
the
"

from

theologians
and of abuse

philosophers
of
authorities

dialectics, the

citation

while

ridicule,^lander
in the hands

were

effective

guments ar-

disputants.
mass

From

the

thus it is

accumulated
not

of

fable

and

exaggeration
Paracelsus,
to

easy

to

free the reputation of

his real

discover

and

justly estimate
information

personality and
The kinds: life and
are none own sources

influence. of reliable
are

of
of

two

such work
too

unbiased of
numerous

contemporary
as

records
exist
"

the

Paracelsus
"

and

which

and

the

internal
his

evidence

of his

published writings.

While

writings

PARACELSUS.

as

collected

by

his editors
as

are

of much
were

great volume,
in difficulty

their
their

character

is such

to

offer

interpretation.Some
his
were

of them his

published during
Some
own

life and

under
from

supervision.

of

them

published
or

manuscripts
or

in his

writing handsome

by
the

his

amanuenses

secretaries,

edited
were

from

lecture from

notes

of

his students,
of

others

published
and
in

manuscripts
were

uncertain
either of the

gin, ori-

still others

manifestly
differences
as

wholly opinion degree

or

part
among

spurious.
Paracelsus
as

Great

exist
of of

scholars
to

to

authenticity and
the But

the
to

criteria

of

authenticity
lifetime, the
to

writings
few
were

attributed

Paracelsus.
his

printed during

greater part being published from

years of after his

twenty

seventy

death, and
works

the

original manuscripts disappeared.

the
most

all his

important
of

have

hannes Jo-

Huser

Basel, who
of his works

edited

tative authori-

collection

(1589-91), gathered
from

together
work He
or

all available

materials

public and
out

vate pri-

and collections, with

evidently carried
and fidelity the
source

ous his labori-

great
to

conscientiousness. of each of the many

as

took

pains

give

books
graph auto-

articles included, and

among
some

them

are

manuscripts,
made from accessible
at

and

also described but that

not

copies directly
was

autograph
to

copies known
it may

him.

While
in the

be

Huser

times

deceived

autograph
true

pharacter
that
upon

of

particular work,
statements
as
a

it is nevertheless the
source we

his

to

and
are

probable
at

ticity authen-

of

particularwriting

present

mainly

INTRODUCTORY.

dependent
and included

for of

the the

basis

of

our

confidence
to

in

the

authenticity
included

works

attributed works.

Paracelsus

in his works

collected
in this he
were

Huser of the

indeed doubtful
belief
or

many

collection

authenticityeven
the

when
that
a

expressed
not
a

knowledge
There exists

they
letter

genuine.
Bartholomaus bears
at

by
fact

certain which
even

Schobinger (dated April, 1576)

testimony
in his
were

esting intertime

to

the

that

that

opinion
not

some

alleged writings
He states,
who late upon

of

Paracelsus

authentic.
very

"Theophrastus,

whom weeks

I knew in him the

well, and
of my books
and

lived twenty-seven

house

brother-in-law,
such

left behind

many

things,
he

in

part

occult
not

[verporgelich]
himself

part of which
There
are

truly did
many

understand
....

also

books neither phrastus Theo-

printed
saw nor

under made.

his

name

which
I knew in be

Theophrastus
well the

For his usage

style of
be

and
No

writing.""
sure,
can

great

value,
and

to

attached

to

this

general

unsubstantiated

assertion, but
the

it is

nevertheless of Huser
as

interestingas supporting regards problem large

some

judgment
of Paracelsus.

alleged writings
from been

To the
to

the

of

separating myth
there has and

fact

in

life bear

history of Paracelsus,
a

brought
the

amount

of serious writers
for

search, scholarly re-

notably by thirty
^

German motive

during

past

years.

The

this

reinvestigation
Frankfort-on-the-

Schubert

and

Sudhoff,
pp.

Paracelsusforschungen,

Main,

1887-89, II,

140-44.

lO

PARACELSUS.

may

be

found of
to

in

revival

of

interest For

in

the

early
butions contri-

history

scientific
the life

thought.
story
of Carl
we are

important

particularly
Ed.

indebted and

to

the

researches

Aberle,

Schubert R.
the of

Carl

Sudhoff,
and the
to

Raymund
Franz of

Netzhammer,
Strunz.
the For

Julius
lution so-

Hartmann,
of attributed the books of monumental and

partial
the

problem

authenticity
we are

works
to

Paracelsus,
critical

chiefly
of

indebted
the the

bibliography by
Karl

printed
result

manuscripts
years in of the exhaustive libraries of of these

Sudhofif,
of the

many

study
of

collections

accessible
To of the

Europe.
and and and
to

the
the

work
work

scholars

other

dents stu-

Paracelsus,
of

to

authorities sciences
for

on

early
the and

history
past
better half

medicine

other

during
a

century,

we

are

indebted

new

understanding
and

of of

the the

personality, original
and

accomplishments
eccentric

influence
and

Swiss

physician

philosopher.

THE

EARLY

LIFE

OF

PARACELSUS.

THEOPHRASTUS
phrastus
at

von

Hohenheim,
Hohenheim,
on

or

Theoborn ber, Decemof the

Bombastus
in In

von

was

Einsiedeln

Switzerland his time

that this he

the

17th
was-

of

1493. German well

region
calls

part
German
Bombast

Elmpire,
as

so

himself

as

Swiss.

His
at

father,
the time

Wilhelm

von

Hohenheim,
in

was

practising
him

physician
the

that

village.
is in
In

portrait

of

bearing
Museum
Hohenheim

date burg. Salzhad des

149

the

Carolino-Augusteum
Wilhelm
von

in

Einsiedeln

married
Gotteshauses

an

"honest

person,"
lieben
far

"Gotteshausfrau
Frau
zu

unserer

Einsiedeln,''
know the

and

Theophrastus
and child
of

was

so

as

we

only
cated lo-

son

this

union.

At

Einsiedeln and the

was

Benedictine

monastery,
of

town

was

then

as

now

place

pilgrimage.
was

When
his he

Theophrastus
removed
to to

about in

nine

years

old

father continued where

Villach
for the

Carinthia,
of

where his

reside died
in

remainder

life,
and ness. wit-

and

he

1534

respected
records

citizen bear

physician,

as

contemporary

local

12

PARACELSUS.

There founded
was

was

located

at

Villach
of

mining
and

school
the
gion re-

by
an

the

Fuggers
that the father.

Augsburg,
district.

important

mining

It first

is

probable
and from

Theophrastus

received
of his his

his

schooling,

beginnings
Details
or as

medical
formal ing. lack-

training
Such
statements

his

to

schooling, either
of his

preliminary
as we

university,are
is from

information
own

have from

occasional here
a

and
to

allusions
as

and

there
That
seems

in his

writings
It is

his

experiences

student.

his

attention

was

certain.
some as

early drawn quite probable

and interest in

to

chemistry
his
father cesses pro-

that

had

knowledge practised
of his his

chemical

in the

mining

regions.
ferring re-

In

one

surgical treatises, Paracelsus,

to

to

endeavors

eliminate
of

the

useless from
to

transmutation

experiments
useful
to

chemistry
thus

the his

experiences
preparation
"From
and learned

medicine,
task: up I have

alludes

for

that

childhood
from

pursued
who

these
were

things
most

good
in the my and

instructors

thoroughly grounded firmly grounded

von
me.

in the
arts.

adepta philosophia
First, from
has him and
a

and

Wilhelmus forsaken
number

Hohenheim,
Afterward
necessary and
to

father, who
besides

never

great

not

enumerate,
as

many

writings origins ;
"

of

ancients
some

moderns,

well, of various
much

who

have

given
of of

themselves

trouble,
Erhart

as

Bishop
his

Scheyt Bishop

Stettgach, Bishop
Lavantall, Bishop

and of

predecessors

Nicolaus

Yppon,

Matthaus

Schacht, sufifragan bishop

THE

EARLY

LIFE

OF

PARACELSUS.

of and

Phrysingen.
others, and
And
I have

And
many

many
among

abbots,
the

as

of

Sponheini'
and
their for

doctors

Hke.
a

also had
many
as

great experience, and

who
the

long time,
those
of

with arts,

alchemists with number

have

gated investi-

namely
and
a

noble of his

Sigmund
employed

Fiiger

Schwatz

artisans."^
It appears and

that
at

Paracelsus

visited
in

Fiiger's mines
when
for

laboratories
years

Schwatz
and

Tyrol
there of usual

about

twenty-two
a

of age the

worked

nearly
and

year,

thus

laying
he

foundation
of the

the

extensive

knowledge
Whether before
and

possessed
the any he

chemical

metallurgical processes
or

of the young of the

period
German

and

region.
had

not

Theophrastus
in medical the

this attended
progress

universities,
studies

what
not

had

made

is
of

known.

Shortly after leaving

he

laboratory
a career

Fiiger

in Schwatz
a

embarked
of

upon

of

travel

covering
in the

long

series

experiences
his

in many

countries Of
this

study
the

and
the

practice of only

profession.
we

period again
from

information
and

have

is derived scattered

brief

statements

allusions
have

through
and

his

writings.
as

These

been
and

examined
in their

compared
to

to

their

consistency
events

relation

the local

history and
that

of the Dr. R. and

time, by several

scholars,
with
the

last and

notably by
a

J. Hartmann,
been
1

result

consistent

probably fairlycorrect
constructed.
The eminent and the

outline

of his

wanderings
and

has

Trithemius,
Cabbala.
und

neo-Platonic

philosopher
lOlf.

student

of magic
2

Chir. Bilcher

SchrifFten

(1618),

pp.

PARACELSUS.

It appears

from
np
to

this the in
as

evidence time of

that his

after

leaving
as a

Schwatz

and

appearance in

practising physician
served in

Strassburg
army surgeon

1526,
or

he

had

campaigns

physician

EINSIEDELN
The Devil's

IN

1577.

Bridge

and

the

Paracelsus

House
center.

will

be

discovered

somewhat

below

the

in

Denmark

and

Sweden,
and

that

he

had

visited

land; Engas an

France, Belgium,
army surgeon, of Venice he had

that, probably also

the
wars

participated in

in the

service

(1521-25).

It will be remembered

THE

EARLY

LIFE

OF

PARACELSUS.

that the

Swiss several At have

mercenaries
wars

were

then in

largely
different
he

used

in

taking place

parts of
appears

Europe.
also in
to

times visited France

or

during
or

this

period
various
at

attended

universities
some

Germany,
received No

and

Italy,^nd
the

time

or

other

assumed

title of Doctor.
found of that celsus Para-

positive evidence
received the
in the

has

been

degree

of

Doctor
even

Medicine.

His

antagonists

profession

during

his

DEVIL'S
It is in this

BRIDGE house

AND

PARACELSUS
to
an

HOUSE old

IN

1S77.
was

that, according
born

tradition, Paracelsus

in

1493.

lifetime alludes
formal

disputed
to

his

title but

to

it, a
to

charge
he the is and he

which makes

he
no

disdainfully
On
the

which

reply. having by

other the

hand,

assfumption consistently
would
not

of his

his
use

received

degree writings
that

supported by

of it in his earliest
the

afterward,
have

presumption
as

been

appointed
and

the

city physician (Stadtin the out University withas

arst)

of Basel

professor
records

having satisfied
The qualifications.

the authorities
of his

to

his technical
to

admission

the

PARACPXSUS Brussels.

BY

RUBENS(?)
but
a

Hardly
The
at

by

Rul)ens

himself,

liy Jan
of
to
to an

Wildens,
earlier lieen

one one

of in

his the

pupils.
Louvre Scorel

portrait
Paris,
at

is e\idently present

copy

supposed
attributed

lia\-e Diirer,

painted

by

in

1517,

but

formerly

THE

EARLY

LIFE

OF

PARACELSUS.

rights of citizenship in Strassburg

him
as

in

1526

describe

"Doctor
as

of Medicine."

Such

contemporary
him

records with the which whether influenced

in the

exist, official and

he

unofficial,credit
mentions and
the the

but title,

nowhere
the

sity univeras

conferred he received

degree,
all
or

belief it is

to

it

at

assumed

largely
self. him-

by

the

confidence and

of any

particular critic
Paracelsus

truthfulness

sincerityof
made
his

In

later
matter
one

years of

his opponents

his

wandering
furnishes

life
us

reproach,
the

and

reply

with

of

few
in his that

extended

autobiographical
in defense

sketches

contained

writings :
I should I have
or answer

"It is necessary of my

wayfaring
How
can

"

that

remained
overcome

nowhere that
?

long.
it is
can

I do

that
to

which
How is predestined

impossible
I add ?
.

for

me

do

or

to

overcome

to

or

take

away

from

that that

which

The
. . .

wanderings proved
one's
of
master

I have
to

thus
me,

far for
own

accomplished
the house kinds
reason nor

have
no

advantage
grows the confined the whole
stove.
to

that his

in

his

teacher
are

behind
not

Also
the

all

of but

knowledge
scattered
in
one man

land father-

throughout
nor

world.

They
must

are

not

in

one

place. They
found that
not to

be

brought
The
are

together, sought
stars

and

where their each

they
in

exist.

bear wide

witness and

tions inclinaone

scattered

for

his

own

village, but
for

according
the

the
to

nature

of

the

higher spheres,
proper

radii
to

pass
out

their

goals.
and

Is it not

me

seek

these

goals

PARACELSUS.

to

find

out

the

effects
not

in

each?

If be

I should the

fail in

this
tus
no

regard
that
one

I should

worthily
true

Theophraspursues I

am.

Is it not that it must

reason
"

that

knowledge

but

be that

sought?
I should
one

Therefore
go
to

have

right
not
or

and
me.
.

seek
to
see

it,
a

and

it
a

.Thus,
.

if any

wishes and of
can

person of their

city,to

learn

their and
them

manners

customs,

constellations
he
must
"

the
....

nature

their
a

ments ele-

pursue
or

How

good
the
a

cosmographer
stove

geographer
seeing^with
I have

develop
the eyes

behind

Does ?
....

not

give
from

true

foundation

heard that
be
reason a

repeatedly
it is written

those laws

experienced
that
me
a

in the laws
must

in the This

physician
well and
for

traveler.
that
as

pleases
wander do

very

the
as

diseases world will

hither
not

thither
in
must
one

wide

the
one

is, and
know many far
.

remain he

place.
wander
and

If

diseases

also. learns

If he
to

travels much.

he
.

experiences
Does behind
as

much

know

not

travel
stove

give
?
.

more

knowledge merely
their
to

than

sitting
tries counageously cour-

the
to to

Not
.
. .

describe
but

how

they

wear

trousers,
as

attack

the
....

problem
For

to arts to

what
have you,

kinds
no

of feet
are

diseases
so

they
the

possess

the them
nor

that

butcher
in
on

can

drive

they
them,

not

brought
that
cannot
are

cushions
nature to

enclosed pursue

in casks.
as

Since

is their
come

you
you.

must

they

The

English
nor

humors

[humores]
the
are,

not

the

Hungarian,
you
must

the go the

tan, Neapolithey
you

Prussian the
more

; therefore

where
more

and

you

seek

them,

and

ALTERIVS

NON

SIT

Qyi

SWS

ESSE

POTEST

AVREOLVS
Afi

PHILIPPVS
HOHENHEIM,

theophrastvs
DICTV5
n.^urm L.tiprti

bombast

PAKj\CELSVS
"j

Je^fTz^nale

tiobilaim

jemOu
cLkr^

J'ARifC"Z.SVS
"r^nuu httmo.

m^^iium

inaui

ante l^/tr^

Qua
Su

t^ttuj

HeLuiia

Po/bju/
Ajd^

tuoj

Ercjrm, L^prv^Jii/funu.

rcqoi^

ccuScj

i/lc ora,
a3

bJil. (Aim
loca
tmuttn

ptunrna. Ijr^um
tUr

^U""ndt
J.

f/hiJia pe-r
Jiniarxt

J^uU

luct Juhuut\ JcTtaScptcmtrv OjfoJtiffJhit nunc r^a ctncrcJi^Ue jaccnl "jyaier !"

ptnsu"

ChauutAu

Jculps^.

PARACELSUS

BY

TINTORETTO(
be

?)
of about
was

Engraved
Paracelsus
*

by

F.
was

Chauveau.
in the

May
Venetian

by

an

artist

1520-25, when
born

wars.

Tintoretto

1518.*
to

data For concerning portraits we chiefly indebted are of Dr. Karl Schadel Aberle, Grabdenkmal, scholarly researches des 1887-91. Theophrastus Abbildungen Paracelsus, Salzburg,

the

und

20

PARACELSUS.

experience,
in your
own

the

greater

will be
Also

your

understanding
that
now

fatherland.
be
a

it is necessary If

the

physician
to

chemist
he
must

[Alchymist].
seek But go
to out

he in

wishes which
not
come

be

such,

the

matrices

the

minerals
to
are

grow. he
must
are over

the

mountains Where who

he

will
the know

him,
there pass

them.

minerals them.
..

also other

the

experts

.1

things gains
in

that

who of
and
wear

wanders
many

hither

and

thither

knowledge
of habits

peoples
"

experience
which,
and
hat.
one

of all kinds should be

a

customs,
out

to

see

willing to
lover much go
a

his
to

shoes
see a

Does

not

long
to

way pursue
a

woman? JDretty
art! how

How

better

beautiful

If, then, there

can one

exists

such and those than

eat

need

[to travel]
for
not
so

be

condemned
true

despised
who those do who

doing?
have those those Those silks

It is indeed

that

roam

greater

possessions
the
stove

do;
and

who
that

sit behind

partridges,
eat

follow

after

knowledge
those who

milk-broth.

who
and
to

hug

the

fireplace[Wintheir

kelbldser] wear
wander those
are scarce

golden chains,
pay have
arts
"

able

for

homespun;
or warm were as no serve

within

the those

town-walls
in
no

it cold if He
me,

they wish,
trees
"

the

there

would
"

have

shade.

who

will

the

belly
who for

he go

will

not

follow, after
in fine

he will follow
Yet

those
not

about
as

clothing. nothing.
"

travel
he

is

such

these, for Juvenal has

who
has

said

alone
let
not

wanders them

joyfully
conform
to

Therefore may

that

saying

that the

they
stove

be

murdered

let them

stay behind

and

turn

THE

EARLY

LIFE

OF

PARACELSUS.

21

pears

before
me a

the
matter

fire. of

Therefore

I consider

that

it
I

is for have For who with

praise, not

of
my

blame,

that

hitherto this will will

and

worthily pursued
witness
ways

wanderings.
nature:

I bear

respecting
must

he

her investigate That

travel

her

books

his feet. its

a

which

is written

is. investigated
land
to

through
as

letters,but
so

nature
a

from
Thus

land

"

often

land thus
year

often

leaf.

is the

Codex

of

Nature,
In the

must

its leaves
at

be turned."^
the age of

1526,

about

thirty,

SEAL

OF

PARACELSUS

COAT

OF

ARMS OF

OF

THE

BASTS BOM-

HOHENHEIM

Paracelsus
that he
soon

is

again

found

in

Germany.
as an

It appears

attracted

attention
the

original and
trained

skilful

physician, though
viewed
no one

conventionally suspicion and

I

physicians
"I
own

him

with
the

hostility.
is his

pleased
The

but of the

sick whom

cured,"

statement

situation. of
von

official records

Strassburg
Hohenheim,

show

that

in

1526
and
3

"Theophrastus
has

Doctor

of

Medicine,
serves

purchased
the

the

citizenship[Burgrecht]
Enacted

with

Luzerne.

Wednesday

op. fol.,I, 2S7ff.

22

PARACELSUS.

after Luzerne
to

Andreas
was

Apostate [Dec. 5th]."

that the of the

The

guild of
millers

which
Before

also

surgeons

grain-dealers and belonged.^

upon

entering, however,
at

his

duties offer

and

privileges
the
a

Strassburg,
Stadtarst carried
or

he

received

the

of

position of

city physician at Basel,

it the the functions In

position which
his

with
at

of

professorship
Preface
to

in medicine

University,
dated
et

the vember, No-

manuscript
he

De

gradibus,

1526,
narius Professor The

signs

himself is to

"Physicus
say.

Ordiand

Basiliensis," that
at

Physician
Basel

Basel.

story of his
The

appointment

at

is interesting. of

distinguished book-publisher (Frobenius)

which
was

Basel,
from
a

Johann painful

Froben illness

suffering
efforts

defied

the

of the

sicians. phynew

Hearing physician, he
Basel, and
relief.
a

of the
to

remarkable
at

skill of the
to
come

sent

him his

Strassburg

to

through
of

ministrations in Basel
was

found

speedy
Erasmus

Froben's

house

frequented by
house

number
at

scholarly persons,
time lived in then

notably by
of

who

that

Froben's

and
in

by
the

CEcolampadius, University
movement

professor

theology
in the

of

Basel, both
in

prominent
skill of the

tion reforma-

Switzerland.

Impressed
new

personality
these
"

and
and

medical

by the physician,

men

"

particularly,it
on

is said,

dius CEcolampa(Stadtrath)
to

prevailed
the then
an

the

city authorities

to

offer

vacant

position of city physician

was

Paracelsus,
""

offer
and

which

at

once

accepted.
11,
p.

Cf.

Schubert

Sudhofif, Paracelsusforschungen,

3.

THE

EARLY

LIFE

OF

PARACELSUS.

23

We

have

evidence
on

of the

good impression
his friends
some

made letter
"

by Paracelsus
of Erasmus

Froben
to

and

in

written
the

Paracelsus of
a

time The

later
letter

probably during
Erasmus which certain
tone

summer

1526.
of the

of
in

is in
he

reply
of

to

letter

physician
the

has

given

directions

and
and is

prescriptions for though general

of
some

ailments

Erasmus,

of the

letter of Erasmus
as

expressive
of

dissatisfaction
"tions

to

the
"I

indefiniteness
offer
"

his direca

it concludes,
to

cannot

thee

reward
thee

equal

thy

art

and

knowledge

surely

offer

SIGNATURE

OF Bombast

PARACELSUS
ex

IN

1528,
D." Cf. Schubert

reading: "Theophrastus
and

Hohenheim

Sudhoff,

II, p. 72. op. cit.,

grateful

soul.

Thou

hast

recalled
is my

from

the

shades
:

[a6 inferis] Frobenius

restorest
me

who

other each

half

if thou the

also

thou
in in

restorest

through
fortune

other
that

[utruniqne
thou
remain

singulis]. May
Basel." entered
and had upon

favor

Paracelsus

evidently

his

important
teacher his
tact con-

position
with
zeal

as

city physician
and
energy. in

university
returned lands and

He

from
his

extensive

experience
different with with

foreign
of the

with
of medicine hailed

notions

practice and
ideas. He
much

theory
less doubt-

radical distinctly enthusiasm and

self-assurance

24

PARACELSUS.

this

Opportunity
of medical

to

propagate
and the

his

ideas

as

to

the

form re-

theory
at

practice.
time his

That

celsus Parafluence in-

overestimated the

ability

to

ultraconservative,
of the his

traditional,
that the forces he

dogmatic
estimated under-

medicine

time,

and
of also Basel of

greatly
whose

strength
is

ism antagon-

he His that

challenged experience
the he

certain.
forced him
to

at

soon

ize realand

victory
never

his
his and

ideas

was

distant,
the

though
of his

ceased

efforts,
resentments

bitterness*

disappointments
and
to

against
gave

the color

persecutions
and character

abuse his later

of

his

opponents

life.

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

THAT
of

we

may

be

able

to

comprehend
the theories

the of

nature

the
the

conflict

between

sus Paracel-

and he

traditional it is essential
of the

dogmatic
that
current
we

philosophy
attempt
to

which
stand underthe mains do-

opposed,

something
in his

thought
endeavored

in
to

which

Paracelsus

impress

reformatory
His

ideas. aim
was

gi-eat
and

to

break

the

bonds had and science

of

ancient
for
to
turies cen-

authority
held the basis

accepted

dogma

which

medical for
the

science foundation

enchained,
of that

open
a

way of

upon

open-minded
or,
as

experience,
he expresses

experiment
it,
on

and of

observation,
Nature."
But

the

"Light

"nature" which

to

the

view

of

the

school

of

ophy philosmuch

Paracelsus
modern

adopted
view is of
many

comprehended
or

that
It

to

our

occult

supernatural.
upon the life

comprised
health then of

the
men

influence and

the other

stars

and

mysterious

nomena pheof

generally knowledge
therefore,
and of

credited
nature

by
was

all
to

classes be

people.
not

The

achieA^ed hands
"

merely, experiment

by

the

eyes
as

and
we

the

by

observation

understand

26

PARACELSUS.

the

study
For

of

nature

"

but

also

by

more

mystical

insight into
hidden,
all those welfare the
"

the

hidden the

properties phenomena
of his

of

things.
seen
man

Paracelsus
are

of nature,

or

the

revelation

God's

will

to

in

things relating to just as

of the the

physical and
of Christ
man are

material
for him

teachings
will
to
as

revelation Hence

God's

in

things spiritual.
human

physician
to man,

the
must

highest
be

agent

of

God's
in the

will

thoroughly
and of Christ.
as

grounded
as

complete knowledge
to

of nature,

thoroughly
the

in obedience

the

teachings
of

For

of interpretation

the the

phenomena

of nature

for the
claims

interpretationof
the

teachings
and for the

Christ,

he

right
and

for

himself
to

his

individual
of of ology. the-

judgment,
ancient Church-Fathers

refuses

accept
or

authority
"

Greek

philosophers
or

physician's
of

or

other

sources

dogmatic

The
may be

study

of

nature

and the

its

phenomena
field to feel sixteenth

was,

it

remembered,

latest
was

the

naissance Retury cen-

impulse,
still

and

it

in the the

largely dominated
Middle

by
and
was

medieval

point of
science,"
book upon
was

view. "To
says the

Ages
"nature
had

its scholastic
a

Windelband,^
the

closed

which
the

Church
the

placed
it

its seal.
was

Nature

profane,

wicked;

hated, combated,

despised, oppressed, anathematized,

known,
natural
1

anything
And
of the in

but the

investigated
recoil
der

or

understood.

there
neueren

took

possession

spirit
42.

Geschichte

Philosophic, Leipsic, 1907, I,

p.

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

27

awakening longing
"But
to
was

to

freedom,
for
a

conscious natural
of the

of form
forces

its

power, for life,

nature. to

a a

for nature, and

of of

knowledge
be

command
was a

nature

mystery.
a

She

seemed

wish
It

revealed felt that the

through living nature

scholastic
and

mysterious knowledge.
was

not

to

be

approached

through
method
was

concepts

of science, its demonstration

and before that
a new

determinations,
at, it
was

was

arrived

believed
some

nature
lation, reve-

to

be

approached
a

through
secret

peculiar
thus

by struggle
first
a

mystical
the

doctrine, and
of
nature

the
at

toward

knowledge
summarizes

took

fantastic
as

direction."
the natural the

Or
of

Cassirer^ the

ophy philosveil

Renaissance,

"Through
the

dense

with
there of
a

which

fantasy and
view
of the the

superstitionsurround
outlines
and The
to

them,
forms lectual intelsure can

nevertheless
new

emerge

eternal leads

reality.
but later

labor and
fruitful

of

time

rarely

results

with

which

science

connect,
form which
and
are

but

it nevertheless

in symbolic anticipates, processes the of

language, general
to

thought
of
ence." sci-

be

repeated

in

upbuilding
well

These of

characterizations
nature

apply
in his

to

the

cepts con-

and and
as

natural found

phenomena
own

in the

time

of Paracelsus

writings.
of
a

Among
the

the

conventional natural

scholars
was

the

time

prevailing
2

philosophy
in der

degenerate
der

Das

Erkenntnisprohlem
Zeit

Philosophie
p. 205.

und

Wissenschaft

neueren

(2d

ed.), Berlin, 1911, I,

28

PARACELSUS

Aristotelianism,
and

which

had

been

fied transmitted, modi-

obscured Oriental

by
than the

Arabian

interpreters

and

through
more sources. a

influences

corrupted
in the there

by
had

much

of

mysticism During
revival

existed

original Greek
oped develThe

Renaissance neo-Platonic

of the

philosophy.

las generally credited originator of this revival is Nichoof Cusa ( 1401-1464), but its chief propagandists
were

in the

Florentine

Academy (1463-94)
the had

"

^notablyGiovanni
and

Pico
nus

della Mirandola

Marsilius

Fici-

(1433-99).
natural

Through

latter

this somewhat
to

fantastic where

philosophy Agrippa

spread

Germany, (1462(1486in France

Reuchlin Cornelius
were

(1455-1522),
von

Trithemius

1516), 1535)
Bovillus

Nettesheim while

prominent (1476-1553)

exponents,
was
a

prominent
has

tive. representa-

Of named teachers.

these in
a

men

Trithemius from

previously
as

been

quotation
Ficinus and authors

Paracelsus
are

among

his

Agrippa
whose

also
he is
was

mentioned
is familiar.

by

him

as

with

works

Agrippa's lifetime,
with
years
or more

it will be
"

observed,
in

raneous contempobut
a

Paracelsus's It may this school notions

fact, he

few
one

older.
of

be

safely assumed
Paracelsus
of his
was

that

to

indebted

for

the
"

fundamental

philosophy
and

of nature
as as

whether

directly to
believes, is

Ficinus
or

LuUus,

fessor Pro-

Sigwart' thinks,
Lehmann*
5

to

Agrippa,
difficult

Alfred decide.
p. 42.

at

present

to

Chr.

Sigwart, Kleine

Schriften, 2d
und

ed., Freiburg, 1889, I,

etc., 2d

A. Lehmann,

Aberglaube

Zauberei,

ed., Stuttgart, 1908.

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

29

Lehmann

calls
wrote

attention his
a

to

the

fact

that

Pico

della in

Mirandola

Conclusiones of his

cabbalisticae

i486
friend Hebrew

and

that into

pupil
the who
the

[Ficinus?] initiated
Trithemius
was a

Trithemius of

Cabbala.
was a

Reuchlin and of

profound
From

student

of

Cabbala.
the

Reuchlin of
the

Agrippa
theory
As

probably
he also Paracelsus and
we

received
was a

foundations

and

friend

of Trithemius. both Ficinus

as

mentions

and his all

Agrippa,
teacher,
these

acknowledges
well believe in the construction

Trithemius
that he

may

drew
own

from

sources

of his
of

theories.
was

Though deeply
and
of

the rooted

natural

philosophy
neo-Platonic Paracelsus
to

Paracelsus

in the

Florentine

Academy, yet
a

philosophy of the too was original

a

venturesome

thinker
of him the and the for

be

strict adherent
It

any

particular

form
to

philosophy.
because
it
was

probably
in the
ture na-

especiallyappealed
of telianism
to
a

revolt' from
of the

dry
value
the

and it of

lifeless Aristo-

day,
of

because

opened

the

path
and

the

recognition
as

experiment

observation

the. basis

development philosophy
was

icine. of med-

Fantastic
time
sfeems
to

as our

the

neo-Platonic

of that in

present

views, there
notions of

much

it and
a

to

appeal
sixteenth

to

the

popular

the
to

fifteenth

centuries.

The

attempt
the many

unite

into

quasi

natural

philosophy
nature
as

mysterious
themselves

phenomena
to the
as

of

they presented
"

belief of that well

as

time

the

supernattiralphenomena
natural

many

equally mysterious

phe-

30

PARACELSUS.

nomena

"

was

inspiring
of

to

the

imagination.
the

The

"natural

magic" things

Agrippa
to

and

Paracelsus
of the
sense.

attempted
which accounted

give
the

rational

philosophy of explanations
philosophy
of

many

orthodox
in
a

period
A

for

only

purely mystical

fundamental was'
the

concept

of this of

neo-Platonic

losophy phihas

interrelation
that every

all the

phenomena
an sidered conso man

of the

universe, such
upon the every of in
a

phenomenon
the

influence

other.
the

As

earth

was

center

material
sense

universe,
the Man
center

was

considered
of the

higher

and

the

epitome
their

external universe.
universe
occult and and
moon

is the

cosm, micro-

the external

the

macrocosm.

Through things
definite
in the

spiritsor
sun

properties
and may

all

universe,

stars,
exert

plants and

mals, aniences influ-

metals upon

waters, his mental

man,

and
man

physical states.
of

So,

too, it is
of be these

not

impossible that
or

through knowledge things

in may
velous mar-

occult
to

hidden the says

properties
powers

able

influence

of

nature

ways.

Or,
of the

as

Cassirer^
neo-Platonist

in

discussingthe
Bovillus, the
enable
the
us

philosophy
obtain
"

French the

investigation of
clearer "In

macrocosm

is to takes

to

views

of what

place in

cosm micro-

fantastic human

analogies
life is

the

comparison
and

of the preted." inter-

universe

with

developed

Lehmann"

has

given
and

us

synopsis

of the
to

natural much
195-202.

magic
"

of

Agrippa,
p.

the

resemblance
0

of

Op. cit..I,

63

op.

cit., pp.

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

Paracelsus's
to

theories

is

Agrippa striking. sympathies

attributes and

all

objects in
and and

the universe
that

thies, antipathies sympa-

believes

by influencingthese
results says

antipathies by appropriate
or

methods

traordinary ex-

supernatural
natural

might
Lehmann,

be

tained. ob-

"This attained ideas with

magic,"

"first

great

importance changes
medical

when
were

its

fundamental
as an sential es-

certain

adopted

element

in the "The

system
is

of Paracelsus."

Agrippa
ruled Thus

says,

world

mentary, threefold, namely, elelower

its power. the
out

sidereal, spiritual. Everything

is

by
the

the

higher
of His

and
and

receives

thence of

Architect

Prototype

universe

lets the powers

omnipotence
and thence

flow
the

through
the

the

angels,

the

heavens, the stars,

elements,
for

animals, plants, rocks, thus, thinks

into man."

And
man

Agrippa,
of

it becomes
nature to

possible
reascend and

through
and
to

the powers

the ladder

gain supernatural magic

of
is to It

powers

knowledge.
of the

This

natural

him

the
or

greatest
the

sciences. of the
their
a us

comprises: Physics, things

which
are

knowledge
universe
"

nature causes,

in the

actions, times, places, appearances,

in its
nature

as

whole
to

and know the

parts

Mathematics,
dimensions

which
and

teaches
to

in three of the of

serve ob-

paths

heavenly bodies; Theology.

God,
the

which

teaches

us

soul, intelligences,
teaches
us

angels,
sacred
it informs the

devils

and

religion; it
and the

also

the

observances, forms
us

mysteries ; and
faith

finally
sacred

concerning
of words and

and
and

the

miracles,

powers

symbols

the

32

PARACELSUS.

Operations and
sciences

mysteries
does

of

the

seals.

These

three
fects. per-

the
He

natural
who

magic brings together

not

and

know

these

three

sciences

cannot

understand supposes

the rationalityof magic.

all substances
to

Agrippa
of the four and
a

be

composed
of

Aristotelian
Air.

elements,
is

Fire, Earth, these,

Water
not

Everything
and

composed
but

by

simple heaping together

the elements. in nature, but

by

combination

and it

metamorphosis, perishes, into

occurs

everything
None

falls of

back, when
these
more

ments eleor

pure and may

they
with

are one

less Each of

mixed
of the
one

be

confused has
two

another.

four

elements

special qualities quality, the

element.
four other is

which
the

is the transition
a

characteristic
to

forms

another

This

represented by
and the
"

diagram
elements

the illustrating in their

ties qualito
one

four the

relation

another

in

Aristotelian
hot Air Fire

fashion:

"

"

dry
Earth
"

1
"

moist

Water

cold
of

According
nature
or

to

Agrippa
in the the

also, all things

divisions
or

higher
of also Also

sphere
the

three

worlds

the

universe, influence things

that in the

lower, but the lower

in less

influence
all in

higher, though
same

degree.
one

sphere
attracts

influence

another

everything philosophy
to

and

is attracted

by

its

like. The of of

Paracelsus

presents
The form

distinct
of the

resemblances

that

Agrippa.

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

33

neo-Platonic well have

are

philosophy presented by Agrippa

served also
in
as

may

his

starting-point,but
Paracelsus
was as

the

ferences dif-

important.
the

festly manito

quite
three

agreement
of

with

Agrippa
and their

the

divisions
upon

universe
The
outer

mutual of
man

fluences inas rocosm, mac-

one

another.

concepts
universe
as

the microcosm,
and that
of

and

the the

the

by

study

of the be and

macrocosm

the
were

knowledge
with

the
as

microcosm with

must

reached,
also with

Paracelsus

Agrippa
three

his

contemporary

Bovillus, dominant
of the

ideas.

Instead, however,

sciences

of

pa, Agripmatics Mathe-

Physics (meaning
and

natural

philosophy).
"

(including magic Theology,

also upon

numbers
is founded

the the

Cabbala)
Science
of

which

Natural

Magic,

Paracelsus natural

substitutes

Philosophy Astronomy,
Virtue four
must

(meaning Alchemy
which
as

philosophy),
and the he constitutes of

(meaning
which the
a

chemistry)

(or pillars
rest.

righteousness),
upon

Science

Medicine
differs in

"Virtue"

separate

science

from

the

"Theology"
Paracelsus
upon Paracelsus
as

of

Agrippa
many

mainly
forms,

the

rejection by
and acles mir-

of the which

ceremonies

Agrippa

places emphasis.
four Aristotelian elements of
all

rejectsthe
substitutes
for

the

determining
and

constituent
them his

principles
three of

bodies

alchemical

elements.

Mercury,
that

the
the

principle principle
is

liquidityand
combustibility,
and
sists re-

Sulphur, volatility,
and

of

Salt,
the

principle which
of
fire.

permanent

action

34

PARACELSUS.

The

philosophy
differed
even

of nature
more

as

presented by emphasis
ideas
For than Paracelsus
was

celsus Para-

in

the

and in

the
the
was

application
formal
not
a

of

the

fundamental

philosophical notions.
closet
and

philosopher.
He in

His

reasoning
it would
a

often
not
so

loose much for

careless.

was,

seem,

interested
its
own

elaborating
as

natural

philosophy
neo-Platonic
less

sake he for
to

in had

utilizing the
been
more or

system
as a

in which

schooled

substitute which

the his

Aristotelian mind
stood

and in the

Galenic
way of
on

losophy phithe

rational
basis
current

development study
neo-Platonic

of the science
His
was

of medicine

the

of the

of nature. theories and

adaptation
not
so

of the
a as

much

carefully thought-out
it
was
as

consistent
of

philosophy
such
as

an

imaginative adaptation
fit into the introduced

elements he and
saw tensions ex-

of it

could and
as

system
such

of

things

them,

he

modifications
his which

harmonized
"

with ideas

medical, chemical
he had

and
at not

theological ideas only through

but of of also

arrived
of the little

the
sources

conventional

channels he

schools, for which

respect,
school classes
Thus and less

indeed
his
contact

felt but
with
a

through
and and

wider
all

observation

experience
lands.
less the
even

among

people
his

in many of

system

philosophy,
than
or

consistent

logically developed
it had

philosophy by Agrippa,
the
was

presented by Ficinus, Bovillus, nevertheless, because profession

more

application to
and
common

tical prac-

of

medicine
on

chemistry, thought

of

direct

influence

the

of the

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

35

time.

As

recent at

writer
his

has

expressed it/

celsus "Para-

mystical system long before Copernicus appeared. The great impulse that proceeded
from the
latter

arrived

and had

produced
not
was a

cosmological
him. theless, Neversaw

thinking and view-point

he world
arose as

reached the

as

metaphysician Nearly
Bruno. The

first who after

was

the

in motion.

century
also

him

[sic]
have

Giordano Paracelsus.
him

Cardan

younger

than

only influence
Eckehart,
that

which
from the

could

reached influence

from Meister

outside, apart

medieval of the
vivified re-

of

was

that

neo-Platonism,
of the
late

fashionable
that
was

philosophy only
must
a

Renaissance.

But
of

cold have

transparent
hindered
of
a

metaphysics
than

ideas, which
furthered
so

rather

have

the

ment developso

metaphysics
was was

of nature,
that

warm,

full of
has

life and

actuality as
For

which
"

Paracelsus
that
"

given

us. was

this
a

remarkable
of

his

cism mystihis

always always

mysticism
the

actuality
historian the of

that

cosmos

remained from

nature." eminent
of

Or

to

quote

losophy phi-

J.
of the

H.

Erdmann:'
and had
even

"Although
Microcosm
was

doctrine

Macrocosm and
of
to

primitive by
known un-

antiquity Raymond
of

latelybeen
who
had
not

emphasized
remained and

Sabunde,

Paracelsus,
the the
van

yet it is only since

it
was

by

means

latter

that of

made He

the

central

point
''

of

whole
den

philosophy.
Deutschen,
Minden

designates
n.

Moeller
p.

Bruck, Die

i.W.,

d.

(1904),
1893,

III,

74.

^History
I, p. 613.

of Philosophy

(trans, by W.

S.

Hough),

London,

36
the the

PARACELSUS.

nature

as

sphere of philosophy and

latter all

hence
as

cludes ex-

from the
were

theology.
as

Not

though theology
of
:

two

were

antagonistic, or
to

though
but
the

subordinated
are

philosophy,
of nature
or

works of Christ

God
the

either
are

works

works

former

comprehended foreign
in the

by philosophy,
of this
natural

the

latter

by theology."
it is
to

While
to

purpose

ment treat-

describe

great
a

detail
summary

the

ophy philosof the

us

of
more

Paracelsus,

brief

of
serve

some

characteristic
to

features the the

will

to

enable

better

understand
for

influence in which external the

and he

significance
wrote.
or rocosm mac-

they possessed
Paracelsus
into the astral
; and

time the

divides
three

universe and

worlds,

visible world

tangible; heavenly spiritual.

three
responding cor-

(or sidereal),.the
the
sees

of the and

bodies

celestial, or
in man, the

the

divine

Similarly

he

the

microcosm,
and
; the

spheres,
is,the fluids, organs,

visible
etc.

tangible,
astral, the

that
sations, sen-

bones,

seeing, feeling,perception ; the celestial,the

soul

(Seele).
divisions
of science

The of the

sciences
the

which

treat
are

of

these

three
the

macrocosm,

philosophy,
astronomy

phenomena
; and

of nature;
or

(and astrology)
and who

theology
the

virtue
is to

{propriebe stood underhe what oughly thorthese he

tas). As, however,

would his know what

microcosm
the

interpreted through
takes and

macrocosm,

place

in man,

and
be To

affects

life, health,

well-being must
three

grounded
Paracelsus

in these

sciences.

adds

alchemy,

which

term,

however,

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

37

uses

in the
sense

sense

of

chemistry
at

rather
we

than

in
to

the the

mystical
word

which He

present

attribute
as

alchemy.
of

adds
as

chemistry
considers Aristotelian

the

fourth
all

pillar
made

medicine,
even

he

that

stances, subare

the the

four

elements,

up

of

three

chemical
the

principlesMercury,
in
nature
are

Sulphur
effect character
the

and

Salt, and
in the

processes of matter may

which
in

changes
to

forms

similar

the

changes
the says
as

which

be

produced
is herself

in
an

laboratory of
So
he

chemist. :"
to

Nature

alchemist. "Now which the

further

the which

third is

foundation

on

medicine

stands,
is not

alchemy.

When
to

physician
and is in

skilled

and

experienced
is
not

the

highest
his
keen
art

greatest
vain.

degree
For
nature

in this
so

foundation, all
subtle and
so

in her
art.

matters

that
she-

she

will

be used that
is

without

great

For

yieldsnothing
man

perfected,
it.

in its natural

state, but

must

perfect
the
the

This
is
an

perfecting
alchemist when
cloth.
to
was man
"

is called

alchemy.
bakes
the

For

baker

when
makes

he

bread,
weaver

vine-grower
he makes useful

he

wine,

when

Therefore whoever

whatever

grows it to the
an

in nature

brings
nature,
he

point

to

which

it

ordered

by
of

is

alchemist."

When

Paracelsus
nature nature
"

speaks
"As
"

of

philosophy
the
other than that

as

the
must

knowledge develop philosophy?

now

physician
'

from
"

what

is

nature

than

what
"

is

philosophy
be

other
in mind
i"

ible invisto his

nature?"^"
1

it should

kept

op. fol, I, 219, "Paragranum."

Ibid.,I, 205.

38
mind
to

PARACELSUS.

as

his
nature

contemporaries
included
the of
a

generally, the
number
of
our

nomena phegates releThe

of facts
to

great

of supposed

which domain
the the

knowledge
fable of and

day

the of
or

superstition.
and and
The

influences of the air

stars, waters,
in

angels
gnomes
time.

devils, spirits

nymphs

were

generally
view
of

credited
universe

his

neo-Platonic

the

which
in

Paracelsus existences
exerted
man

represented by
all
the its
sumption as-

encouraged
of upon
one

the
the

belief

such

influences

by

things
pathies sym-

another and

and

upon of

through

antipathies
in the influence

their

spirits (Geister).
stars
was

The

belief

of the

well-nigh
ogy." "astrolnature man's the upon

universal, and
The
of the

"astronomy"
of the

comprehended
bodies

customary

interpretation of heavenly

influence
was

health from the

H.

quotes purely mystical. Troels-Lund" Ranzau (1676), a post-Paracelsan writer,

discussion
the

following
view
"The of

which

may

be and

accepted purely

as

fairlyrepresenting
the
cause came

conventional
:
.

tical mys-

matter

first

of disease sin

is the death of

fall of the into the the

stars. to

first

man

with second

which
cause

and

world. God
ure meas-

The

is the

influence
we

created the

these
years, be
a

not

only

that and

may

be but

able

months

days,
For

also
we

that may

they
draw world bod-

should

sign
as

to

us

from

which the The

conclusions is

to

the the

future.

inferior

dependent
""*

upon

superior.
in der

heavenly
alter Zeiten,

Gesundlieit
p. 80

und

Krankheit

Anschauung

Leip-

sic, 1901,

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

39

ies

exercise
upon

certain

mysterious
conditions
are

action

and

ence influ-

the
of

lower

whereby

the

fluids
or

[Sdfte]
of
the

the

body

modified,
the

augmented
and all character

diminished, according
stars.

to

position
in

Daily

experience,
this
so

things

the

surest
no

teacher, shows

plainlyand
If any
one

clearly that
lacks
fidence con-

further
in

proof
this
and let he

is needed.
him

but
be

observe convinced.

the

influence
For

of
a

the

moon

will
fluids

with
also and therefore
"

crescent

moon

the
the

of the
marrow our

body
"

increase
in
are man

the

blood,

brain" fluids

the of

in

animals.

The

bodies but
"

ruled arise

by

the

heavenly
and from

bodies,
diseases

from

bad

fluids

diseases

death."
were

Even
of
a

before
to

Paracelsus

there
the Thus

symptoms
notions Pico of the della

tendency
of

discredit
stars.

mystical
Giovanni

influence

the

Mirandola, birth,
says:

who

died

the

year

following

Paracelsus's

"The

stars

can cause.

only

indicate
real and
causes

and and
are or or

predict
natural

what

they

themselves
to

Their
world the

signs
to

belong
laws.
the

the

material
are

subject
the

its of

They

either which
possess able
to

effects

happenings
bodies
are

they
no

indicate occult

predict.

The

heavenly
power earth.

qualitiesby
secret

whose
on

they
Not
the
as

produce
but

influences
must

in the

heavens

in himself A

each

read such

foundations Aristotle

of his

destiny.
for
stars

great thinker

is indebted
not

his

capacities and
which
he

accomplishments

to

the

under

40

PARACELSUS.

was

born,
God." So

but

to

his

own

genius
"Adam and

which

he

received

from

Paracelsus
at

says:

and

Eve

received

their of

bodies seed

the
to

creation
the
or

through
away had

the of

principle
world.
nor

the

up
no

passing planet just

are
"

the

And
were,

though
children natured

star

existed

yet

would
as

be
now

so

born, complexioned
one

and

they

melancholic,
untrue,
in the the
one

other an-

choleric, one
another

true,
Such

another

pious,

wicked.
natures

qualitiesare
not
come

entity of
stars, for
no

their

and
no

do

from that
no

they

have

part
no

in the

body,
no

is,they give

complexion,
traits, no
"The

colors,
no

form,

characteristic

nature,
course

individuality.'"^
Saturn
nor

of

disturbs

no

man

in

his

life,neither
had
never

lengthens
been in the be born

shortens
nor

it. For in the

if Saturn

heavens

firmament,
no moon

people
had

would

just

so,

and

though
have

been

created You
must

still would
not

people
that

just

such

natures.

believe
was

because

Mars

is

cruel,
had

therefore the You

same see

Nero
nature

his

child. obtained
of
one

Although
it from

they
the and Helen older
were

neither
and
never

other.

Helen

Venus

nature,

though
have than also "A

Venus

had
a

existed
and

still would
Venus is

been
Helen

strumpet,
consider

although
before

that

Helen

there

strumpets.
that is thrown it has into the the earth

seed of

yields its
the

fruit

itself,for
within

principle of
if the
sun were

seed

[ens seminis]
"

it, but

not, it

Op. fol, I, S, "Paramirum."

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

4I

would
nor

not

grow.

Think
nor sun

not

that

the

s^in makes

it,
that

the

firmament
of
grow in the

such
sets

things, but
it its time
....

mark A

the
may

warmth
not

the

child
for

without

its

digestion [gestation]
is to
no

it grows and

digestion,that
the child needs and

say,

in the
nor

mother,

therefore is its

stars

planets,its
must

mother

planet
that

its star.

The

seed

have

digestionand
however,
the mother "But
stars

takes
no

place in

the earth. without

any

The

earth,
but
"^^

affords is
a

digestion

the
stars
....

sun,

digestion without
and

understand

also the virtue their

of the

stars.

The

have

their nature
on

manifold
stars

ties, proper-

just as
their
sweeter
are

earth

men

have.

The

have

also

changes,
or

sometimes milder evil

comes comes

better, sometimes
or

worse,

sourer,

bitterer.
from them.

When
but
note

they
when
that

good nothing
are

them,
Take
an

they
they
comes

evil,evil
the

from
as

surround

earth shell

the and

shell passes

egg:

the

air

through
toward
now

the

first

through

them
note

the

center stars

of

the which

world.
are

Therefore

that

those
the

poisonous place
earth such

"

they

contaminate when
appear

air with
come

their poison.
to

fore Thereeases 'disthose

these

poisons
as

any

there
not

have

the the

properties

of but

stars.

It may

poison good
of

whole
is

only
so

that also

part where
it is with the

its.influence

strongest.
of the very

And

influences of
a

stars.""

This habit

is

an

illustration

characteristic

of Paracelsus, of his time

explaining generally accepted

rational theory. plausibly
^*

beliefs

by

some

'3/6"rf., I, 6.

Ibid.,I,

7.

42

PARACELSUS.

In his time the and earth

when
was

the Ptolemaic
the
center
"

cosmology prevailed,
which
smi,
was moon monly com-

about the
to

planets revolved, supposed

to

and

atmosphere
and of
to

extend
the
to

support
time
was

them

in

their
and

places.
fantastic
"

To

thought
his
own

our

strange

yet

time

there

nothing
for
celsus Para-

absurd such

in this influences with

imaginative hypothesis to
upon health
to

account
as

and the

diseases

others

credited passage

heavenly

bodies. tent consisin

cord ac-

The with

following
the the

is, however,

less
more

foregoing quotations, and philosophy

know that
not

with

of

Agrippa.
wise
stars must

Says

celsus:'"' Para-

"Therefore
master
are

the the and

man

man

can

rule The him

and
stars

the

stars,
to

and

him.
follow

subject
he them.

him A

and brutish

and

not

is the
to

ruled, mastered,
stars,
the
so

compelled
has
to

and

necessitated
them the like the

by

that

he the

follow
to

thief

gallows,
the

murderer The

wheel."
was

study

of all nature
to

essential

to
"

sician phy-

according only through

nature
a

the

view

of Paracelsus

because external
pletely com-

complete understanding
could the

of

(the macrocosm)
understand the To

physician

influences

affecting man
is

(the dog
in of

microcosm).
"The its heaven

quote:'"
is its
man

own

physician
his than

as

wounds,
For

but
as

has is
more

shortcomings
a

such

things.
"=

he

mortal

creature,

op.

fol, I, 910,

"De

natnra

rerum."

'"

Ojy. fol.,I, 216, "Paragranum."

THE

PARACELSAN

VIEW

OF

NATURE.

43

he

must

have

more

knowledge.
and what
water.

He

must

know

what
in the so? In

is in the

heavens
what he this be what

in the

earth, what
is this

air, and
order he is.

in the
may

Why
he

that
If
not

know

who
were

is and
not

from

what
man

knowledge
sick.
and

necessary
may know

would
no

But
who

that
he

man

that,
in

matter

is,he

must

recognize
and
has

his
and

father
must
see

[the macrocosm]
that

diseases
Mars

health,

this member and this

made, this
is from the

member,
Chaos blood
These for

Venus,

this, Luna;

this thou there

[air] ;
from diseases that

in

place
and know he

hast

thy

flesh

and

the of
man

element
men

water,

from exist

earth.

of their the
see

health

only
forest

this the

may that

beasts that
must

of the he
man

and

and field, and and may

not

may

is like the observe

beasts
himself that he The

better.

Therefore of

gain experience
know

all created

things [proprieinto of

himself."
virtue of
to

fourth

pillar of medicine,
itself in the of hands

tas), resolves
a

Paracelsus the

recognition
to

and

obedience of the the

will

God
the

and
powers

his

direction
and

universe

through
direct
as

of nature

teachings
with

of Christ.

Quite tion applicaof

generally
to

the

subject

is treated

the

mission

of the
health

physician
of
man

the

agent

God's

will for the

of the

through
and the
to

his the

standing under-

forces

of nature, toward
to

duties
the for "the

of

the and

medical their

profession obligation

poor

and

sick

prepare

themselves

their

profession by studying
of

their

science

in

Light

Nature."

MEDICAL

THEORY.

AS
ix.

the

main he and
to

interest

of

Paracelsus
the of

lay

in

medicine,
on

and

as

rejected practice
his

ancient

authorities
it
was

the

theory

medicine,
that he

of
formulate

first

importance
a

mission
that
nature

should harmonize results also

natural

theory

of

medicine
of

should and the

with of
his
perience ex-

his

philosophy
and

observation.
is

Naturally
related
to

his

ined-

ical

theory

closely

his

ophy. philos-

The of

history
a

of

medical need
at

science of radical

gives
reform of the

ample
both

dence eviin

great

theory
Paracelsus. The

and

practice

the

period

activity

of

accepted by
the

body
medical founded and

of

medical

doctrines and
the and of the

as

thorized au-

faculties
upon

taught

in

the

universities of

was

ancient their latter.

ties authoriArabian
The

Hippocrates
and

Galen

interpreters,
Greek
much and the the
texts

particularly
Galen
to

physician
in had human

had the

indeed

accomplished
of
not

his
even

time

advance

practice

medicine,
indeed
But
on

performed subject,
of but

dissections,
upon of

animal Paracelsus

bodies.
the in

to

physicians
of

the

time almost

ancient

Galen

were

unknown

their

purity,

MEDICAL

THEORY.

45

but

were

read

only as transmitted, commentated

Arabian and
was

and

interpolated by Averrhoes, Mesne

sixteenth
with

interpreters, Avicenna,
The Galenism Galenism of the
laid over-

others.
a

century
Oriental

corrupted
and

occultism

mysticism.
in the

over, More-

the medieval The been

spiritstill ruled
and

profession.
had infallible
were a

teachings
for

of the Arabian-Greek
were

authorities
as

centuries

still held medical

dogmas.
finished
were

The

doctrines
as

of

science
of

book, just
"

the
be

authorities

the

Church

final

they might
and

commentated,
but
not

expounded,
nor

interpreted

taught,
No

contradicted
were aged, encour-

seriouslyquestioned.
no

experiments
tolerated
these

doctrines

or

opinions
to

that

might
the be

be

in

evident

contradiction
new new

sacred
to

ties. authori-

Though profession, no attempted

such
was a

diseases

had

arisen
measures

puzzle
could

unauthorized
them.

to

meet

Naturally enough,
the
a

while

condition
to

prevailed
and the

medical

profession
caste.

bound

degenerate ignorance
of
the

into

self-satisfied

Naturally
the

also

incapacity,fostered
conventional of

by

lifeless and

teaching

dogmas,
symptoms

theories and

stereotyped system
gave

remedies, often

rise to also that

many

pretentiousness and
in the
new as

hypocrisy.
when should
of the
men

It followed
were

Renaissance,
there

thinking
a

thoughts,
to

have

arisen

suspicion

the

sufficiency
within

medical
ranks
"

theory
of

and

practice,not
there
or

perhaps

the

conventionally trained
and
a

profession
raised
of

itself

though

here
some

voice

was

in

protest

against

phase

feature

medical

4-6

PARACELSUS.

practice
the It

or

theory
and the

"

but

more

particularly
time

among

laymen
was

general public.
the very

indeed

during

when

celsus Paramus Erasof

was,

acquiring
Praise
of the the

his medical

training,that
medical
now

in his the

of Folly, satirizing the

contemporary
art
as

follies

time, said
indeed
one

science,
is

"And
but

whole

it is

practised
and

incorporated compound
And
in

of craft

ture." impostemporary con-

Agrippa Germany

von

Nettesheim,
of

the elder had

also

Paracelsus,

ten,^ writthose
tumes, cos-

"The

greatest
who
are

reputation
recommended and

is attained

by

physicians
many tedious

by splendid
distant

rings
a

jewels, a
and

fatherland,

travels,
or a

strange

religion, especially the

who
combine

Hindu
these their hours

Mohammedan,

with
of

monstrous

shamelessness

in the observe

praising
times

medicines
most

and

cures.

They
their

and

exactly,dispense
to

medicines
and

always hang
all native
edies rem-

according
kinds medicines
are enormous

the

astrologicalcalendar,
on

of amulets
are

the

patient. Simple
latter action
so

and

quite neglected. Costly foreign

are

preferred, which
numbers that the

mixed
one

in such
acted counter-

of
no

is

by
can an

that

of the

another,
effects

that

human
from

ity sagacsuch

foresee

which

will arise

abominable
Peter and

mixture."
the

Ramus,
reform
a

distinguished
in the of the

French

ist human"

professor
admirer

College
work

of France

himself

great

and

skill of

Ba.a.s,Geschichtliche 1896, p. 185.

''-

Entivickelune

des

drztlichen

Standes.

Berlin.

MEDICAL

THEORY.

47

Paracelsus,
reformations
"

as

shown

in

an

essay

urging
Paris

certain

in the

University of
of the and

(in 1562)
cine; medithe

emphasized
and of herbs upon

the laziness

professors of
that the

theology,
and the of

complained
and

ing analyzof

simples
were

study

their
The

effects

body
the

totallyneglected." profession
many able
were

shortcomings
not

medical

dently evi-

unappreciated by theory
upon of the the

rary contempo-

critics. The
medical

period
doctrines

was

based,
of

as

already mentioned,
and had

rates Hippoc-

Galen.
been
at

With
a

these-Greek

cine physicians,medi-

indeed
least but

tive. living science, though primilearned

medieval their

They experiment: only

The such

had their

by

observation

and
no

interpreters
observations
were

longer experimented
as

and

might
of

enable

them of
the

to

apply

the

accepted
the
the

doctrines

and

formulas medicine
was

ancient

authorities.
at to

teaching
of of

in the

universities

time

Paracelsus

practicallyconfined
Mesne,
Averrhoes
and

reading

Avicenna,
the

and

other

interpreters of
and

Galenic
of

doctrine,

taries commen-

exposition

their

meaning

by

the

turer. lecwere

Dissections

and

laboratory
at
rare

methods

lacking; though permitted by

the in
"

sometimes civil and

"

intervals, when

clerical

onstrations authorities, demcrude the deed in-

anatomy
in

superficialand
presence of
town.

were

made
the

the

medical The
first

students

and

physicians
and
the

of the

Cf. Graves, Peter Ramus Sixteenth Century, Macmillan,

"

Educational
pp.

Reformation

of

the

1912,

80, 82.

48

PARACELSUS.

important publication on
of the

anatomy,
of

marking

the

ginnings be-

development
of

modern

anatomical

studies,

was

that

Vesalius the death

which

appeared

in

print two
The upon the

years

after

of Paracelsus.
of

authoritative Galenic

theory
of

diseases
the four the

was

based
or

doctrine

humors

fluids of the
black
"

body, phlegm, blood, being

related
the four

bile, these
to

yellow and the by metaphysical

"

analogy
warm,

elementary qualities cold, dry,

disturbances
in the illnesses
was

moist. of these

Any
of these

proper
or

portions pro-

fluids

produced
The

disease.

The

nature

disturbances
treatment

indicated
was

by
of
sisted con-

accepted symptoms.
toward

directed

restoring generally
of

the

supposed by
the

disturbed

balance
and the
use

qualities as
decoctions in their this
was,

indicated

symptoms,
and

bleeding, purging,
But

of

of

herbs,

generally extremely through

and

complex
influences
as

admixture.

Oriental

Galenic had

theory,
become

fantastic

unscientific

it

complicated
while the

with

astrology
of the of

and
dieval me-

other

mysticisms,
Church,
and

the

superstitions

heathen
were

superstitions
not

the

northern influence

European
upon local

peoples
medical has

without

their

practice.
the
to

Troels-Lund"

interestinglydescribed
sixteenth

prevalent
causes

beliefs
cures as

of of

the

century
may

as

the

and

disease.

They
God

be

briefly
direct

summarized First:
volition
s

follows:
comes
or

Disease

from
as

by

His The

as

warning
41 ff.

punishment.

logical

op. cit.,pp.

MEDICAL

THEORY.

49

conclusion effect of the the

was cure.

that

God

should
penances,

be

permitted
and ities instrumental-

to

Prayers,
were

"the offices

Church

thus the

the divine

natural
mercy

through
to

which the had

might

be

voked inskill

relieve

suffering. Manifestly
here
comes

the

of the

physician
:

little from Here

place.
the

Second Devil and

Disease

influence prayers, the

of the
ances, pen-

his

agents.
and

again

exorcisms the Church

purificationby
ceremonies
women,

offices of So

might might by
owed of
to

avail

(white magic).
and
and
to

also,

however,
and

magic
wise

formulas,
who

exorcisms

magicians,
their

presumably knowledge
even

their
occult

power powers

superior
or

the

of

nature, the
was

chance per-

unholy
.

alliances

with

powers little
room

of

evil

(black magic)
skill of the

Here

also there

for the could

physician, though
could
comes

it

might

be he

assist
:

"

who

be

certain?
the
stars.

Third
has the

Disease

from

This

tion no-

been

discussed

previously.
knew and
and

Here

evidently
of the
dies reme-

physican might help, who

and

the

secrets

heavens,
at

who

gathered
time
were

prepared
could

his

the

auspicious
the

administer

them

when Fourth:

planets
humors

favorable.
from the the

Disease
or

comes

disturbances This
was

in the

fluids

of

body.
the

the

Galenic A

doctrine
fifth

above idea

mentioned.
as

general
of the

to

cause

of been

disease
but
an was

mentioned elaboration

by Troels-Lund, something lacking

may

have that

fourth, viz.,
in the

disease which

owing

to

body

medi-

50

PARACELSUS.

cine

could

supply
with medica

to

restore

as was

it

were

the

rium, equiliba

and
of

this idea

there

developed
sixteenth of

body
often

materia

during
an

the

century

which
almost To

presented
incredible
this in

astonishing catalog repulsive remedies.

to the
causes

and
as

question
his

of

celsus, disease, Para-

desire
more

to

replace

the

ancient

ties authorihis
own

by something

in accordance

with

applied philosophy of nature, originality,and with

He active These
or

himself
some

with
intuitive

acteristic charsight. in-

catalogs

and

describes influence

five
the
are

"entities,"
health
of
man.

or

which principles,

principles or
the

influences the
ens

the

ens or

astrale,
influence

sidereal

influence;
e^is

veneni,
or

of

poisons;
in the upon the
ens

naturale,
of the

influence the

which
cosm; micronot

exists

nature

individual,

spirituale,influences body
the
but

acting

rectly di;

the
"

through
of

the

spirit(Geist) punishment.
influence
seen

the

ens

deale illness

will
of the

God

acting directly to
or

produce
With
of the he

by

way
to
ens

warning
first of
we

respect
stars

these, the
have of the

(the
their
an

astrale)
influence
of the

already
stars

that

recognizes
had

the

without
man,

admitting
we

control

destinies
of the his

of

and

have

illustration
influence

curious

attempt
of various the

to

explain

their

by

hypothesis
stars

effluvia

conveyed
of

from

the

through
the

atmosphere.
His
treatment

the
as

second

influence,

ens com-

2"eneni, is of

interest

both illustrating

his

MEDICAL

THEORY.

51

prehension
his fanciful

of

an

important physiologicalfact, and

and

imaginative body
for
was

elaboration
us

of

it into

theory.
and

"The is
no

given

without which
we

poison,
must

there
the

poison
idea

in it ; but

that

give
and

body
this

its food

contains

poison."*
that the both

He

elaborates animal useless and

must

by explaining
we

plant
useful

food

which

eat

contain and
the

and
food

material, wholesome
In

unwholesome,
and
the

poison.
be blood

the

body
the

food

son poi-

separated,
and

food

being

transformed

into flesh and This

inated. bone, etc., the poisons elimhe

separation,
a

considers,
or

is effected

by

the

"Archseus,"
situated
the

directing force
the

The spirit.out

Archgeus,
separates
in the

in

stomach,
from the

sorts

and

wholesome So

unwholesome

food.

long
our

as

the food

Archaeus

performs
and
the

his
the

functions

properly
ill

is wholesome any
cause

body thrives.
become
or

Should

from

Archaeus
is

incapacitated, the
we

separation

complete in-

and

suffer

from The for

the

poisons being

perfectly im-

eliminated.

Archaeus

is, then, says

are

Paracelsus,
to

an

alchemist,
chemist

his functions

lar simiOther

those
have

of the
their

in his

laboratory.
their

animals vary
in

"Archaei," and
those of
man.

functions

degree

from
eats

"The
are

peacock
which

snakes, lizards,stellions
in

; these

animals

themselves needs

are

perfect
animals

and

healthy, though poison, but

causes

to

the
the

of other
For is
so

sheer

not

to

peacock.

from subtle

whatever that the

it may

be, his alchemist

op. fol, I, 9, "Paramirum."

52

PARACELSUS.

alchemist

of

no

other the
eats

animal

equals him,
from the

who

so

cleverly separates
which
the

poison
that

good,
has

in that

peacock
it and

without
every has

injury.
animal food him

"Observe,

then,

adapted by
To the

to

which who

been
the
an

ordained
proper

for

his alchemist

separates
is given

materials.
who arates sep-

ostrich

there

alchemist

iron," etc.^
In
an

everything
is that

there

is

an

essence

and
man,

a a

poison; poison
lieved be-

essence

which

preserves

that

which

produces
this

illness.
to

It is difficult to say that

what

extent
was

Paracelsus
a

presiding

Archseus

true

spirit

having
to

an

individuality or
a

personality
force
Latin in the

of

its own,

what

extent

term note

to

typify a

or

principle.
text

It is work the

interesting to
De

that

of his after of pears: apres,

gradibus (1526), published by

of the

Huser

manuscript
"Archaeus

pupil
the

and

amanuensis definition

Paracelsus,

Oporinus,
est
et

following
vis
quae

ista

produxit

id The

est

dispensator
word
not

compositor
"force,"
is

omniurh
here

rerum."

vis,

or

noteworthy,
of the
exact

though
notion To

necessarily a

demonstration himself.

possessed by
the

Paracelsus
of the

philosophy
and
was

neo-Platonists

of

the and

sixteenth

century, however,

the
more

notions

of force

principle
for
"

spirit were
the soul
"

closely connected,
universe, and
soul,
souls
that the
so or as man

as

God

of the
a

the

microcosm
of the
10.

possesses

also all other

parts
'

macrocosm

had
an

spirits. Or,
can

Ibid.,I,

This

is

ancient

fable

ostrich

eat

iron.

MEDICAL

THEORY.

53

as

expressed by Agrippa
if the for all

von

Nettesheim,"
stars
sources

"It would

be absurd which should

every
stars
are

heavens, the

and

the

elements, soul,
and the

beings
lack in

the

of life and if every

themselves
tree

these
a

"

plant
than natural

had
the

part
elements

nobler
are

destiny
their

and

which

getters." be-

The

description
or

of

the

third

influence,
upon

the the

ens ture na-

naturale,
of
man,

the

influences

dependent
more

the

individual, is
was

complicated. epitome
to

For

the
and

microcosm,
in his
nature

the
were

of the

cosm, macroa sense

be

found

in

the the

counterparts
external their mirocosm

of

all external the and

sun,

influences.
moon

As

in

universe

and

planets
so

have the their could

predestined
has

determined
moon

courses,

its sun,
courses.

and the
the

planets
and of

with

predestined
exert
some so

As
on

heavenly
health

bodies
eases disthe

influence
the

of human
as

men,

corresponding planets
similar heat
.sun

organism
sun

have

influences.

Thus,
all

the

by
the

its

light and
and

influences
of the

living
its
to

things, so
determined the

heart, the

body,

has

course

gives light
and

and

warmth
sponds corre-

body.
the
to

To brain

the

moon

its influences

in man;
the
to

similarly,the lungs
liver
to

respond cor-

Mercury,
the

Jupiter,the kidneys
Thus and the
each

to

Venus,
their

gall

Mars,
the

etc.

planets
has its

have

analogies in
course

body,

established

and

influence,its conjunctions and

are,

oppositions.
*

These

courses

according

to

Para-

As

quoted

by Cassirer,

I, p. 207. op. cit.,

54

PARACELSUS.

celsus, foreordained
their
a

at

birth, and
an

the

time

is set is set

for for

Hfe

and

activities, as
time. "For and

hourglass
a

determined
a

example,
is to
as

child

is born
to

at
ens

certain naturale

hour,
for
ten

live
had
courses as

according
been of

his

hours,
the

predestined
its

at

its

creation.

Then

bodily
lived
has
no
a

planets
hundred different
one.

will be
years.
course are

completed
And than
we

just

if it had
man
a

the
the
to

hundred-year
one-hour what

child,but
the

slower

Thus

understand in the
ens

creation

and

predestination
that the

are

naturale. often

Observe,
the

however,

other

entia

interrupt enough.
the the be

predestination."'
All
one

this

is fanciful

and

fantastic

The orate elabnition recog-

fundamental

observation
structure

underlying
seems

metaphysical
of with which and of the

to

varying
different the fact health

endowments

of
are

vital

energy
at

individuals
that
or

provided
upon external

birth,

not

alone of

influences

is the

illness

individuals

pendent. de-

The treated
our

fourth
in

influence, the
a

ens

spirituale,is
as

also

quite

fantastic of

manner

ju.dged from
a

present
and
was

point

view, though
were

to

period
and of

when

witches there

sorcerers

tortured the

burned,
celsus Parato

probably might

little in
not

thought

which

be

plausible enough

his

contemporaries.
The
ens

spirituale comprises

those

influences direct
action

which
'

afifect the
fol.,I, 14,

body only indirectlyby

op.

"Paramimm."

MEDICAL

THEORY.

55

upon

the

spirit (Geist). spirit (Geist)

note

Paracelsus ^oul is
not

distinguishes
in

between "Take this

ens

and

(Seek)'.
comprehended
his effects is
no nor

that

there devil

spiritualeany angel
is also

nor

his

assistance

[Zulendung],
an

for
is not

the
a

devil

spirit
is
a

[Geist]:
matter,
our

spirit.
which

That

spirit which
in the

born

from
:

our

thoughts,

without after

living body
is the

that

is born

death,
The

that

soul suffer

[Seele]."^
from

spirit may
but it must the

diseases
that

like when

the the

body,
He
the in

not

be

forgotten
also.

spiritsuffers
will
of

body
how
when

suffers

explains
man or

these he

spirits may
thinks
"

be another the

created

by

of and

person,

waking

in may

sleeping hours
attack the

thus spirits the person

engendered
thus them

spirits of
to

selected, and
to

do

injury
On

them the

and

through
hand,
and
case

their

possessor. may

other

the vail prethe

spiritthus
over

assailed
the

successfullyresist
which be the sufferer.

attacking spirit, in
will of he this

originator
In the

himself discussion that

topic Paracelsus
to
come

festly mani-

realizes conflict

is liable

into

ous dangeraside

with
warns

the

Church readers

stood, doctrines, if misunder-

and the

his
is called

that

they "lay
For
not

stylewhich
is sacred is

theological.
is called

thing everynot

which

theological,and
Also does
understand

everything
is not
true

holy

which
he
uses

theology employs.
who
not

all

which

theology aright.""
"

Ibid., I, 17.

"

Ibid.

56
This of
one

PARACELSUS.

curious
then

attempt

to

explain by magic
seems

the

mechanism
influence of
or

the

generally
upon
or

credited

occult
or

person

another evil eye

but

charms

witchcraft
to
our

the

strangely foreign
to

modern such

thought,

it is well of
Pico

remember time and

that of

representative
times
"

thinkers

that

later

as

Trithemius,

della and

Miran-

dola, Agrippa, Bruno,

upon In the of But the instead offices
were

Melanchthon,
all believers influences.

Cardanus and

dano Gioror

writers

turers lec-

magical
ens

deale will
of

Paracelsus God
upon the is

recognizes
the health that be

the

fluence in-

the

of

men.

of
of

accepting
Church
that He

inference

through
he

the

help
has
to

to

obtained,

emphasizes
of nature rather

the

idea
that

God

created work

the system

and

prefers
direct
is he who

through
The the

ture na-

than

by

interference.

true

physician, therefore,
of the

understands that
This

nomena pheof

nature,

and whom

is

through
God
acts.

knowledge point
and

agent
is
a

through
forward send

view
is As
at

dominating

thought
He

with
many sends

Paracelsus

brought
God
the

continually in
illness
so

of his works. the

may proper

physician ment punishmay the

time

when for

the

period

of

the

is
cure

completed,
effected.
He and

naturally only
miracle,
He

then

be

"When

performs
He
does that

performs
eflfects and
derful won-

it

humanly
the
"

through mankind;

if He
men,

cures.

through

fore there-

physician."^"
2\c.

Ibid.,I,

MEDICAL

THEORY.

57

He

admits

that that

there heal their

may

be

two

kinds

of

phythose

those -sicians, who have heal

through

the

faith,and
the end

through

skill in medicine.

Not of

all
the

sufficiently strong
of

faith, but

period
may

punishment through
of the the

having arrived,
art

the

physician
Curing by

cure

of medicine.

the power
cannot

Christian
to

faith, he explains, moreover

heathen
that he
"

apply

the

Turks,
the

cens, Saradations founfor

Jews, etc., but

of medicine
all others
as

asserts
not

teaches

only
the

for

Christians

but

well.
is
servant

"The God is the "But

that

physician
master

of

nature,

and

of nature.""
may

that has

you

know medicine

what and

the

reasons

are

God He

created

the

physician through
a

because the

is the

physician, and

yet works

without act physician and does not Himself this explanation, that such physician, understand

is

His
shall
art
man

mystery
know
may

that that

He

does
is the

not

will

that

the that

sick the that

God

physician, but
and
a

have
not

procedure
His

practice,and
in in

shall

perceive
Himself,

help
also the

miracles
His

alone,

that that and proper

is, in God

but

creatures

they
that

may

help through
to

artist

in medicine, in its

according
know then and
nor

His

predestination
human

time."^^

"So
born

all, that

we

beings
us

are

naked

bare, and wisdom,

but
us.

bring
await And
He

with
the

neither of
us

knowledge
whatever
"

grace

God noth-

He
22.

may

send

gives
12

Ibid., I,

jiid^^ I 22f.

58
free He

PARACELSUS.

iiig as

gift but
commands that
we

life.

Whether

we

be

well

or

sick, that
us

-through
ordains
up,
we

nature;
our

teaching
parents;
all

to
so

speak,
on,
as

He grow

through
must
we we

and with least

must
us.

learn possess
must

things
the there

labor

and

for difficulty,

not

knowledge.
be
For
to

As, then,
which
can

learn,
that
If

something
man

is not do

human

teaches
we

at
our

first

nothing.
is in

then
that
us

wish
we

learn,

first foundation
Him
as our

God,
teaches

acknowledge
sends
us

God And
all

who if
we

and

what
we

is needful. find that

consider take

all

things
an

well

things
God
has

place
He
to

through
at

which instrumentality Thus and God the the

provided

the

Creation.
the heavens

Father, when
them

created

earth, created which

should
of the that rule.

be
come

an

instrumentalitythrough
to
us over

should Thus

which of

our

bodies

is

man

the and

master

medicine,

fields,the

meadows
This the
no

the

vineyards."^''
and the the

formal

cataloging
which

characterization
health whole He
of man,

of

five entia
means

influence
present

by
of acterizes char-

adequately
entertained disease

theory
also

disease

by Paracelsus.
itself
as
an

organism.
as

Troels"It

Lund is not,

well
as

summarizes
the

this

theory

follows:

Arabians
to

negative

in

relation

accepted, something only positive health. It is itself

a

something positive.
a

It is
a

form

of

life of

its own,

parasite organism,
two

microcosm.
the
same

Man time
two

is in illness

of

natures,

has
de

at

bodies

in

^^Ibid., I, 113, "Liber

origine

morborum

invisibilium."

MEDICAL

THEORY.

59

one

and

the

same.

To what

understand that is of
we

this

rightly we
Life

must

make
an

it clear

call life.

is always

intimate

union So
and

three
as

constituents: life lasts noticed.

Salt, Sulphur, Mercury.

form
if
an

long
are

they
But

intimate
to

union

not

they begin
in lead

separate
and

and

to

become

separately
and Life death.
are

noticeable it may is

pains
to

burnings,
while

this is disease
to

complete separation :
invisible life
do
ceases

something
If You

its elements
and

kept

together.
visible.
tree

they separate
understand

become it. A

not

this?
and

Try

lives.
now

Cut

it into

firewood
which

it dies. is

When
that

you

burn

it,that
is is

burns

Sulphur,
which
it. All

which
is

vaporizes
There the

Mercury, nothing
the

and
more

that in

is ashes
these

Salt.

three,
are
'

combustible,
united
when in

volatile, the

insoluble,
are

found

everything living and

These of three

sep-

arated
we

only

it dies.

it is which

characterize

by

the

names

Sulphur, Mercury,
two
are

Salt.""
"Disease
of life
"

is

conflict between and

invisible forms
both

disease
same

health, which
The

harbored
on

in the

organism.
in the

conflict
as

is carried

everywhere
not

body;
but

is felt

comfort, heat, cold, dis-

pain
are

in all

regions.
the
or

The

fever,

the

pain,
force,

the

disease
under

only expressions
nature

of the

the

form,

which

of
or

the

organism,
you
to

the- inner choose

to

alchemist,
call the

archseus,

whatever you, seeks

living force
disease. The

within main

put
"

to

flightthe
lS6f.

battle

consists

op. cit., pp.

6o

PARACELSUS.

in the

crisis.
"

If the way,

'archaeus' and If

wins, the disease

exerted disease
as

must

dissolve excreta,

give

be

perspiration,
conquers,

respiration.
is dissolved

the

the

organism
"Disease

in death.""

itself he

viewed

as as

a a

half

half spiritual,

corporeal living organism,

the

microcosm
"

within its
own

microcosm,

as

kind

of

parasite place
is

with
the

life-phenomena organism;
medical
vital the
art

and

within life-processes takes

in

human
or a

its

healing
the

when
so

nature

succeeds

developing

forceful

activitythat
disease

parasite

suffocated, that is,

is overcome.'"*

Another which
is much power of

and

more

modern

phase

of

thought
tive cura-

emphasized by
lies in nature

Paracelsus

is the

which

herself, independent
what

all medical

assistance.'
may

"That

you for

understand
that

it is that

heals

knowledge you may not readily recognize the remedy, you must that know the nature of the flesh,of the body, the veins, the
bones,
heals
is
to

wounds,

without

has

in

it

an

innate
and

force such
in

[mwrnm"]
like

which
That the

wounds,
say, the the

thrusts,
force force

things.
heals
in the

lying
with has

the

bone

fracture,
heals
be the

naturally
So its

contained

flesh

flesh.

every

member,
in

it must

understood,
^=

each

healing

itself and

Ibid.,p.

159.

p.

90,

J. '^R.

Hartmann,

Theophrast

von

Hohenheim,

Stuttgart, 1904,

"Mumia,
uses

usually meaning
a

mummy
sense"

or as

the
an on

dead

also compares

body,

Paracelsus force which

somewhat the

mystical
of the

he

to

mfluence

magnet

attractive iron Cf Op

fol II 313

MEDICAL

THEORY.

6l

thus the know

nature

has

in every

member the

that

which

heals should

wounded that

part.
it is not If the

Therefore
he

surgeon

that

heals, but
thinks does
not

the

force

in the heals his

you,

body.
he But

physician
and know

it is he

that

deceives that

himself
you may

understand
purpose

art.

for

what

the

surgeon,

exist,learn
to
nature

that

it is to

provide

shield

and

protection

in the external
force

injured part
foes

against enemies, so retard, poison, nor

that it may remain

that

these

may

not

spoil the
in its

of

nature,

but

vjtal power

and

influence-

by
he is
a

the

maintenance
can

of such
take

protection. good
care

Therefore
of

who

protect and

wounds

good surgeon.'"'
"In nature's the

battle

against
furnishes
is but

disease
nature

the

physician
ons, weap-

is but

helper, who apothecary

business
nature

with who

the them.
to

the

smith

forges

The
to

of

the

physician
for her

is therefore
battle
....

give
These

what

she

needs

Nature

is the

physician.""
theories
in of eyes
not

medical heretical of the time.

Paracelsus of the

were

tremely ex-

the
It
was

medical
him

fession proto
citing ex-

possible for

have

publicly
the

maintained
of of
were

his theories
the
all
was

without faculties

opposition
Least

medical that
very

and the
of

practitioners.
universities conservatism. The
18

possible in strongholds
differed

which

the

practice

of

his

profession

as

de-

Chir.

Bucher, etc., p. 2, "Grosse

und

Wundartzney.''
der
Frantzosen."

^^

Ibid., p. 207, "Ursprung

Herkomjnen

62

PARACELSUS.

cidedly
methods
with the all in young
sources

as

did

his

theories
and of
not

from
treatment.

the

conventional

of

diagnosis

Having

ken bro-

the

teachings
had

the

ancient
to

authorities,
learn his from

physician
which and in

hesitated
to

were

open

him and

in his

travels

his

own

foreign
of

lands the

sojourning
and the
ments treat-

among

all classes used

people,
of the

remedies

by
in
use

all kinds among and

or

healers
common

and

homely
His
of the in

remedies
chemical
nature

people.
theories

knowledge
of
to

his chemical

vegetable
the
nature

jnineral
of he
man

substances doubtless

their

relation
new

suggested
and

ideas, and
To

these
what

tested
extent

by
these

observation
new

experience.
were

methods
lated accumu-

original during

with his

him,

and

to

what
in

extent

wanderings
of

foreign
or

lands

or

among is not the

were

the

villages
to

Germany
Certain he

Switzerland,
many

it of

possible

state.

it is that used of
rare

remedies
new

and the

treatments

and
his

taught
The

to

medical

literature
of

time. and

complex
herbs aim of he

syrups

and
and

decoctions

costly
the
true

rejected,
and

taught

instead
was

that

chemist
raw

physician
their the of

to

separate

from

medicinal

materials

effective
of

principles,
chemical

spirits,or
processes.

arcana,

by
line of the

application
work he
set

In

this

the

example
irrational

of

using,

instead
of the

complicated

and

mixtures
and and

medieval medicinal

pharmacopoeia,
preparations,

simpler
both

tracts ex-

purer

eral min-

vegetable.

DEFIANCE

TO

MEDICAL PROFESSION.

FACULTY

AND

UPON
Basel,
from the

entrance

into

his

office
at secret

of the of

university University
his and

turer lec-

upon Paracelsus

medicine
made
no

of gence diverof

wide

the

accepted
school. the

doctrines the

practice
he

established
war

On

contrary,
authorities
of

promptly
and upon

declared
the

upon

ancient and

prevalent Naturally

theories
also the

practice
and

medicine.
were

faculties and
it

profession
soon

indignant

and After

opposition
a

antagonism
appears that

veloped. detures lecThe

few

weeks with
a

his

were

interfered

and

interrupted.
not

medical

faculty

invoked

statute,
that

consistently newly
admitted the
rived ar-

observed

previously physician

however,
before

any

should,
two

being
receive

to

practice,
of his he the title be

within the
of medical

months

tion approbaquestioned
that

faculty.
of
to

They
and defend

also

Doctor

Medicine
and

demanded his

required
To

appear attacks authorities

right by

to

title.
to

these

Paracelsus

replied
he

an

appeal

the

city

by

whom their
the

had

been

appointed, supporting
which he

that

they

maintain
under He

authority
conditions

by
by
that

his
held

position
his

position.

also

requested

64

PARACELSUS.

they

use

their his

authority to put
The

an

end

to

the

tions persecuseems

by
have

opponents.
his

City Council
and in the and

to

sustained

contentions,
had

June
the

lowing fol-

(1527) he
Latin
announcement

printed
of his

posted
that he

formal In
not

courses

in medicine.

this
teach

program the

he

stated

plainly
but

should
the
art

ancient

books,
to

should

teach

of
and

medicine his

according
and tried

his

knowledge
He

of nature,
teach

long
own

experience.
It
was

should

from the

his

writings.
of many the

not

smooth
that

talking nor
made the the

knowledge
nor

languages
of many their
of

cian, physiedge knowlIt

was

reading
and the of

books, but
hidden
to

of the of

things

powers. know the and

business

physician
and

varieties
to
ploy em-

diseases, their
the

causes

symptoms

right
Those

remedies who
were

with

insight
to
to

and led

with

dustry. in-

willing
come

be

by

him
"He

into

these may

new

paths
who similar
to

should
has

Basel.

only

judge
and

heard

Theophrastus.'"
in

These
were more

statements

his

program

not

calculated

make
were

his Galenic
not

antagonists only
and offenses.

friendly,but
to

these

his

Contrary
Paracelsus

all academic in the

observance
common

tradition,

lectured
Luther
was

German
in

tongue."
and
nacular, ver-

Though though
padius
of
'

then

preaching
even

German,
in the

others

had

preached colleague
the

in Basel

and
had

his

and

supporter
of

Oicolam-

introduced

singing

German

stead in-

Latin

hymns

into his church

von

service, never
pp.

Cf. R.

J. Hartmann,
43f.

Theophrast

Hohenheim,

SOf.

Ibid., pp.

DEFIANCE

TO

FACULTY

AND

PROFESSION.

65
lecture

yet had
any
was

university teacher
than the customary scandal and
an

ventured Latin
insult

to

in

other

language.
not

This
given. for-

another

to

be

An
was

early

termination
was,

of

his

academic
not

career

inevitable, and
to

indeed,
and
to

long delayed.
tenure

Opposition
his lectures medical

his

teachings
more

his

of the that

professorship

became

intense.
not

It appears

were

largely attended
but

fied only by qualiothers

in the less
common

students
to

by
his

many lectures

mally for-

schooled,

whom
the

language opened
that trained with
more

door.

It is also doubtless among he the

true

Paracelsus, realizing that

medical

tionally conven-

students

should

meet

than hostility

appreciation,counted
a

upon thetic sympa-

reaching by

this means,

larger
the

and

more

constituency. Constantly
and

irritated which
the

by

evidences

of

hostility
their

contempt

medical and

faculty
citizens
in his

and

sympathizers
Paracelsus bitter
retorts

among

students

exhibited,

evidently
and the

retaliated
of

lectures and

by
tempt con-

expressions

defiance

for

doctrines, dogmas
He
even

and
far
as

practice of
to

his

adversaries.
his breach

went

so

emphasize
tion, celebra-

with students'
most

traditional

authorities
on

by throwing
of
the

into the

bonfire revered

St.

John's Day

that

authority
and

medical

teaching
This
most

of that
was

time, the Canon

of Avicenna.
open

flagrant defiance
traditions
world it much

insult

to

the

sacred medical

of the established
was

school.

To
of

the

like the

burning

66

PARACELSUS.

the

papal
world
the

bull

by

Martin

Luther We
the may
act

to

the

Roman better

olic Cathlize reaa

of that

day.

perhaps
if
we a

significance of
later the

recall
Dr.

that

generation
was

(1559),
the

in

England,
of

Gaynes
and

cited before
for

College

Physicians
and hand

geons Surand
cantation readmitted re-

impugning signed
to

of Galen, infallibility of
own error

only

upon

acknowledgment
with
his

humble
was

he

standing.''
of the

One

episode

petty persecutions of his

the the

tagonists an-

evidently
and later

excited
in

irritable

physician
as

wounded allusions
There

his
in

pride
his
own

highest degree,
evidence

writings
one

ciently. suffiat

appeared
or

Sunday, posted
better the
"

the

church
verses

doors

other
to

public places,copies
or

of Latin Cacoof

addressed

"Theophrastus
to
come ex

phrastus," purporting
Galen and in the lower

from

shade

regions
and

"

inferis attacking
his attack

ridiculing Theophrastus
This anonymous

and

teachings. enraged
the
durance. en-

public

already
He the

irritated

and

abused

physician beyond
the and
out

addressed

strong

appeal

to

Council ing demand-

of

City, complaining
that

of his treatment
to

they
his of

take

measures

seek

and

priately approto

punish
be the among purpose

the

culprits,whom
him. If the

he

believed lectures

hearers, attending his

for
not can-

abusing
not

authorities such

satisfy his petition,and

repeated,
^

should

attacks

be
en-

he

must

be

blamed
1st ed., art.

for

no

longer

Cf.

Chambers'

Encyclopedia,

"Galenus."'

DICFIANCE

TO

FACULTY

AND

PROFESSION.

67

PARACELSUS

WITH

BOON

COMPANION.

Painted

by

an

unknown
the
at

artist, about

balf

century
and
to

after adherents

Paracelsus's of
celsus Para-

death,

when
was

struggle between
The

enemies intention
in the

its height.
is

stigmatize Gallery

Paracelsus
at

as

charlatan

plain. Original

Imperial

Vienna.

68

PARACELSUS.

during them,
action.
It does
not

or

if he

should

in

anger

take

ranted unwar-

appear upon

that

the

Council
and

took
the

any

cisive de-

action served
to

this the

request,

episode by
fession, proof

intensify
toward

animosity

entertained and
some

Paracelsus and
the
most

the

university
be found

faculties

evidently directly stimulated

attacks
to

violent

in his

writings.
the
sense

While
of

still irritated and

and

rankling

under
an

abuse

injustice,there
the academic
to
a

occurred
career

incident

which
and A his

brought
residence

of

Paracelsus termination.

in Basel and

sudden

prominent
was

wealthy

citizen of
a

Basel, Canon
and
at

Lichtenfels,

suffering
had

from

painful

stinate ob-

illness, and
hands of for in.

failing to Eventually
ministration

receive
a

relief hundred
was

the

his
any

physicians
cure.

offered

dens gulcalled

Paracelsus

Through
the The

his

relief
the

being quickly promised

recovered
to
ward. re-

obtained,

physician claimed
Canon, however,

having
six

his the
a

health

and
sum

mental

equilibrium, declined
and

pay

large

offered, sending him

thanks

guldens
suit for

and

letter of

appreciation. brought
court,
he the

Paracelsus
amount

thereupon
The
his In

promised.
him. the action

ho'wrever, decided
is said
in such
to

against
denounced
as

irritation of
the

have
terms

judges
to
severe

to

make

himself

liable

punishment.
left Basel which he
over

Warned

of the
"

danger by friends, he
to
return to

night

never

that

city

had
and

entered

with

such

high hopes

and

enthusiasm,

DEFIANCE

TO

FACULTY

AND

PROFESSION.

69
of

which

he

left in

disappointment begun
his
his

and

bitterness

spirit.
Paracelsus
fall

had and

work

in Basel took
as

in the

of

1526
in

sudden

departure
a

place
versity unione.

probably
The finds

February,
but
he

L528,

brief
a

career

teacher

for Paracelsus
felt toward

momentous

indignation expression
and The
of work.

his

adversaries
form

in

its most

violent
in
a

in

the

Paragranum
to

particularly
work
the

the brief

Introduction formulation

that

itself is

of

his

theory
of
at

foundations
the

of medical bitterness finish

and
"

science.
his

The

sense

injury, and
the
in

of

lusionment disil-

disastrous
a

of his

academic attack

career

finds vent
the

caustic

vigorous

upon
a

orthodox

profession
into

sometimes
out

reaching
ful into boastthis

rude

eloquence, sometimes
coarse

breaking
abuse.

predictions or
was

That it

work
to

not

printed during
a

his life enabled flavor had

we

perhaps

preserve
to
as some

characteristic
lost if he

which
himself

it might have,

extent,

published it,
he

in certain the

other

cases

know

that

carefully
which he
The

revised

first drafts under the

of communications
stress
serve

,had written

of

strong
to

feeling.
some

following quotation
of its

will

convey

idea

style and they

than

content:
are

"That

angry

at

me

because

write

otherwise
not

is contained

in their their
not

authors, results
for but

from

mine

but
prove,

from
am

ignorance,
outside
of

I,

as

my

writings

well
in the

grounded
proper

in the

foundation
the

of medicine will
come

and
forth.

May-time

evidence

That

70

PARACELSUS.

they grumble
from

at

such
"

timely writings
for
no one

does

not out

result unless

slight
no one

causes:

cries
no one

hurt,

is hurt

unless and

sensitive,
not art out

is sensitive These

unless
men

transitory
because

permanent.
is

cry

out

their cries

fragile and
it be

able. perishthey
not
so

Now,
and cry cry

nothing they
me. are

unless

perishable,
does and heaven

therefore
out out

perishable
The for
art

and

therefore

against against
upon shall

of

medicine

me,

it is

imperishable
that
art

established and
shall
at

immortal
pass away the

foundations
before
art

earth

the

of medicine leaves
me

perish. If, then, why

I

of medicine
be

peace,

should

I let

myself

disturbed

by
is
"

the cry

crying
because that

of these

perishable physicians. They only

and in

defeat

wound
the
arts

them: of
me,

"

that

sign
their do
not

they

lie sick

medicine: which

disease

is their

battle

against
and

they

like to, have

discovered
ones are

made
to

manifest."^
me

"Their
I do
not to
come

highest
from Should of

opposed
nor

because ing accordescape

cients an-

their

schools

write
not

them.

I write for

thus, I could
the

the

blame prove

falsehood,
themselves

writings
Who,
. . .

of the
can

false.

then,

be

born

from

them if I
am

without
to

falseness.
my
case

"Now

present
for

in

opposition to
which
be the erally genor

these, I
art

must

claim

myself
in order I
am

that that

upon it may

of

medicine

rests,

recognized
not.

whether

entitled
upon four

to

speak

And from
Of.

place the
I

foundation

which

I stand

and
*

which

write,

upon

pillars: upon

fol, I, 198, "Paragranum."

DEFIANCE

TO

FACULTY

AND

PROFESSION.

Philosophy,
Virtue.
any

upon

Astronomy,
these
and

upon

Alchemy,
stand from and

upon

Upon
four,
are

four
see

will whether will

await of
me. tronomy, as-

antagonists,
any

outside

these

physician they they

for

stand

against
of

Despisers
how,
when
art

of

philosophy, despisers undespised by

despisers of alchemy, despisers of

then,
can

virtue
the

"

remain which

sick

they despise
of

that

gives
measure

to

the

sick

the

medicine,
measured
to

with
to

what

they
their
the

mete

it will be

them

again
was was

and

works

bring
of real

them

shame.
and ibU for upon

Christ
that

foundation

blessedness,
contempt

he

despised, but the

so

his

contemners

that

ther nei-

they
either
you

nor

Jerusalem
too must

survived
.

And
. .

take

notice,
four

accept and
become your

recognize
to

these

pillars,or
in the

it will

manifest
art

the is

peasants

villages that

of

medicine

only

for

deceiving princes
that your
art

and

lords, cities and

neither which
and you

countries,and
nor

possesses

knowledge
are

truth,

and
comes

the chastisement
to

receiving rightly
is to four and after say, these them
"

you,

ye

fools

hypocrites, that
As
you I claim

ye

so-called
for

physicians.
so

lars pilmust

myself,
after
me

must not

accept
you

follow

"

after

Ye

me,
etc.

Avicenna,
After
me

Galen,
and
not

Rhasis, Montagnana,
I after you
"

Mesue, Paris,
ye ye
on

Ye of

of

of
of

Montpellier, Cologne,
Danube
ye

ye

of

Swabia,
and
ye

ye

Meissen,
who
of the
are

of the

Vienna, Rhine,

those

the
thou

and

islands

sea,

"

Italia, thou
thou

Dalmatia,

thou

Athens,
me

thou and
not

Greece,
I after

Arabia, thou

Israelita,after

72

PARACELSUS.

WILHELM

VON

BOMBAST,
in

FATHER

OF .'\rti?t

PARACELSUS. unknown.

Oil-painting, original

Salzburg.

DEFIANCE

TO

FACULTY

AND

PROFESSION.

J},

'FtMCYy.M

ATH;^iAT

c\\

PARACELSUS.
After life-size

oil-painting in
Artist and date

the

State

Gallery
Has

at

Schleissheim
been

ne:ir

Munich. Hans

uncertain.

attributed

to

Baldung

(ca. 1470-1

5,"'2 )
.

74

PARACELSUS.

you,
corner

"

there
on

will whom

none

of you

remain
.

in the
:
. .

furthest be

the

dogs

will not.
the the
"

I shall

monarch
"This what makes

and is

mine

will be

monarchy.''^
restoring
their work
"

certain, that
a

to

health

is

makes the
not

physician,
and
not

it is that
the the peror, Em-

Master the any

the

Doctor,

not not

Pope,

the

Faculty,
from

privithey they sician phyany the of

legia, nor
that

university, for
the

them

is hidden

which

makes
upon

physician.
There the learn least has

Therefore that any

nor

depend
may

only
been

outward
seen.

appearances
never

be

somewhat born able

cause are

from
to

universities with

has

one

been the

there

knowledge
and hence what of

truth

of the of the

malady.'"
kind
you. I must
scorn

"Ye

serpent
from
me

expect
have with
am

only poison placarded explanation

With
Luther

you

as

the I
am

Physicians,
I

the

that

an

arch-heretic.
those and
can

Theophrastus
liken
me.

and
am

greater

than

to
am

whom
over more-

you

I of

Theophrastus
and
I will I will take who attacks
are

Monarch which for his you

own

Physicians,
prove. and
one

prove

that

cannot

let Luther
care

answer

affairs
every
to

of mine
"

and

will surpass will

The your
to

me,

the of

Arcana Luther?
you, that for

help
same

me

that. hates for him

Who
me so

enemies and what for

crowd

also,
you

part, wish
fire.
stars

wish

me,

is,

the

"The made
5

did

not

make the
stars

me

physician
make
I
^

"

God

me

; it is not
199.

for

to
6

physicians,
201c.

Ibid., I,

ii,i^

nEFIANCE

TO

FACULTY

AND

PROFESSION.

J^

that

is

work that

of

God,

not
are

of
my
....

the

stars.
"

may

well
truth
armor so

rejoice
has
no

rascals
but
"

enemies
I need you
can

for

the
no

enemies
you

liars

lay
are

on

against
learned
least
nor

no

corselet, for
that
you

not

experienced
Could
I I
can

disprove
head and
from
v^ere

my

letter.
as

protect my
my

bald

the

flies
as nor

easily as
from

monarchy,
as

Milan Swiss
The

safe

its enemies

I from

you,

neither

foot-soldiers work

could
as

gain
well
are

entrance.'"
as

Paragranum
the

the

Preface

from
many them bear

which similar indeed

above

extracts

taken

contains
of
not

attacks

upon in

his

antagonists, some
which
he

couched
Even

language
assaults
upon he

will
has

translation.

admitting what
him,

self him-

claimed
in

that

in such attacks of

is but

replying justified

kind

to

similar
outbursts have

it is evident

that these

indignation,however
nevertheless
men were

they
his

may
to

been,
to
or

not

lated calcu-

appeal
be

thoughtful
otherwise.
these
an

whether On
the other
as

friendly
hand,
in found

to

campaign
said

it should the and the later his

me own

that

utterances extreme

Paragranum
lack

represent
which the

of bitterness

of restraint
mass

is not of

characteristic
At refers

of
a

great

of of

work

Paracelsus. thus

period
blunt

his

life,Hohenheim

to

style of writing: "My

In order
to

style pleases
for my know the

very

well.
fashion

ofifer
to

defense

strange this,
"

and
I
am

how

it is
not

be

understood,
fine
"

by

nature

woven one

it is not

fashion
7

of

my

land

that

attains

anything

by

Ibid., I, 202.

76 spinning
or

PARACELSUS.

silk.

Nor

are

we on

reared

on

figs or
and

mead
oaten

wheaten That
a

bread,
does
time The

but
not

cheese,
subtle

milk

bread.
At

make

fellows."'
Preface
to

later

of

his life, in the

Greater

his
pared pre-

influential and
he

work

Surgery
his

(1536),

published
us
a

under

personal supervision, experience

which fact of this in the

has given

summary

of his
the

study

of medicine him

and

of
career.

motives
The

largely
he sonally perlends

influenced

in his

that work

supervised particular interest

"I have

the
to

printing
the passage. says,
to

always,"
and whether
or reasons

he

"applied myself
learn the

with

great attention
of
art

industry
it could there
to

foundations be called
an

medicine,
or

properly
it. I

no,

what

is in this:

was

impelled
the
tainty uncer-

by
and that and

many of honor
so even

do

namely
that
come so

by
little

its

procedure,
sick have
not

and
to

reputation practice;
but in
'

have

appeared

from

its

many

been in

ruined, killed,crippled
one

abandoned,
all diseases. has been

disease
was

only
could

nearly
time,
cure more a

So
no

uncertain

it

that, in my
even

there-

physician certainty, to
with
the

who
say

toothache

with

nothing
And

of

severe

illnesses. Also found

in their

ancient

authors,
we

such

folly is

writings.
and rich

see,

moreover,

how and

great
are

cities

persons

offer
need in

large
the

sums,

yet abandoned
nevertheless with
I
no

in their
go about

by

physicians, who
idle
'

silks,

golden rings, etc.,

and

little
several

reputation, display
times decided
to

babble.

have

op.

fol, I, 261, "Die

sechste

Defension."

DEFIANCE

TO

FACULTY

AND

PROFESSION.

JJ

abandon certain and it

was a

this of

art.

For

the

reason

that
a

no

one

seemed of fables that

one

anything, that
device founded
to art

it

was

collection

honeyed
an

for
on

attracting pennies;
credulity, so
the that
if

should could his

chance then

hit

upon

day

of

recovery

he
to

attribute which

(though unjustly)
it did
not

the
I

credit

art, to
the

belong.
,

have

often

quitted
"And
my

art, and

unwillingly practised
matter

it.

yet in this

I have

not

quite followed
usual

convictions, but
I years, the

have

acted

with

my the

simpleFrance,
was

mindedness.
for and
many

therefore
in

attended
in

universities
and

Germany,
of

Italy

sought
and

foundations
to

medicine, and
to

not

only anxious
books

devote

myself
I

their

doctrines,
"

writings, but
to

wandered

further

to

Granada,

Lisbon, through
the
Mark

Spain, through Hungary,

Wendian
and
to

land, Eng-

through
Prussia,

[Brandenburg],
the Mark

through [i. e.,

as

Lithuania,

Poland,

Wallachia,

Transylvania,
Lusatia,
other all
now a

Croatia,

part of Prussia
not

Saxony],

also

countries
and

necessary I

enumerate.

And

in

corners

places sought
And

industriously and
the
true

diligentlydoctors;

questioned
arts

and

for
not

and with

experienced
the

of also

medicine.
with

alone

but

barbers,
who

surgeons,

learned
that the

physicians,
art; with
and But the
even

women,

magicians
in

practise
and
to

chemist al-

the the
not

cloisters; with
wise
the

noble

common,

with
I could
matter

simple.
be.
an

then
"

learn

be it

fundamentally might
was

certain

no

what
"

disease

pondered
art

over

it much

that

medicine

uncertain

78
not

PARACELSUS.

honorably

to
"

be

followed,
for
me one

an

unfair
was

art

to

be hit
are

upon

by chance;
It caused

that

cured,
it
to
was a

ten

ruined.

to

think
men

that

tion decepthem.
ness. busiBut

by spiritsto
I

mislead
the
art
was

and
went

degrade
into other
to

again

abandoned
But

and

yet again
this

driven
of

back

it.

then need
me

I discovered
not
so
a

saying
the

Christ, 'The
This another

whole

physician, but
that that I had
to

sick.'

impressed
view
of of

much

substitute
to

the

matter;
of

according
art

the

meaning
in
to

the

saying

Christ, the
and

of

medicine
and that
was

is true,

just,
but

certain, perfect

whole,

it neither

nor deception by spirits,

fortune in

blame,
to

that and

it

was

an

art to

proven

need, useful
I

all sick
this

leading
it for

health.
own,

When
it
was

accepted
that that

and

adopted
consider learned
this

my

necessary
art
was

I should I

what
from that

that books
no

medical
and from

had

others, and
had known

I found the in dation foun-

much,
of

one nor

of thern had had

the

art,

experience
gone
a

it,nor

understood around the

and it,
art

that of that did

own

they had

(and
cat

still go)
the

medicine

like
were

around
that

[hot] porridge; they

and

they
not

teaching
that

which did
not

themselves
their the the in

know,

they

understand advised
nor

disputations,that
but

they

visited the fault There

terers chat-

sick,
art

understood Therefore
the

neither
the
art.
"

disease
was

of who

curing.

alone
and
were

those

practised
:

was,

is,so much

idle talk

mountebanks pomp,

and and

they
in

in their

display and
a

there

was

nothing

thenj but

tomb

which

outwardlv

DEFIANCE

TO

FACULTY

AND

PROFESSION.

79

is

beautiful full seek

of

but

inwardly
For
to
"

stinking
reasons

and I

corrupt
was

mass, to

worms.

such

forced

further evil

stop
to

reading
for be in the
far

the

tioned above-menfoundation

lies,

and which
and

seek should first

thus

another

[of
fables
which What

medicine]
and in babble

unspotted
surgery is the
most

by
of

such

wounds certain. later."^

my-

experience
I have

experience

had

therein

follows

'

Chir.

Bilcher,

etc.,

"Grosse

Wutidartzney,"

Preface.

AS

REFORMER

IN

MEDICINE.

WHATEVERimportance
relative of medical that zeal himself
to

be

the

final of

judgment

as

to

the

Paracelsus

in the
must at
one

building upbe

science

and
upon

practice, it
his
career

recognized
with
the

he and

entered
the

Basel

self-assurance

of

who
and

believed

inspired
a

with

great
in he

truth,
the
was came

destined
and and his

effect

great

advance

science
a

practice

of medicine. observer

By
of

nature

keen

open-minded
observation,

whatever
also

under
a

though
of
an

probably
observed

not

very He pendent inde-

critical
was

analyst

the

phenomena.
and

evidently

unusually
the
a

self-reliant

thinker, though
in his

degree
of
once

of

originality

thought
of

may

be

matter

legitimate having
made up

ferences dif-

opinion.

Certainly
of

from his

whatever mind
to

combination

influences of the

reject

the
and
was

sacredness

authority

of

Aristotle, Galen
what
the
to

Avicenna,
a

and

having

found for
the

his

mind

satisfactory
own

substitute of
to

ancient

dogmas
behind Galenism

in

his he

modification
not cut

neo-Platonic
his

philosophy,
him. of that the

did

hesitate loose

burn the
to

ships

Having
his

from

dominant

time,

he

determined
medical

preach

and

teach

basis

of the

science

AS

REFORMER

IN

MEDICINE.

8l

of the future of the

not

should

be the

study

of nature,

tion observaand

patient,experiment dogmas
he in the

and

experience, long dead.

the

infalHble

of authors and did

Doubtless

pride

self-confidence
not

of his estimate which

in

youthful
he

enthusiasm force his

rightly
his

the tremendous directed

of conservatism
If
so,

against
that time in

assaults.

experience
on

Basel
was

surely undeceived
to

him.

From

he

be

wanderer

again,
the

sometimes

great

poverty,

sometimes

in moderate
as

festly comfort, but maniimmediate

in
success as

disillusioned his

to
never

of

campaign
success
"

though
for
to

doubt his
new

to

mate its ultiand

of

his mind
were

theories
the

practice of
nature,

medicine
were

at

one

with

forces

which

the

expression prevail.

of God's

will, and

eventually they
Paracelsus when he
left

must
was

about
and
or

thirty-four years
from

of
for

age

Basel,

that

time

on

the

remaining
he
seems

thirteen
to

fourteen

years

of
a

his

life,

have

devoted
and

himself with and

with

wonderful and
dustry, in-

tenacity

of purpose

great

energy

against opposition
g'reat magnitude, system,
nature
to

discouragements
the
"

of

to the

establishment
of

of his medical

the

explanation
of his and

phenomena
to

of

in terms

philosophy
venerated

assailing the
and
to

authority

of ancient
the

dogmas,
of his
in

denouncing

corruption, ignorance, venality and

medical
that

hypocrisy
perhaps
into the

of the

profession
his

day.
Basel,
had
come conor

It is evident
even

during

sojourn

earlier,a profound influence

life and

thought

of Paracelsus

through

82

PARACELSUS.

tact

and

sympathy
and

with

the

spiritof
of the

revolt
Roman

against
olic Cathtament Tesand in

the

corruptions
Church.
was

observances

Luther's

translation

of the
in

New

printed
and

at

Wittenberg Judah
Bible,
was

1522,

1530

Zwingli
translation

Leo

published
four

their

man Ger-

of the

some

years

before His
quaintance ac-

Luther's

complete
in Basel

Bible with

published.
and

Erasmus

(Ecolam-

padius, both
him. the The

prominent
doubtless
revolt

in the also

thought
served

of the
to

mation Refor-

period,
Church

influence in
was

against

traditional
to

authorities
man

doubtless

appealed

the

who

battling against similarly entrenched

medicine.

authorities

in

Certainly
with
the New

Paracelsus Testament

was

thoroughly
vernacular,
While
the

familiar
and
was

in the its

deeply
with

influenced

by

spirit.

sympathetic
corruptions
of

the Protestant

revolt

against
the

the' medieval
he

Church,

with
alike

characteristic

dence indepenthe

condemned
as

Papacy, Lutheranism,
to

Zwingliism teachings
the
true

equally foreign
"

the

spirit of complete

of

Christ

which
"

to

his

mind

constituted and
in

catholic

Church

and for the

to

whose him
to

all-sufficient the New

doctrines

were

be

found

Testament. he looked
or

For neither
"

interpretation of Pope
he
nor

these

doctrines
nor

the the

Fathers,

to

Luther the
or we

Zwingli
of

just as

for

tion interpretadepend
on

of

art

medicine
or

did

not

Galen,
As

Avicenna,
follow the

university

faculties.

story of the
the

lifelong struggle
conservatism

of Paracelsus

against

centuries-old

AS

REFORMER

IN

MEDICINE.

83
feel

opposed

to

him,
not

it is for the

impossible
the
cause

not

to

great
he bored laand his

sympathy
but tremendous work. We condition
can

only
for

for

which

also

devotion self-sacrificing
which he

earnestness

brought

to

realize

now

at

this and

distance

that
was

the

of medical
a

science ebb.
as

teaching

in his indeed
hibited inor

day

at

very
so

low

Improvement
held
as

was

hopeless

long

dogmas
toward
can see

infallible criticism
the

all
new

initiative We

rational
that

experiment.
Paracelsus upon

insistence and
phasis em-

of

the

study
of

of

the

patients
books, his
upon

their

diseases
upon

rather
the

than of

ancient

value

experiments,

the

application physiology
and
much of
"

of and

chemistry to the understanding radical pharmacology, his own

use

of

novation in-

in the his the

of

new

and of

unauthorized
the

dies, reme-

denunciations medical

hollowness

of

practice
all

and

teaching
in the

of

his

time,

that

these

were

working
make

direction

of progress.

Realizing this, we
crudities,
toward his
his

can

allowance of

for the

his

limited
his

understanding
tended,
can

goal
this break
ing see-

which

labors

his

superstitions,
with
to

pseudo-science.
chains the which held

We

sympathize
his life science followed
"

lonely figure battling throughout

the medical be

enslaved,
to

path
upon

which
surer

must

build

that
too too to

science much

foundations the medieval

of

yet

himself of

hampered

by

point
modern

view,
science

little versed

in the

methods

84
the

PARACELSUS.

clearly lead
to

way

toward

the

goal

he

struggled
of the

attain.
But

though

we

recognize
while
we

the

importance
the

work
and

of

Paracelsus,

admire
reform

earnestness
we

essential

sincerity of
to

his

campaign, recognize
in

should

be unfair of

his

opponents
we

of the
to
were

conservative the
ponsible res-

school

medicine,

if

failed which

shortcomings
for which he of and Paracelsus

of Paracelsus the lack of

part

appreciation and
during
while

of

ing follow-

could

command

his life. Modern

the portance im-

historians

medicine,
the

recognizing
the these

essential
not

sincerity of
blind
to

work

of

have

been

ings. shortcom-

Thus
"It his is not
own

Professor
to

Wunderlich:^
that
a man

be doubted

who,

ing followto

spontaneous

reflections,dared
a

break

frankly
of
a

and

decisively with
self-confidence that Paracelsus the

spiritualdomination
must

fifteen
man as

hundred

years' standing,
and

have

been It is

of

great

energy.

just

certain
to
see

possessed corruption
his
rare

sufficient

acuteness

through
and
as

of current

practice
them

and

theory,
evidence
talent.

that
of

polemics aga-inst
power
not
as

gives
he

well

of

disputab in-

But

it is also

to

be

denied

that

was

materially supported
work others

and

encouraged
the

in his destructive that had the

not
1

by
with

the him

spiritof
and
even

time, and
him

numerous

before of for reform

equal insight
science and the
der

into

the the

necessity
demand
....

of

presented
violence
Medizin,

it,though
It may

with

of

Paracelsus
p.

be

Geschichte

Stuttgart, 1859,

97.

AS

REFORMER

IN

MEDICINE.

85

accepted
the

that

Paracelsus

did honest imbued

not

late intentionally viohe

was

obligations of
and when
must

conviction;
with into that that

manifestly thoroughly
taught,
his he

which

he and

plunges

confusions it is

absurdities,it
unclear

be admitted and
an

chieflyonly
mode

thinking
that him
any

unfortunate

of
no

expression

disturbs

his

ideas
....

We

have

right to
he lacked demands

accuse

of intentional solid

but mystifications,

in of

positive knowledge.
are

.The
. .

logical argumentation
..

known totally un-

to

him.

.Superstitious prejudices
obscure confused
of and

control

him, completely
are

corrupt
with them.
are

his

ideas
It
must

and be

at

all

points
that and
many in

admitted

his

ideas
of his

of

magnificent
reform fluence in-

conception
Dr.
of

advance thus

time."
the

Jos.
order

Bauer''

summarizes

Paracelsus:
to

"In and

infuse
of

new

life

into
was

the

sluggish
a

torpid

mass

science, there hand,

seize

needed
of and

giani
turbed undis-

who spirit, and

with

strong
should

regardless
the

ity author-

dogma, by
how the
to

reins,

judgment
sweep away the

of his
the

time

should

stand under-

accumulated

dross.
sessed posthese his
a

All

these

qualities
unselfish

reformer and

Hohenheim
he

in the

highest degree,
honest

ennobled

gifts by

an

spirit,though
drove
him into

clinatio in-

to

extravagances
amounted of
der

cism fanatiin

which the
2

to

complete
order
1870,
to

autocracy

domain
Geschichte

opinions.
Aderlasse,

In

maintain
146.

these

Munich,

p.

86

PARACELSUS.

he that

trod way The

underfoot alienated medical

in Dr.

the the

bounds

of

propriety
of calm

and

in

sympathy
of

thinkers."
was

system
Bauer's

Paracelsus
to

not

adapted,
forward
often did while of

opinion,
his
number

influence
were

the

physicians by

of
a

his

time, and

ideas

carried
"

small relatively
whose his the

of followers

visionaries, and
much
to

extravagances
So

often

discredit

thought.
great value
the

also

Haser,'
services
siasm enthu-

acknowledging
to

of the of his

Paracelsus
and his methods
were

medicine,

purity

earnestness,
he used

nevertheless
to

recognizes
aims
in the

that

the

attain

his

science "This

mistaken.

contempt
says

for

the

foundation
to

of

scientific

medicine,"

Hiiser,
of

referring
"is well

Paracelsus's

sweeping
as a

rejection
of

the

importance
in
as

of
all

anatomy
times the

foundation

medicine,
as

symbol

of all transcendental

of all

ical empir-

systems.
goes
to
so

.With
.

Paracelsus he

this the word

tion undervalua-

far that which

only

uses

'anatomy'
form the

denote

that of

in his

opinion

should

foundation of of 'No

medicine, the,knowledge
all he
to

of the

nature

life."*
freedom
one can

"Above
native be

manifests
German

the and be

strong
Swiss

love

the

stock. This

another's

who
was common

can as

his own.'

native
whom

self-consciousness
he had much in

with
that

Lvither, with
is much

good,
in he

and
mon comwas

with

John Brown,
that

with

whom

he

had

is

bad, nourished
Geschichte
der

by

the

fact

that

Lehrbuch

der

Medizin,

3d

ed., Jena, 1875-82.

Vol. Op. cit.,

II, p. 91.

AS

REFORMER

IN

MEDICINE.

87

lowly
a that^

in

origin,was
rude of the he back

born

and

lived

in

poverty,
from
The

and the

bringing-up separated
cultivated

him

finer and and

or

manners

classes.

neglect
his

slight which
drove
him

experienced
into himself. misfortunes

insulted

pride
that

By blameworthy
he

unblameworthy
disdain
so

arrived but

at

arrogant

peculiar

to

strong

ing unbendfor

natures,
the
to

through
of
""

premeditated
of his power his

contempt

great

accomplishments
own

contemporaries
and
his
own

overestimation

accomplishments.
One
in after of the the

later

writers of

upon

the Dr.

place of Hugo
of

celsus Para-

history

medicine.
upon for the

nus,* Magical meduted attrib-

commenting
of the

condition
the

science
to

time

which have
books
a

dictum
as a

Rhazes of
a

might
than

well

served
is
more

motto,

"The
for says,

study
the

thousand

important patients,"
dition con-

physician
our

seeing
soon

thousand

"That of his

hero

felt the
very
sense

lamentable

science

gives

certain in
matters to

evidence

of

sound

and
he

livelycritical
soon

medical. faction dissatistions condi-

And

that
in
must

gave

expression
upon

this

powerful
insure

attacks

the

corrupt
our

him

at

all

events

sympathy.
clared de-

This

fact
war

alone, that
to

Theophrastus
upon the him

Bombastus
scholastic

the

knife
assure

erate degenand

medicine, will
an

our

gratitude
the

honorable Dr.
5

place

in the

history of
that

healing

art."
was

Magnus
87. Jer

emphasizes

Paracelsus

Ibid.,p.
Paracelsus

"

Ueberarst,

Breslau, 1906,

p. 3.

88

PARACELSUS.

himself of
not

nevertheless
that he

possessed
his

of

medieval
and

point
mission

view,

attacked

problems
but

by

modern

scientific methods
as was

with

the

same

kind

of

reasoning
and

used

by nearly
he

all

his

predecessors
the

contemporaries, only
medievalism
and upon

discarded
to

conventional
a

and

sought

stitute sub-

similarly unreal
of his
own

fantastic

natural

phi-

.losophy
"For but

based

neo-Platonism.
no new

Theophrastus
to

invented the

weapons

sought
the his
same

achieve

highest knowledge
which
to

with
used
secrets

just
up of
to

equipment
He and
as

mankind discover

had the

time.

thought

life, of

existence

growth,
time of
over

by

bold

fantastic

speculations, just
and he

nearly
his

all natural had

philosophers
to

physicians
stands,
an

up

to

hoped
the

do.

So

embodiment

conflict

which
of
ture, na-

rationalism
at

has

waged

the the
new

knowledge
age
"

the

threshold
to tear

of

that
not

age

which

attempts
but

from

life

its

secrets

by
and
to

speculation, experiment. bring

riddle
in

by observation,
set

investigation
to

Vesalius
new era

himself the
world

the
as

task

this
the of

into

just struggle

celsus, Parathe poor

last

romanticist

in the

over

life,lowered
closed

his blunted forever of

we

weapons

and, eyes.'"
nor

knowledge,
In

his

tired

these

estimates

not

inappreciative
understand

friendly unwas

authorities,
that
so

may

why
to

it

during

his

lifetime, Paracelsus
among the

seemed of his

have It

little support
'

physicians

day.

Ibid.,

pp.

14f.

AS

REFORMER

IN

MEDICINE.

89
the

is

not

perhaps
he medicine

too

much and

to

say
to

that the

doctrines

which

asserted

opposed
much

accepted dogmatic
interest
were ceived con-

owed

of their

present
which

to

certain

truths

contained

in

them
than

rather

intuitively apprehended by
Paracelsus himself. these As facts

clearly

knowledge

grew

and

developed,
of the

foreshadowings
in

which
rather

the
than It

vision

Swiss

physician perceived authority

to

demonstrated,
a

gained

and

respect.
how of in the the

required
of

later

experience suggestion,
science

comprehend prevision
contained

much

brilliant

and

future

methods

of

were

thought
So

of Paracelsus.

while
in his

we

accord

Paracelsus should

our

full

pathy sym-

unequal battle, we
condemn that the did

not

misjudge
sion profesin him

nor

too

severely day,
"

conservative
not

of his
a as

they
and

recognize
but

true
a

prophet dangerous

of medical

progress,

rejected him agitator.

be

heretic
other

mischievous
we

Nor,
that his

on

the

hand, need

surprised logic
"

native

force, eloquence, and

of
the much very he of his

the

and

reasonableness

teaching
and formulate
a

indeed

perhaps
of

even

imaginative sought
have in that
to

mystical
his ories the-

philosophy by

which
"

medicine

should
so

had

gradually
the
fact and many

creasing in-

influence,

spite of
few
his

that porters, sup-

during

his

lifetime his
way very

he

had

friends
as

yet after
found their for for
a

death, and
into

ings writlaid the

many

print, his fought.

work
for

foundation
the aims

material had

victory

of

which

he

go

PARACELSUS.

Especially
he

it

should

not

be

forgotten against

that,

though

seemed

to

struggle
his lifetime

in

vain
that
"

overwhelming
hc' in
was

odds

during
if the
not

nevertheless instrumental

largely,

indeed

mainly,
of
a

tering shatin the and

confidence

coming
of the

generation
ancient Greek

sacredness Arabian
his the the

and

sufficiency
The when that

authorities.

remarkable

vogue

which

writings
violent theories
in

enjoyed
conflicts and

they
arose

were

finally profession
and

printed,
over

in he for

the

practice
victories
the

advanced,
the Paracelsans of

which

resulted in the

many

even

universities,
all

strongholds
that there
was

medical

servatism: con-

evidence
in the

great

vitality

and

influence
The and

ideas of
to

of

Paracelsus, medical and the

contributions

Paracelsus into ideals

to

ence, sci-

his
of

efforts

instil

students of

titioners pracmission

medicine
the later

higher
will

and in

duty
detail

of in his

physician
chapters.
and

be

considered first let

more

But

us

briefly

estimate

place

influence

as

chemist.

THE

CHEMIST

AND CHEMISTRY.

REFORMER

OF

AS
L.

previously
and

mentioned,
manhood theories
a

Paracelsus

was

in

youth

early
and

student
in

of

the

chemical
ticularly par-

processes

prevalent
in

his

time
"

experienced
and
was

the

operations
in

of his

mining early
life

metallurgy
spent.
To of the

of

the

region experience

which
he

this

evidently
upon
or

added

by

study

principal
of the

authorities
as

ical alchemallusions

knowledge
to

time,
in

references

them The

are

to

be

found
of the in

his

own

writings.
of
or

chemists

period
the mines

were

two

classes

artisans

employed
in

the
or

working
tries; indusoccult

of

metals,
or

pottery,

glass, striving
the the

dyeing by
baser elixir with
or

similar
and

mystics
transmute to

obscure
metals that

means

to

into
should

gold

or

silver,
life
or

or

discover
its

prolong youth.
in ical chembook-

endow

possessor chemists in the

to

perennial
artisans decades Their
in
use use

The

practical
were

the

industry printing recipes

form
not

early

of

addicted manuals

publishing.
were

trade
in the
not

and

doubtless for their

of

manuscripts
issued

own

but

usually

for authors

public
in

information. technical

The

tant imporBirin-

pioneer

chemistry,

92

PARACELSUS.

guccio, George Agricola, Bernard

of the

Palissy, were though

their
science

also

period
to

of

Paracelsus,

works

important
appear The his life in

the

history
until

of

chemical
the

did

not

print
the
was

after

death

of Paracelsus.
extant

principal chemical
were

authorities

during
whose
and

early
the

Greek

philosophers, of
attributed
for

works
the
were

Pliny
works

most
or

important compiler,
to
"

written
"

by
the

many

apocryphal
the Albertus and the

Arabians Arnaldus
the

Gheber
de

and

Avi-

cenna,

Spaniard ( ?)

Villanova,

the_
(or
in the very of

German

Magnus, Spaniard
chemical

Englishman
LuUus

Roger

Bacon,

Raimundus

Lully).
As
these studies little not the far
as

the is

knowledge
it appears that

contained
from

authors of M. known

concerned,

Berthelot
to

they
or

contained writers

Egyptian
of
our era.

Greek
The

early

centuries and

metaphysical
and

philosophy
and elaborated of their the

mysticism
Oriental
such
a

of later from

Greek

tian Egypbian Arato

chemistry had, however,

other
to
sources

Chaldean,
added chemical written and

been the

and

degree

that
or

ings writunder

above
were

authors

those

names

fantastic, obscure

often

tentiona in-

incomprehensible.
It that in of
use

is he

evident
was

from

the

writings
the

of

Paracelsus
processes

familiar
mines in

with
and

chemical

in

the

metallurgical
he

laboratories

the

country

which

lived.
was

His

knowledge
and

of the

chemistry

of his time
evident

extensive
that he
was

well

assimilated.

It is also

familiar

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

93

with

and

influenced of

by

the

often

fantastic de Villanova

lative specu-

theories others

Lullus, Arnaldus
nature

and gins ori-

respecting the
of metals.
wrote

of

matter

and

the

Paracelsus
to

no or name

treatises

devoted
The few
answer

sively exclu-

chemistry
under
were

alchemy.
and
"

which such

appeared

his

which

description
while

forgeries
and

as

judged
of

both

by

ternal in-

evidence

by

the

evidence

Huser,
because

who,

including them
been
so

in his

collection

they
ryphal. apoc-

had

published,
in

characterized

them

as

Nevertheless,
surgery much De
or

his

other

writings
the

upon he

cine, mediincludes entitled

In
rial mate-

natural

philosophy,

chemistry, particularly in mineralihus,

recorded De
natura rerum,

books

Archidoxa. scattered found

in

this

unsystematically arranged
are

and
not

many

facts
more

earlier
than

writings, and previously.

of the three Salt
and

operations
One

clearlydescribed Sulphur,
with

historically itnportant theory, that (tria prima)

have been
"

elements
"

cury Mer-

as

principlesof constituting
to

all other

substances,

seems

original

him. for its

though using development.

Historians
the

earlier

speculations as
have

material

of

chemistry
influence

generally
in

nized recogthe its

important

of Paracelsus

upon

development importance
to

of chemical medicine

science and

emphasizing just
upon

pharmacology.
it
was

Strangely enough, however,

to

in relation the

this, his

most

certain

influence

de-

94

PARACELSUS.

velopment

of

natural

science

that

his
for

reputation honesty,

for

and knowledge, originality, called

in

indeed
than
two

was

question
for this

for
was

more

centuries. of
to
some

The

occasion

the

appearance

clever
sus Paracelhim

literaryforgeries
in the of his

which
a

appeared
of the of

place
to

position of
as an

and plagiarist

deprive
of

claim

initiator

era

chemical

medicine.
and
to

Huser's works
much
1

collection of

the

philosophical
included,

medical be
sure,

Paracelsus,
or

which

of doubtful

spurious origin, appeared began

to

in

589-1 591.
years later there appear
a

About
series
"

ten

of

treatises

by

an

alleged
The
ones

Benedictine
of

monk
these
or

Basilius

Valentinus. of the earlier claimed German

publisher
was a

at

least

certain

Johann
and These mony, Antition attenat

Tholde.

Tholde into

to

have

discovered

translated

the

Latin

manuscript.
Chariot

works,

especially the
attracted of The the their work

Triumphal
and real chemical

of

immediate

wide-spread

because the

importance
a

time.
to

mentioned
of
text

was

real

bution contri-

chemistry
from in the the

antimony
was

compovmds. they
were
a

The

inference

that

written

early
before
the

fifteenth

century,

therefore

century
As the of
a

Paracelsus.
of this work occurred of the there and in

appearance of the

during
works
was

period
remarkable

greatest
was soon

popularity
noticed
in

Paracelsus,

it

that
matter

similarity both
between
much and in Paracelsus.

form

of

presentation

contained
Like

Basil Basil

Valentine

Paracelsus,

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

95

Valentine

had

abused mineral also

the

physicians
used Even

and

their
celsus Parathree
were were

authorities; the
were

remedies advocated.

by
the Salt
facts

here

primary
found often
In

principles Sulphur, Mercury,

Valentine.
The chemical
than in

in Basil
more

clearly
was

described
to

Paracelsus.

short, it

evident
To
or

critical
no a

minds

that
writer

plagiarism
had Nor
ever

existed.

be

sure,

previous
Basil

mentioned
fact
were

quoted

Valentine.

in

the

alleged original manuscripts

Paracelsus,
have had
a

placed

in

evidence.
then

if

he

were

the in

plagiarist,must
access

monopoly
were

his

to

the

works

of Basilius.

There

indeed in the

writers

of the

period
the

who

expressed

disbelief

authenticity of
came

find.
as

Generally, however, genuine.

in the

these

to

be

accepted
evident

From it became

certain

passages that in the

writings, however,
not

they
for the

could

have
as

been

written

as

early

fifteenth

century
to

alleged
used
made the

by
in it

the

supposed author,
and
date
to

allusions French
not

metal

type-founding, plain
of that the their

disease,
earlier
than

could

be

end

fifteenth

century.

Nevertheless,
that
name

came it be-

quite generally accepted

a

there

had

existed Valbe

writer

who

wrote
no

under

the of

of Basilius
a name

entinus

(though
in the

record

such

could
he

found
before had monk. became

register of Benedictines),
and
that

that

lived

Paracelsus,
his

therefore from
such

Paracelsus the
an

stolen

chemistry largely
seem

supposed hypothesis
be noted

It may
so

strange

that but

easily accepted,

it should

g6
that
at

PARACELSUS.

the the

time

fierce

warfare medical

was

in

progress and

between

conservative
on

profession
side, and
of the

the

university faculties
school,
the other.

the

one

the

rapidly

increasing revolutionary party

on

Paracelsan

Paracelsus
more

with

the

more

influential
was a name

and

erally gen-

scholarly
founder
and of

classes
to
new

despised
from the its vagaries,

and

hated. and

^Plagiarism was
the

be

expected
with

leader

school

fantasies the

charlatanry.
of also

Against
certain
to

this presumption
at
a

champions

Paracelsus

fought
confirm

disadvantage.
crept
facts into of the

Eventually
which of the him

statements

literature existence

seemed

the
so

alleged Basilius, and

as a

history finallyaccepted
Paracelsus. may be said The
to

writer
of

previous
this
the eminent

to

reinvestigation
have commenced H.

problem

with

historian

of

chemistry
the

Kopp,

who,

beginning
half

by accepting
a

conventional in that the

hypothesis, after
of

century's

work

early history judgment

a

chemistry
Basilius series

ended

by stating
of the

in his
was

the
or

Valentinus

literature

forgery
the

of
tury, cen-

forgeries
and
was

beginning
author.^

of

seventeenth
the

that

in all

probabilityTholde

publisher
students

himself Since

the

Kopp's

time, other
to

competent
of the it may under
nor

have

contributed

the

solution
and

problem
now

"

Sudhoff, accepted
of
'

Ferguson,
as

Lasswitz,
that
no

be
name

certain

writings

the

Basilius
H.

Valentinus
Die

had

appeared
1885,
pp.

existed

Kopp,

Alchemie,

Heidelberg,

29f.

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

97

either
nor

before

or

during
to

the

Ufetime of

of

Paracelsus collected

indeed The Tholde but

prior
works

the

printing
and
not

his

works.

published
drew from
also

presumably
only
from and

ten writcelsus Para-

by
from

therefore

doubtless

Agricola
alleged
and
as

perhaps

still later The works

writers.^
of and
two

other

authors
have

upon

chemistry, Joh.
shown
to

Isaac

HoUandus,
were

also been

be

post-Paracelsan
the
same

geries literaryfor-

of about
erature.

period
these

the

Basilius

lite-

By

the the

relegation of
relative is
turn
as

writings
of the

to

their

true

period,
him

importance greatly
the its

chemical

erature lit-

of Paracelsus that
we as

enhanced.

It is to

must

for for
for

initiative' to medical

chemistry
also many the

well

propaganda;
first announcement
means

to

him of

credit

is due

the
no

interestingthough by
facts.

epoch-making
of

chemical

Through
is freed
lack of

this the

revision odium

history ism plagiarin the

dents stu-

also

Paracelsus

from

of

and minds of
has

consequent
the
so

originalitywhich
or

majority long

of medical him.
in his

chemical

attached'to

The the and

2

interest

of Paracelsus

chemistry
Galenic
Valentine

was

on

whole
the
For
A
a

practical,though
he

adopted philosophy
and Arisof.

need
more

felt

to

replace the
of the the

detailed

account

Basil

forgery

1912, "Basil Valenof early medicine of Paracelsus and student literature. Dr. Karl Sudhoff, to the thousands writer in Jan., 1913, states that after looking through many is doubt in there of medieval recent absolutely no decades, manuscripts like Basil and Is. Hollandus Valentine or Joh. possible that nothing existed previous to Hohenheim. Stillman, Popular
Science

Monthly,

December,

time."

communication

from

eminent

historian

g8
totelian theories
And

PARACELSUS.

by

new

ones some

leads
extent

him these

often

into

theorizing.
doubtless
and
or

to

theories
aration preptracts ex-

influenced

his

practice.
his
arcana

Thus
or

in the

purificationof

simple
he

principlesof plants
followed
as a

and

minerals,

seems neo-

to

have

working
universe could

hypothesis,his
toward
the

Platonic
of his

concept
all

of

the

spiritual sympathetic
man

tions relaand

things
Thus

in the if he the

health.

free from

real

active tures, admix-

spiritor
the

principleof
be
more

plant

grosser

it should

efficacious. decoctions
for his of

So

he

rejected
of the

extremely complex
It is

herbs

customary

pharmacopoeia by
no means

simpler
to
assume were

arcana.

necessary he introduced
were,
as

that

all

these

new

remedies

originated
authorized
in certain

by by

him. the

Many
at

of them
use

though

not

faculties, in least,or

popular

remedies

localities
Thus been

used

by irregular practitioners.*
mixed
use

mercury

preparations
foi; external

with in

fats

had
ments treat-

introduced

certain
to

by

Italian

physicians previous
true to
a

Paracelsus.
of the

It is nevertheless

that

in

the

extension
of

pharmacopoeia requiring
for their the

great

number methods

preparations
of

operations
he chemical and

and

chemistry
fluence inNot

preparation

exerted

his

greatest

upon

activityand

development.
but

only

mercury of

antimony

preparations
and
iron

arations prepa

lead, arsenic, copper

the the

found

It is in

probable that
the

preparation
to

given on familiar Strassburg, 1500, was Monthly, 1918, pp. 169f.

work

distillation

by distillation as simples by J. Brunswyk, Paracelsus. Cf. Stillman, Scientific

of

of medicines

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

99

place among
entered laudanum whether
or as

his

remedies, opium

also

seems

to have

into his
seems no on

practice quite largely, and

to

the word him

"

have

originated
were an

with

his "laudanum" that

of

opium

aration, prep-

point
that

the

doctors

disagree.
in the

The
of

name

zinc

first appears
he It

writings
least had

Paracelsus, though
not

therefore
was

first named
at

it, is

to
use

be

inferred. in

probably
in which

locally in
studied.
"For which
can are are some

mining
metal

regions
which

he

that

is

fire may

subdue

and

be made

into

an

instrument

by

man.

Such
For there in

namely
these
are

gold, silver,iron, copper, generally

metals known
are as

lead, tin.
Now

metals.

which ancient

not

recognized
nor

the

writings

of

the
as

philosophers
yet
are

commonly
as

recognized
forged
This metal

such

and

metals;
be

Zincken and

[zinc], Kohaltet
in the

[?],

which

may

hammered

fire.'" another
metal

"There
is not of
a

is also

called
it is in

Zincken
. . .

generally known, specialkind

many

this

sense

and

from

another

seed

[i.e.,
it. fusible
but

origin].
This
elements has
no

Yet

metals

adulterate for it is from

[alloy]with
three

metal

is itself fusible

[i.e.,

the

three

primary
colors
as

elements],
of

it its

malleability
from like
a

but
the

only fusibility. And

others,
grow. is not in
so

color

is dififerent the

that

it is not

other
that For

metals

they
materia
as

And

it is such known
3

metal
me.

its ultima it is

yet
its

to

nearly

strange

op. fol, II, 134, "De

mineralibus."

100

PARACELSUS.

properties
and

as

quicksilver.
not

It

admits

of

no

ture admixbut

does

endure

metallic

manufacture,

stands

by itself."*

Mercury
a

(quicksilver)Paracelsus
metal.
be

did

not

sider con-

true not

Though
or

of

"metallic

nature,"
ity, malleabilchemical

it could but
art

hammered

cast, lacked
because

it is of metallic be

nature

"by

it

can

brought

to

malleabilityand alloys or

fashioning" though
and

(doubtless meaning
The first mention

in its

amalgams).
it is mentioned

of bismuth
to

is sometimes,
as

ascribed incorrectly,

Paracelsus,

by Agricola
even

in his

Bermannus,
anonymous

printed

in 1530,
"

by

still earlier

writer.
to

Another the distinction

to

observation
between

credited
"alums"
an

Paracelsus "vitriols"
to

is in the

and
as

ascribing
latter
a

the

fqrmer
This
was was

earth for that

base, and
a

metal.
for

time

criminati logicaldis-

it

Sir
the

Humphrey
so-called

Davy
The
the
to

who could
term

first demonstrated
be reduced
to

that metals

"earths"

hitherto
as

unknown.
to

"reduction"
of metals

(reduciren)
from their
ores

applied
is also

obtaining
have
been celsus. Para-

said

first

introduced

into

chemical

literature

by

Many

other

processes

not

new

are

described

by Paracelsus, straightforward mystification of

of the time *Ibid., II,
"

and
and

his

descriptions are
none

frequently
intentional ings writfol-

with

of of

the

the
or

great
of many

bulk
even

alchemical

in the

century
H. C.
and L

137.

Cf.

Hoover),

Agricola, De re London, 1912,

metallka
p.

(translated by

H.

433,

n.

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

lOI

lowing.
true, but

That

they

are

not

always
the from
use

is intelligible whose

this is rather is not

or

from

of terms and

meaning writing
of

no.w

clear, or
The

careless
an

hasty
of oxide di-

editing.
style.
from

following is
the

illustration

his better

It describes

preparation
and carbon

white-lead
gas.

lead

and

vinegar

"The consists called

two

mortification
in

[from
it into

mors,
cerussa

death]
which

of

lead

converting
in

is also is in

Bleiweiss
ways,
one

[white-lead].
medicine,
in medicine

Its

preparation
in that
a

the

other
"

alchemy.
you

Its

preparation [the lead]

in
a

is thus
over

hang
wine-

it

in

thin

sheets The

sharp
well

vinegar
so warm

glazed pot.
no or

pot is then

pered stopset

that

spiritsmay
in

volatilize,and
behind
the
stove:

in

ashes,

winter
to

then

you

will find in
to

ten

fourteen

days good
you the may

white-lead with do
this aration prepcept ex-

adhering
a

the

sheets, which

remove

hare's

foot, and
have

again hang
in

sheets, and
The
"

until you

white-lead
"

enough. alchemy gives

methods much

other

of white-lead
that in the

is like this

vinegar

of the
a

best
fine

and and

finest

salmiac

is dissolved.

That

subtle

white-lead.""

By
carbon
the

the

first of gas
must

the

two

mentioned
the

the of of
sure.

dioxide

necessary
come

for
the

formation

carbonate

from
a

fermentation
to

the
In

vinegar.
the second the

This

makes

slow
the

process

be

process,

with
as

addition

of the
often

miac, salcon-

sal-ammoniac
natura

then

prepared

"

op. fol, I, 893f, "De

rerum."

I02

PARACELSUS.

sisted with

of the

or

contained acid

ammonium
of the

carbonate

which carbon tation fermen-

acetic in

vinegar
than

Hberated
the

dioxide

greater

quantity
alone.
his

from

of the With
we

vinegar
to

respect
should

theoretical
to

views find

on

istry, chemful fanci-

naturally expect
we are

them

and

unscientific,and
based upon the
as

not

disappointed. predecessors
to

They
with
own

are

theories
commend

of his

such

changes

themselves
he does the
not

his the his

preconceptions.

Thus

deny
But
as a

of possibility

transmutation

of

metals. for it

practical sense
of valuable

rejects the
energy

search
more

waste

otherwise

profitably employed.
it is for
the may

"Many gold
to

have
silver.

said But what

of

alchemy
here virtue such

that

making
aim but lie in

and

is not power

consider

only

and

medicines.'" "Not
make and
to
as

they
here them

say the

"

alchemy
purpose

is is to

to

make make

gold,
arcana

silver:
direct the

against
of

diseases.'"
of
or

From

point
in

view

the

history

of

opment develit is first

of ideas
to. interesting

physical
our

chemical

science
was

find that
Van

word
as

^a.y which
a

formulated
include the

by

Helmont

generalization to
we now

various
finds

elastic fluids which its

call

by

that

name,

suggestion
Helmont

in

Paracelsus.'
the
term

Though
'

suggested by

Van

gas

op. fol, I, 149, "Fragmenta

medica."

Op. fol, I, 220, "Paragranum."

See Franz
E.

"

p. 30, and

O.

Strunz, /. B. van Helmont, Leipsic and Vienna, 1907, Lippmann, von Chemiker-Zeitung, XXXIV, -p. 1.

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

IO3

was

slow the

in

making

its way. work of the

It will be remembered

that

celebrated

Joseph Priestleyin
title of Different

the

eighteenth century bore Van Helmont of Air. strongly

strong
views
word

Kinds
was

(1577- 1644),
Paracelsus

who
one

influenced

by

and

of

his

defenders, though
in many gas

differing from
us

him

in his

respects, tells
the Greek

that

he

derives
term
as

the

from is used
term

chaos.^"

This

chaos,
a

however,

repeatedly by
air, and
of student
was.

Paracelsus

eralized gento

for
a

certainly was
Paracelsus
as

familiar Van

so

thorough
Thus

mont Hel-

manifestly
Paracelsus

says,
as

"And

they
out out

are

born the the

from

the
terra aqua

elements,
....

for

instance

of of

element

(earth) (water)

its its

species, and species, out

of the

element

of

the

element chaos

ignis
its species.""

(fire) its species,out

"Thus called all

element

superfluous
Sea
to

waters

run

into their

ment ele-

the

(mare)
its element the

; whatever

is terrestrial Earth

(earthy)
what what is

returns

called

(terra) ;
and

igneous

into

element
that
runs

Fire
into

(ignis);

is aerial

(aereum)
in
to

its element

Chaos."" "The
elements
come man

remain
so

indestructible.
come

As him.
to

they
What the
^^

have he

him,

they
the
so

from goes
as

has

received remains
Opera

from
such

earth

back

earth

and

long

heaven

and
1682,

p.

J. B. van 69 (29).
^^
12

Helmont,

'Omnia, Frankfort-on-the-Main,
medicorum."
von

Op. fol.,I, 269, "Labyrinthus Op. fol.,I, 291, "DasBuch

den

tartarischen

Kranckheiten."

104

PARACELSUS.

earth becomes his

to

stand; what
water

he

has and
into

in him
no one

that
can

is water

that

again,

prevent
his

it;
fire

chaos the Thus heat

goes of

again
the used

the

air

[Luft],
for

sun.""

"chaos" his

by
the

Paracelsus

air became
even

"gas"
Van gases

to

disciple Van
time

Helmont,
real

though
the

in

Helmont's
were so

dififerences
that

between

little understood
was

value
at

of the
time.
to

generalized term It required another

make it necessary. It would be

not

appreciated
of

the

century

accumulated

facts

interesting to
between
The

know air and

if Paracelsus the vapor passage

really discriminated
water,
not
or

of is

other

gases.

following
interest. water, air

conclusive, being capable of different

It is nevertheless of element takes air

tions. interpreta[Luft]
the is
so

"When,
to
soon

from

the that

be

separated,
as

place by boiling, and

separates
from
water

it

boils, the
it the
as

and and

takes
in
to
so

with
much

lightestsubstance
water

of the
so

water,

the

is diminished

ing accordalso

its

proportion

and

quantity

is the

air

minished di-

So Platonic the

strong

an

adherent of the

as

Paracelsus

of the

neo-

notions

interrelation
be

of all interested

things
in and

in

universe, would
theories That of the be
p.

naturally
the
causes

the

prevalent
its and
12

nature

of

matter

of

changes.
disease
Chir.

which

influence
it
was

health

might

understood
offenen

necessary

Biicher, etc.,

378, "Von
"

Schaden.''
elementorura."

1^

Op.

fol, I, 791, "Archidoxa

De

separationibus

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

IO5

that

the

nature

of

chemical should Arab

nature

changes,
be

and

the

stitution con-

of matter

understood.
later

Hindu,

Greek,
upon

and

philosophers
with
the

had

speculated
of
the

the

of matter

result

final

crystallization in
of the four this

medieval

philosophy
Galenic

of the
and

theory

elements,
was

Fire, Air, Earth

the

Water. of the

Upon
had

founded in the in the human

doctrine
and the

four. humors
become

organism,
Aristo-

theory

medieval

telianism Medieval

petrified into
alchemists

infallible
had
as

dogma.
the of in result of the

study
upon

of the

metallurgical chemistry,
occurrence

observations
the earth time of of and
to

of

the

metals
are

the time
nature

changes
of and of

to

which certain

they
The

subject, from
notions

developed
matter.

independent
strange
with
other
ores

the
cury mer-

properties
metals,
and of the the

of

its

alloys
in in the

rence occur-

sulphur

many

its appearance these

ores,

or

disappearance
rise to
these the stibstances

treatment
as

had

given
of of
and the

speculations
to

to

possible relations
or

the

growth
From of

development
phenomena alloys
of of

metals
the

in

the

earth.

such many

from
common

peculiar properties
metals of
arose

doubtless into

the
purer

hopes
or more

transmutation

base

metals

precious

metals.

Raimundus
had
were

Lullus therefore
in
or

and
that

other
mercury In the

early

alchemists

assumed

and

sulphur
of the
or

present

all metals.

literature
the mercury

Middle. Ages

early

Renaissance

I06

PARACELSUS.

mercuries,
elements
them these but

and

the

sulphur
and

or

sulphurs
as we

were

not

the

sulphur
were

mercury
to

understand

supposed
and

be of

substances

related
the the

to

elements

capable
toward

influencing
of

colors,
metals There

behavior fusibility,
of
was

fire, etc.,

which
no as

they

were

constituent
among

principles.
of the

agreement
to
nor

writers of
or

ever, time, howstances, sub-

the
as

properties
to

these

elementary
in the

their

role

function

metals

or

their

ores.

Upon
inheritance

this

vague the

and

variable

foundation,
Paracelsus consistent

this
structed con-

from his
more

alchemists,
and

comprehensive
elements.
destined
to become

ory theand

of

the

three
was

Sulphur,
the
matter

Mercury
most

Salt, which

tial influen-

theory

of

the

constitution the

of

until in the

ually gradeenth eight-

replaced by
century.
Paracelsus
or

phlogiston theory
the

recognized
"

four

Aristotelian
Fire
"

ments elebut

principles
them also

Earth,
as

Air, Water,
of the

considered

consisting
To

three

mary pri-

elements
he

(tria prima).
more

his three

elements

assigned

definite
had

and

better
been

characterized phur Sul-

functions
was

than the in

previously

recognized.
all

combustible the

principle in

substances,
which
parted im-

not

merely
the

metals;
of that

Mercury

that

property
Salt

liquidity,or
which

and fusibility,

and volatility;

determined

the

non-

volatilityand
"For

incombustibilityof
fumes
and

substances.
in vapors is

all that

disappears

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

IO7

Mercury
all that These

; all that

burns is also

and

is consumed

is

Sulphur

is ashes three
to

Salt.'"' of
as

constituents
understood

all matter
to

are

not,
nition deficepted. ac-

however,
of

be

answering
as

the

elementary
Like the

substances

at

present

Aristotelian

elements,

they

also
was

typifiedqualities or
not
a

principles. Thus,
constant

Sulphur

substance

of into

and

invariable
of

ties properstances, subtained con-

entering
but it.
as are

the

constitution the
words

other

varied To
use are

with
the

substance of

which
"

Paracelsus
"

"For

many there

as

there

kinds

of fruits
so

so

many of

kinds

of

Sulphur, Salt, and Sulphur

another in in

many

Mercury.
silver, another
Also
emerald,
etc.
a

different
in

gold,
in

another

in
etc.

iron,
one

lead, zinc,
another
in

different
another

sapphire,

the

in

ruby, chrysolites, amethysts, magnets,

in
etc.

Also

another

stones, And
so

flint,salts, spring-waters

[fontibus], Sulphur
ones

not

only
kinds

so

many

kinds
"

of

but

also

many
etc
ones as

of And

Salt the

different
same

in

metals,

gems,

with
in

Mercuries,
gems, and

different
as

in there
are one

the
are

metals,

others
"

many

species
three
is
are

so

many

Mercuries.
one

And
is

yet they
of

only
nature

things. Salt, of
still

Of
one

nature

Sulphur,
And

nature

Mercury.
so

further

they
one

more

divided,
but
one

that

there
of
or

is not
"

only
as

kind

of

gold only

many

kinds of pear

gold

just
but

there

is not

kind
op.

apple
natura

many

kinds.

in There-

fol.,I, 898, "De

rerum."

I08

PARACELSUS.

fore

there of We

are

just
Salts

as

many

dififerent Mercuries
the

kinds of
three his

of

phurs Sul-

gold,
should

of

gold,

gold.'""
tary elemen-

therefore
of

consider

principles
rather
as

Paracelsus

and
certain than

followers
herent in-

generalizations of
and
common sense.

properties
as

in in the

to

matter,

elements that this

more

modern

The his time

importance
was

theory possessed

for

that

it in

was

closely related experimentation

elements.
as

to

phenomena
than the

observed
of the the until

chemical

concept
it became of matter critical and

Aristotelian dominant
in the

Consequently
to

pothesi hyteenth seven-

the

nature

century

the its it
was

keen

analysis

of

Robert

Boyle Boyle
modern
cannot

laid

bare

inadequacy
who
first element be

unscientific

basis.
the

indeed

clearly enunciated
as
a

definition

of

an

substance

which
stituents, con-

by

our

efforts he

resolved
not venture

into

simpler
to

though
definition
The
was

did

apply

this

to

any

particular
service of

substance.
to

great
in any of

Paracelsus

chemistry
nor

not

epoch-making theory
and of of

discovery

in but

any in

development opening
in of the
a

permanent
field for
to

value,
chemical
the

new

great

activity

application
and many

chemistry
chemical

preparation
He
not

mineral
use

vegetable
known advocated
the

remedies.

only
in his

put into

substances

practice, but
the

he
of

insistentlyand
of

forcefully
to

necessity
and

knowledge
the

chemistry
of

the

physician,
"

emphasized

value

experiment

op.

fol, II, 132, "De

mineralibus."

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

IO9

as

against dependency
"But because

upon

the

records

of the

cients. an-

you

are

ignorant mysteries
have

of of

alchemy
nature.

you

are

also think

ignorant
that Valescus

of

the

Do

you

because and That

you

Avicenna that
you

and

vonarola Sa-

Vigo
is but
a

therefore That
. . .

know which

everything ?
have
not

beginning.
written

Pliny, DioscorideS,
tested, they
knew their
Test
... .

etc., have
have

of herbs noble and books

do
not

they
then about know

learned their have

But it

it from virtues made

you

persons

who with it it is

much

about
chatter it is true. carry

smooth

it and
you

true

"

cannot

out, you
You
who

cannot

put

to

proof

your

author's
are

writings.
but and

boast

yourselves
"What vitriol?
in it. in the
"

Doctores
do

beginners.
Archelaus it is
true

Hermes

attribute
such

to

Great
you
nor

virtue,
do
not

and

virtue

is

But
green

know blue

wherein

it

lies,neither
yet you
and know
of it. say it call
not

in,the
of

and vitriol,

yourselves
know that ! is there

masters

natural

things
that
no

do

You

have but
you

read
can

so

you
use

what

written
do powers

make

"What
about the

other

chemists
?

and

philosophers
indeed
to

of mercury do
not

Much how

and
it true.

is
....

true.

But
do

you

know

prove is in
"

You is in

nothing
is black I
can

but

read, 'that

this, this
and
ther fur-

that,
than

that that

and

this is green

(God
Do

help me)
think

do

nothing,
laid my
arts

thus

I find it written.'

you

I have

foundation
of

[of medicine]
Tell
me

without
are

reason

in the

alchemy?

who

to

be

trusted

in the

no

PARACELSUS.

knowledge
who
or

of

the

virtue
and
not

of

things
how

in

nature,
to

those

have those

written
who
not

known

make make that

proof, proof Pliny

write
mists. alchenize recoghe

have

the

knowledge
Is it not

to true

"

but

have

written?
any he

has then

never

shown That And

proofs?
had if you do

What

did
from

?
"

which
so

learned
not
a

the and

you
are
"

know lame

who Another
value of

these

you

are

but his

physician.""
for
those the who is the of medicinal of

illustration and the

of his

argument

experiment solely upon

is

criticism

depended

ancient
the

authorities

following (he
"The
the earth

discussing
of those

preparation
that
as

principles): separation
and
are

things

grow all

from

easily combustible,
Thus
the

fruits,

herbs, flowers, leaves, grass,

roots, woods,

etc., takes
is separated
a

place

in

many

ways. them first the and

by

distillation

from

phlegm [i.e.,

[i. e.,
volatile third
; and
or

watery
or

distillate] ; then products]

fourth salt its

mercury the

eous gas-

oily portion;
uncombustible,
taken

its

resin;

sulphur [that which

and

burns]

fifth its the

[non- volatile
this
there

ash].

When art,

separation has
are

place by
and

chemical

found

many and

splendid
external of upper
am use.

powerful

remedies "But

for

internal
the

because
has
so

laziness
the

the

supposed physicians
hand

obtained
for

and

their
that

art

serves

only

display, I
are

not

surprised
and
to

such

preparations

quite ignored cheap.

As

that this

coal charI will

[i.e., fuel]
"

remains

op. fol, I,

pp.

221f, "Paragranum."

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

Ill

say the

that
use

if the of

smith

could

work

his

metals

without

fire, as

these

so-called

physicians prepare
would all be be

their that

medicines the

without

there fire, would

danger
and

charcoal-burners
to

ruined

compelled
"But for about

flee.

praise they
do in

the
not

spagyric
consort

[chemical] physicians,
with
and

loafers

or

go

gorgeous
on

satins, silks

velvets, gold

rings
their
tend

their

fingers, silver daggers

white
at

hanging
and

at

sides, and
their do
in work go

gloves
fire

on

their

hands, but they

the

patiently day
but

night.
tion recrea-

They
and

not

promenading,
wear

seek

their

the

laboratory,
of hide upon

plain
to

leathern their

dress

aprons

which the

wipe

hands,
and

thrust

their and

fingers amongst
not

coals, into dirt

are

rubbish
and hence

into

golden rings. They

and
make

sooty
and

dirty
make

like the
little

smiths

charcoal-burners,
not not

show,

many

words

and

gossip
own

with

their

patients,do they
well
not

highly praise their

that
master

remedies,

for

know the

the his do
not

work

must

praise
well
sick

the

master,
that

work.

They
the

know
cure

words

and

chatter

help
such

nor

them.

Therefore themselves the

they
with

let

things
with
These

alone

and

busy

working

their
are

fires

and

learning

steps of alchemy.

tion, solution, putrefaction,extracdistillation,

calcination, reverberation, sublimation,

tion, fixa-

separation, reduction,
etc."" This

coagulation, tinction,
field of chemical es activ-

opening-up

of
natura

new

op. fol., I, 906, "De

rerum."

112

PARACELSUS.

ity

which

promised
and

so

much

of

importance directly upon

the
most

in

its the

development
field of the field of of

which

touched

practice of medicine,
science
to at

important
and the peals apthe of

natural

that

period,
the other

Paracelsus of

abandon and

search

for

transmutation
the among

metals
met

vain

goals
response in
"

alchemists,
those of
nature

almost

immediate
were were

students
"

who
there

interested many that the of such

most

the and
thusiastic en-

study
it
was

and the

indeed and

from

chemists

productive
and

followers

Paracelsus had of the been fact

arose.

A
to

new

important
so

impulse
in

imparted
that
no

chemistry,
chemical attributed called
a

that

spite
or

great
be

discoveries
to

tions generalizahe may

can

Paracelsus

yet

with It

justice be
is with that

reformer
contrast

of
the

chemistry.
work of celsus Para-

interesting to
of his

great German

contemporary,
1494-1555. well
as

Georgius Agricola
His and

Agricola
was

(Georg
and

Bauer),
trained
as

also in

medically mining
and

oughly thor-

versed

metallurgy.
and of
are

descriptions of mining
facts and

metallurgical systematic,
telian Aristoand
from celsus Para-

chemical

processes clear upon and

orderly
His

generally
was

comprehensible.
prevalent
upon

theory
ideas.

based His

the

published work
more

mining
interest
of

metallurgy
a

possesses

permanent
than the

scientific

point
the

of view

writings
to

because

he

confined

himself
facts and

the

task

of

presenting

established detailed

processes
so

of his

specialty in clear,

description,

that

it

THE

REFORMER

OF

CHEMISTRY.

II3

might
same

be of line of
are

use

for others

who

should

follow facts and

in the
cesses pro-

work.

Many
that

chemical
appear
so

mentioned

also in

Paracelsus,
there is

but
no

as

with

Paracelsus,
that these
are

with

Agricola
neither
of
aware

pretension
It is

with original that

the author.
one

to interesting
"

note

of these in

two

men

the
"

most to

important
have been
in

their of

century
the and

chemistry
of

seems

ence existcelsus Paramany

the

other.

Agricola
and

Saxony

in Switzerland

Austria

possessed
but of

interests and
ola's great while
most

much work those his

knowledge appeared
works of

in common, the

Agriccelsus, Paratain con-

after

death

Paracelsus did
not

which
in

of

chemistry
of knew

appear

print
not

until

after the death

Agricola.

It is therefore other.
a

surprisingthat
great
work De technical
that

neither
re

of the

Agricola's
classic in

metallica
while

remains

chemistry,
of

Paracelsus
to

has

left little
But aim

is of permanent
reform

value

chemical
not to

science.
the that main
was

the
of

the

efiforts
to

chemistry was of Paracelsus,

his

h\m

but
of

subordinate

great ambition, the

revolution

medicine. Yet
was

the

influence

of

Paracelsus
out

upon
a

chemistry
rational

epoch-making.

By pointing

and
own

promising
successful he

field for chemical

activityand
which with

by

his

application of chemically prepared inaugurated

a

dies remetinued con-

movement

has

without
to

interruption and
present
on
a

portance increasing im-

the

day.
new

From

his

time

vitality was

infused

14

PARACELSUS.

into

chemical

thought
of

and

activity.

Instead and

of

the
ditions, tra-

passive

acceptance
there

ancient

authorities
for

began
and and

struggle

progress often

through
indeed

experiments
unscientific
from such

their

interpretation,
at

illogical
of

first;

nevertheless,

only
and

beginnings
was

independent spirit
to

thought
be

initiative

the

scientific

developed.

CONTRIBUTIONS AND

TO

MEDICAL

SCIENCE

PRACTICE.

WHILE
to

the chemical and

contributions specific

of Paracelsus

knowledge
yet
in

are

comparativelyas a

unimportant beyond
appears

his

influence science

reformer

question,
more

medical
true.

the

opposite

nearly
to

There value
of

appears
many of

be

little doubt
to

as

to

the

real

his

contributions

medical

edge knowldiffer
his fluence in-

and

practice,while
as

competent
and

authorities of
be

widely

to

the

extent

character It may the

upon that

medical

progress. upon

admitted Gaan

his

vigorous
of
of the his

assaults
were

degenerate
in

lenism attitude

day

effective

arousing

criticism influence less

and

questioning
workers

which whose

assisted labors the

greatly
were

of other

laying

sensationally
of scientific the

but

more

soundly

foundation-stones

medicine. of the "Father

of

Vesalius,
science of
were

often

called
and

founder the

modern
of

anatomy,
both

Pare,

gery," Sur-

contemporaries
works The

Paracelsus,
after the

though
death

their

great

appeared
Greater

only

of Paracelsus.

Surgery

of Para-

Il6

PARACELSUS.

celsus

had

appeared
work

nearly
and had
that

thirty
Pare in the

years

before
eral sev-

Fare's

classical

passed through
Preface

editions, and
his

it is said
to

acknowledged
to

indebtedness
of

Paracelsus

the
"

first edition

his work/
that the
none

Admitting
Paracelsus his be has

of the

medical

treatises works

of of
not

scientific value

of the

great contemporaries, it should

nevertheless had
an

forgotten

that

his

work
own

may

have much later

ence influthan

for progress its present Dr.

in his
in

time

greater

value

the
some

light
close

of

knowledge.
of

Sudhoff

records

nineteen of the

editions sixteenth
and

the
tury, cen-

Greater

Surgery
in the and other in this

by

the

German,

French,

Latin

Dutch

guages, lan-

works

of his shared

in somewhat

less

degree
The

popularity.and
of hostility Paracelsus into the

disapproval
mislead
be

universities
not

and

the

profession toward
to
us

should
his

be

permitted
as

underrating
that both

ence, influand
was an

it may suffered

recalled from former his this

Vesalius

Pare

also

hostility. Vesalius Sylvius

on as

denounced
heretic denounced condemned became his
a

by
to

his and the that

teacher

sane inwas

great

work

anatomy
he
was

Inquisition. Though body

and his he and result forced is said of his in
to

not

by

professorship
was

at

Padua
to

untenable,

to

return

native

city Brussels
as

have

become

hypochondriac
Pare
was more

the

persecutions.

successful

maintaining

his

professionalpositionthrough
1

official support,
p.

though

Cf.

Stoddart,

The

Life of Paracelsus,

65.

MEDICAL

SCIENCE

AND

PRACTICE.

II7

the

faculty of
The

the

University
medical
more

of Paris

protested discovery
than

his

tenure

of office.

history of
subject early
of
natural

science

and

has

been
of the

the

of

thorough
a

study

most

sciences, and
medical
in

number

of competent

critics of

place

of

Paracelsus that

the history have estimated the development of various

From such
sources

departments
may be

science.
the

best

summarized

contributions

celsus. of Para-

Thus in the article "The

with

respect

to surgery,

Dr.

Edmund

Owen

Encyclopaedia "Surgery")
fourteenth

Britannica

(eleventh edition,
centuries most al-

says: and fifteenth for

are

entirely without
The
men

interest

surgical history.
first

dead of

level

of

tradition

is broken

by

two

originalityand
and

genius, P. by
the

Paracelsus

( 1493at

1541)
the

Pare,

and

revival

of

anatomy
and

hands

of Andreas

Vesalius

(1514-1564)
at

briel Ga-

Fallopius (1523- 1 562), professors Apart

from
was

Padua.
of his
as

the

mystical

form

in which has
....

much

teaching
a

cast,
of

Paracelsus

great
It

merits

reformer
as an as
a

surgical practice
in

is not, surgery,

ever, howbut

innovator direct is

operative
of natural His

rather

observer

processes,

that
of
true
are

Paracelsus

distinguished.
for

description
is

'hospital gangrene,'
to nature ;

example,
observations
;

perfectly
on

his

numerous

lis syphithe
first of the

also
out

sound
the

and

sensible

and

he

was

to

point

connection
of the

between

cretinism

ofifspringand

goiter

parents."

Il8

PARACELSUS.

So

also

Proksch,^

the

historian with
of the

of

diseases, syphilitic

credits
the that

Paracelsus character

recognition
and

of

inherited there
are

this and

disease

states

indeed

but

few

subordinate which
also

regii-

lations
has
not

in modern

syphilistherapy
Iwan
of the Bloch

Paracelsus attributes of
voted de-

enunciated.

the that

first observation

hereditary
That
the

character

disease
so

to

Paracelsus.'
to

Paracelsus

much
was

attention

consideration
a

of these

diseases

evidently by
do them you you

made

subject
as

of contemptuous
be

criticism from his

his opponents, in the

may

inferred

repliesto
then,

Paragranum:* [Gugelfritsen]
abuse
other about refute
to

"Why,
my than but
or

clowns
can

writings, which by saying

of luxus and that

in

no

way

I know

nothing
Is that
a

write

venere?
to

triflingthing?
Because
be I have

in your

opinion
that

be

despised?
wounds
may

understood into the

worst
ever

all open

converted
is the has attacks shall I
to

French
disease

disease
in
"

[i.e., syphiHs],
whole

which
worse

the

world

"

no

been

known

which

spares the
most

nobody
I

and
"

the

highest
be

personages

severely
relate the

therefore

despised?
and

Because
and

bring help
errors

princes,
that

lords

peasants
and

I have

found,

because

this has
you

resulted

in

good
me

and

high reputation
into the
Baas,
and

for me,
not

would
the sick.

throw
For

down

mire

and

spare

Quoted by Standes, p. 210.

3

"

Geschkhtliche

Entwickelung
der

des

arstlichen

Neuburger
p. 403.

Pagel, Handbuch

Geschichte

der

Medisin

III,

*0p.

fol, I,

201 f.

MEDICAL

SCIENCE

AND

PRACTICE.

IIQ

it is

they

and

not

I whom

you

would

cast

into

the

gutter."
Dr. Bauer" calls attention
to

the

rational

protest

of Paracelsus
vogue
at

against
time,
the
his

the

excessive

blood-lettingin
based
the
on

the

objections being
disturbed
the

the

hypothesis
of the could
be

that

process

harmony
blood

system,
not

and

upon

argument

that the

purifiedby merely lessening its quantity. healing

the
art

"For connection

the

and
says

for
Dr.

pharmacology
E.

in his form "re-

therewith,"
on

Schaer

in

monograph
in the

history

of

pharmacology,"
to

first instance
Paracelsus

attaches
whose of been much

the

name

of

Theophrastus
for
of the

contested in

portance im-

the

rebirth
has

medicine
in recent

the

period finally
work

Reformation
in
a

times
a

established
of critical much

favorable

direction
sources

by
....

master

investigation of
adherents have misunderstood the

But the

however

overzealous
may

of him

brilliant have

cian physigone
at

and

times the
not

beyond
historical

goal

he

established, nevertheless
of

consideration
to

pharmacology
the

will
the

hesitate

yield to
of
as

Paracelsus
the it

merit

of

efifective
often
as

repression meaningless
with

medieval
was

polypharmacy
to

and superstitious, attention

credit
to

him

having

effectivelycalled
value
of many

the

pharmacological
and

metallic

arations prep-

analogous

chemical thus
147.

remedies." the claims

Dr.
'

Max

Neuburger^
der and pp.

summarizes

Geschichte

Aderldsse,

p.

'

Neuburger Ibid., II,

II, pp. S6Sf. Pagel, op. cit.,

'

36ff.

I20

PARACELSUS.

of

Paracelsus

to

place
:

in the

history

of

the

useful

advances

in medicine the the in banner

"Under
rendered that

of
art

utilitarianism of
his

Paracelsus
so

practical
this

healing

many

vices ser-

respect
be

preeminent
In

historical istry chemcessory ac-

importance
to
a

cannot

doubted.
and in

bringing
the
new

higher plane
useful
to

making
in

branch
the value of of

medicine,

comprehending
use

dietetics, in teaching the

mineral
substances

of

great

number

(iron, lead,
the

copper,

antimony, mercury),
the

and
of the

on

other

hand

in teaching in of

knowledge
the
waters

their

injurious actions, investigation

the iron
contents

paving
mineral

way

to

scientific of

(determination
in

by

nutgalls),
his

essentially improving
Croll
of and

pharmacy
Cor-

(with dus)
extracts

disciples Oswald
the
....

Valerius
and

by

preparation
he

tinctures

alcoholic

has

achieved

really

fundamental

merit It

for
was

all time." also

no

unimportant
medical
to
nervous

service in

that

celsus Para-

rendered natural devils dance.

or

to

science the

attributing to
influence
as

rather

than

mystical
maladies if his upon

of

spiritssuch
It
is doubtful
was

St. Vitus's
influence in

perhaps
immediate
if
we

this

direction

very least

rary contempofrom the

thought, history
witches
of the

at

may

judge
and the

sad of

trials,
a

tortures

executions

during

century

after

activityof
character

celsus. Para-

Doubtless

also

the

fantastic

of

the

MEDICAL

SCIENCE

AND

PRACTICE.

121

philosophy
the
A

of

Paracelsus

itself served and

saner

to

diminish

efifect of

his sounder
student
thus

thought. historyof science,

the
services

distinguished
P.

of the

Andrew
of

White,

characterizes

Paracelsus

in this

direction:' of the
sixteenth scale

"Yet,
cases

in the

beginning
a

Century,
to

of

'possession'on
within who the
scope

large
of

began

be

brought
the
was man

medical

science, and
science modern these

led in this evokition He

for
a

of medical

Paracelsus. think
are

it

was

who upon

first bade
the idea
nor

Europe
diseases
and of that

moment

that

inflicted

neither

by

saints

demons,
a

the of

'dancing possession' is simply

which
and any the
cure

form

disease

may

be

effected

by

proper
to
some

remedies

regimen.
serious
the

Paracelsus

appears it took
to

have

escaped
that

interference;

time, perhaps, for

he had
soon

theological leaders
a new

understand
the
course

'let

idea

loose it and the

upon

planet,' but
was was

they

understood
about

their
new

simple.
well

For

fiftyyears
in

idea

kept under,
of and

but

1563

another
much

sician, phyrisk

John. Wier
to

Cleves, revived

it at

his An

position
doctrine
The

reputation."
maintained disease

interesting thesis
that

by
must

Paracelsus

was

the

every

have

its

remedy.
certain

scholastic
as

authorities
and

had

pronounced
were cordingly ac-

diseases
so

incurable,
the

they

considered by
the

profession. Rejecting

as

he

did

ancient

authorities, Paracelsus
with
p. 139.

History
London,

of- the
1896

and

of Science (reprinted 1919), II, Warfare

Theology,

New

York

122

PARACELSUS.

naturally enough
true.

rejected this dogma

also he

as

necessarily
he

Manifestly
with his
new

believed effected
he makes The shows

that
cures no

himselt

had of
to

remedies

of certain

these be

diseases, though
to
cure

pretension
ical of med-

able

all diseases.

history
that

thought
of

and
was

discussion
a

this of

thesis

Paracelsus

frequent subject
after

partisan by
of

debate

during
of

the

century
his

Paracelsus.
not

Paracelsus
the method

sustains modern

thesis, however,
"

science
"

upon

evidence
the

experiment
or

and

observation

^but

by

ical philosopha

rather

metaphysical argument
in the the

of its
and

priori by
So
his he

reasonableness

divine doctrines

purpose,

interpretation of
says

of

Christ.

:" "Know
therefore
to

that
"

medicine
it is for

is

so

to

be trusted for God is it to has

in heal

relation every

health

that

possible
there for
to

natural anger for does that

our

disease,
and
not

whenever

entertained

mercy,
a

always
cure.

provided
For

every
not

disease desire
us we

medicine
die may but

its

God

to

live, arid
sorrow

to

live
remorse

long,
"There

in this

life that

bear

and

for

sins

so

we

may

repent of them."
error

is

yet

another
me

great
write

which

has

strongly
because this book

influenced

to

this

book" I

namely,
include in

they
are can

say

that

diseases

which
now,

incurable.
a

Behold,
say

their
a

great
.

folly; how
incurable
"

physician
is
not quoted

that

disease
those

is

when
de

death

present;

only

Liber
der

religione perpetua,
der

Kritik
p.

Echtheit

Paracelsischen

einer by Sudhoff, Versuch Schriften, Berlin, 1894-99, II,

415.

MEDICAL

SCIENCE

AND

PRACTICE.

I23

are

incurable of has

in which of

death

is present. O
you

Thus

they
heads,
know do you
says

assert

gout;

epilepsy.
you
to

foolish you

who

authorized and
can

speak, because Christ,

a

nothing
not

accomplish nothing ?

Why
Are

consider the sick

the have
you
as

saying
need

of

where

he

that
not

of

physician?
I think
so.

those

sick whom
are

abandon?
then

If, then,

they they

sick

proven,

they
need

need

the

physician.
you say

If, then, they need

cannot

the
?

physician, why They

him. the

do

be
be
are

helped

physician that
you say

they
that
you

may

helped by
not to

Why,
You

then, do
say

they
are

be

helped?

it because cine, medi-

born

from

the

labyrinth [oferrors] of
mother. it is God's
ways
to

and
has

Ignorance

is your
For

Every disease
will
the

its medicine.

that

He

be

"

manifested
This is

in marvelous

sick.""

obviously setting dogma

to

against dogma,
methods of scholasticism.
was

and

opposing
Yet

scholasticism
that this upon in

the

dictum

of Paracelsus

not

without

influence

contemporary
the

thought
of

is

evidenced

by
the
we

passage

writings

Robert

Boyle

in

century
cannot

following:" "But,
but

Pyrophithe
some

lus, though

disapprove
himself
lived
owes some men no

glorious vainof than

to

boasts his

of

Paracelsus
for

and

followers, who
men,

all that mankind

longer
in

other
the

yet I think
for

something hope

chymists

having put

of

than have been formerly aspired doing greater cures to or thought possible, and thereby engage even
1"

op. fol, I, 253, "Die Boyle's Works,

erste

Defension."

"

Birch's

ed., London,

1744, I,

p. 481.

124

PARACELSUS.

them For

to not

make

trials and
before
men

attempts
were

in order

thereunto. and excited of ArSeverito

only
many de

awakened
some

by

the

promises
Villanova,

and

great

cures

naldus
nus

Paracelsus,

Rulandus,
were

and

Helmont,
to

many pronounce

physicians
men

wont

be

too

forward
such
nature

troubled and
rather that

with

such

and from could

now,

diseases
and
art

incurable,
than

detract those but

two
even

confess

do I
not

what

ordinary physick
are

could who
and
a

not,

fear, there

but

too

many such if

though they
such

will
are

openly
with
to

afifirm

that

diseases

absolutely incurable, yet

any of them is undervalue

particular patient
will be
those if not

troubled very "that

presented, they
deride them." noted

apt
shall In
a

(at least)
hope
to
cure

attempt

and

previous chapter
and

have

been

the

tional ra-

consideration

treatment

which

Paracelsus of the
or

applied

to

wounds
treatment

and
of

open

sores.

Instead
up

customary

closing
with

by

sewing

plastering, or
he dirt and

covering
advocated

them

poultices and

plication apfrom

cleanliness, protection
and
cure.

"external
to nature

enemies,"
to

regulation "Every

of

diet,

trusting
heals There

effect the

wound

itself is

if it is
no

only kept
that
as

clean.""

doubt

Paracelsus skilful and

enjoyed
successful

siderable con-

reputation
and well
as

titioner, pracas

there
own

is

contemporary
to

testimony,
that he
to
was

his

statements,
for
even

show

frequently
12

sent

from

long distances
and

treat

Cf.

Fr.

Helfreich

in

Neuburger

Pagel, op. cit., Ill,

p.

IS.

MEDICAL

SCIENCE

AND

PRACTICE.

I25

wealthy
baffled
It

and

prominent patients whose

skill of the
course,
not

maladies

had

the

Galenic
that

is,of

true

physicians. popular reputations

true

of

physicians are
even reason

always
in

the

measufe

of
seems

ability
little

in

our

day.
doubt

Nevertheless,

there assertion
new

to

spite of
that

the

of hostile

critics of his keen indeed

time,
and

with

his

remedies, his mind, he

cures was

observation able
to

his

unusually
or

open

afford

relief

to

effect

where

the orthodox

physicians trammeled
unsuccessful.
rather

by
his is

their infallible
new

dogmas
sometimes
That

were

That
than

methods

did harm

good

quitepossible. breaking
and

would
new

naturally paths.
And

be the
an

result

of

ically rad-

independent empiricism experiment

been
est

"

practice founded
"

upon
to

personal
and It

observation his

seems

have

his

practice
sick, his

teaching: "Experientia
that in his natural

Scientia." the

seems

probable

dealings
was

with

tastic fan-

philosophy
common sense

rather

subordinated As

to

native

and

practical logic.
of

stated

by
. .

Professor

.the

most

see Neuburger," "We prominent embodiment

in Paracelsus.

that
the

enigmatic, intuitive,anticipativeintelligenceof people, which,

sources

drawing

upon

the

unfathomable

of

rather

intuitive

than

consciously recognized
shame the
of

experience, not
involved dialectically Paracelsus that theories the
'"'

infrequently pvits to reasoning

be

scholasticism." his

has

indeed
not

clearlyexpressed permitted
to

ion opin-

should the

dominate

practice of
Ibid.,II, p. 35.

physician.

126

PARACELSUS.

"For

in

experiments
are

neither

theories

nor

other be
sidered conwe

arguments
as

applicable,but
own one

they

are

to

their every of

expressions.
who

Therefore
not
to
as

admonish
the methods

reads
but it out
a

these,

oppose

experiment
to

according
without
weapon power,

its

own

power For be
to

permits
every

follow

prejudice.
which
as a

experiment
to

is like its

must

used

according
a

peculiar
"

spear

thrust,
....

club
use

to

strike

so

also

is it with
an

ments experienced experithat

To
man

experiments
is
sure

requires
and
to

who
use

of his thrust

stroke

he

may That

and

direct

it

according
to

its fashion.""
open

he

endeavored
of

keep

an

mind
too

ward to-

the

symptoms

his

patients, not
is also of
at

much

governed by preconceived dogmas,

in

indicated
his nents opponizing recog-

his

defense in which

against they
accuse

certain
him

attacks
of not
:

once

symptoms

and

treatment

"They patient, I
is with indeed
"

complain
do
not

of

me

that

when

come

to matter

know
that

instantly what
I need

the
out.

him,
true

but that

time

to

find

It is diately imme-

they

pronounce
to

judgment
for from

their first

folly is

blame is know

that, for in the

end

their
as

judgment they
betake

false, and
less

day
while

to

day
from

time hence

passes

what
to at

the

trouble
I

is and

themselves
to arrive

lying,
the

day

to

day
With
etc.

endeavor
cannot

truth.

For
as

obscure
colors green,
1*

diseases
are.

be
we

at
can

once see

recognized
what
were a

colors

is

black,

blue,

If, however,
300f. "Von

there

curtain
etc.

Chir. Biicher, etc., pp.

frantzosischen

Blatern,"

MEDICAL

SCIENCE

AND

PRACTICE.

12/

in

front the

of

them eyes
can

we

could
see can

not

rcognize

them.
.
.

What what it he
he
were as sees

be

judged quickly, but

to

is hidden visible.

from

the

eyes

it is vain

grasp

as

if
be

Take,

for

instance, the
skilful
an as

miner;

able, experienced and

for it
the

may
cannot

,be,when
know
it is to He these

first time

ore,

he

what be
must

contains, what

it will

yield,nor
or

how

treated, -roasted, fused, ignited

first
. . .

burned. whither

run

tests

and

trials and obscure

cannot

see

lead
that
so

Thus

it is with

and
be

tedious
made

diseases,
the

hasty judgments physicians

do

though

humoral

this."" of the

Admitting
of the Paracelsus
net

the value
to

positivecontributions
and

medical
the reform

knowledge campaign by

practice,
he of medicine.

value

of

which

stituted in-

is variously estimated
For it must

historians
that in

be

remembered intrenched
To the

Paracelsus

fought against dogmas dogmas

the of his
own.

tradition, by
theories
many assault of

fantastic he
That

Greek-Arabian fantastic absurdities

of his
new

authorities
theories. and he

opposed by
of way

equally
upon

his
the

the

weaknesses

Galenic

medicine

time
and

paved

the

for

greater

hospitalityto
but
to

progressive
this
assault he

ideas
also
as

is unquestionable, did much

as

that

by

discredit

the

valuable

elements

well

the

corruptions
true.

of ancient

medical
to

achievements

is also the
gressive pro-

It is very

difficult

justly balance
he and

and
upon

the

reactionary influences
of medicine
siebente
"

exerted

the progress

in naturally,there-

Op. fol, I, 262, "Die

Defension.''

128

PARACELSUS.

fore, authorities

differ

upon

this value

question.
of the that

Thus

Neu-

burger^" appreciates
ments

the

accompHshhe in is to the
no sense

of

Paracelsus,
as

yet doubts
of

be

considered
that

reformer
or

medicine

was.Vesalius
of

Pare,

that

is, he
the later its upon the his of

laid real

dation-stone foun-

importance, thought
medicine but

and
the for

value

of

much of His and

was

of his

thought required
scientific found

developments interpretation. physiological

he chose
soning rea-

modern aim
was

to

biologicalfoundations,
not

method

the

right method,
fantastic
were

and

analogical
macrocosm

and
microcosm The

philosophy convincing
discontent

and nowhere. in

not

and with

led

disaffection

and

conditions
can,

medicine

produced hardly
later

by
be

his

campaign,
a

thinks That

Neuburger,
was

called

revolution.
constructive

to
more

come

through
methods. Haser"

the

work

of

scientific
a

In
ever

similar
a

vein

remarks,
the

"Scarcely
of his life

has purer

physician

seized

problem
it with in view

with
or

enthusiasm,
earnestness

served

truer

heart,
honor But

with

greater

kept
endeavors
was

the

of his the
one

calling than
of
no

the

reformer

of

Einsiedeln.
was a

aim and

his less
to

scientific

mistaken

mistaken
it."

the

method

by

which

he

sought
A
recent
a more

attain

writer, Professor
critical

Hugo
of

Magnus,'^* presents judgment

to

point

view:
our

"We
this
1"

must,

then,

summarize

effect, that
op. cit., p. 37.

Paracelsus
"

keenly

felt the
18

frightful
11-13.

Op. cit.,p. 105.

op.

cit., pp,

MEDICAL

SCIENCE

AND

PRACTICE.

29

corruption
nature

which

medicine from the

and hands

the

investigationof
the
to

suffered
he

of
how

scholastics, penetrate
to

but the
of

that
causes

did not
of

understand

this condition scholastic he

of his

science.
the
root

Instead of this
must

seeking

in the

system
believed
art

medical found And that old of

degeneration, exclusively in
the
to

that

it

be

healing
shatter
in
a

of the blind

ancients. hatred all

thus

he

sought

in

existed, without

being

position to replace the

and

theory
nature

he and

maligned by
medicine.
his
a

new

better
wore

concept
away energy,

So

Paracelsus

in confused and

wrestling
as

bodily and
reformer
"

mental
as a own own

lived, indeed,
"

medical ation, valu-

superman

in his
not

own

imagination, recognition
of
can

in his

but
nor

in

the

of his

times,

in

the

judgment
methods

posterity.
find
no

"If, therefore, I
the

relationshipbetween to-day
in and

general

of of

medicine nature,

the
our

Theophrastic
limited
modern the in
a

concept
must

nevertheless
an

super-colleague
respect,

be considered
sure,
as was

essentially
in certain

to

be

the

pioneer
the of

points
chemical
he

of view. of the and

He

first to

attempt
life

consideration
sense,

phenomena
I do
not

organic
to

need
to
a

emphasize powerful
was

that

thereby paved
in
a our

the In

way

very

advance

science.
here

this

respect
new

celsus Para-

reformer,
of
even

he

has

pointed

paths
as

in
as

the in and

valuation

pathological phenomena
if here

well

therapy,
allowed

also he has
to

theorized

enough
many
a

his

neo-Platonism

play

him

trick."

130

PARACELSUS.

By

discarding
thinks

and

condemning
Paracelsus of
his

all

the

ancient
not

authorities,

Magnus,
Galenism

assailed time
but

only
much

the
to

corrupted
discredit
and

did the

the

positive
the

achievements Greek

of

Greeks,
were

although

original
texts,

authorities
were

not

the then
in

prevailing
translated
been had

they

at

least

accessible
in them

newly
have

versions, and
and

the

good

might

incorporated possessed
of his the

built upon

by

Paracelsus
To

if he
the

scientific

point

of view.

extent
was

influence
an

in this direction rather

science.

Paracelsus
than
a

therefore the progress

opponent
of medical he gave his among

promoter
his

of

"Through
to
so

irrational

theories
notions among

impulse
followers,
the Para-

all sorts that the of

of mistaken

wildest
the

vagaries

existed

celsists The modern

succeeding century."
will
serve

above critical
of

to

illustrate of Paracelsus

the

trend
as
a

of
former re-

judgment

medicine.

However
the

estimates
of
must

may

vary
as a

as

to

the

extent

of

influence
credit

Paracelsus

reformer him
as a

of

cine, medi-

certainly be given
of the
real
a

forceful

agent

in

the

downfall
The upon the

scholastic

medical

ence sci-

of his time. its establishment

reform

in medical of

science,
scientific
nor

basis
of

modern

method, century
to

was

not

work

his may
was

century
not

of

the

to

follow.
that

Indeed, it
reform
and

be

too

much

say the

that

great

mainly
was

the

work

of

nineteenth the

century,

made
of many

possible
investi-

only through

patient labors

MEDICAL

SCIENCE

AND

PRACTICE.

I3I

gators
and

in

the

domains

of

physics,

chemistry,

anatomy

biology.
If, however,
we

cannot

claim reformer him

in

for of

Paracelsus

the

unchallenged
may
at

place recognize
voice

of

the in

medicine,

we

least

an

earnest,
wilderness.

powerful

and

prophetic

crying

the

THE

MISSION

AND

ETHICS

OF

THE

SICIAN. PHY-

WERE
to

we

to

accept the estimate

which
the

of the

ter characcome

of

Paracelsus

had

gradually
"

be
was a

accepted during
a coarse

eighteenth century
charlatan
"

that

he be in

and

ignorant
to

it would

contradiction
role of
a

in terms teacher

consider ideals
of

him

seriously

the

of

morality. and
of times

ethics.

Fortunately, however,
number of

the

investigations
of the
a

thorough
of his

students
in

life and very

of Paracelsus

justifyus

accepting
and rude

different

judgment
himself

character
and

personality.
as

Egotistic, intolerant
to

he

often

shows

be,

no

authentic

incidents

have

been

duced ad-

affecting
or

his

essential
former

earnestness,

integrity
student
the

morality.
in
a

His

secretary

and

Oporinus,
of

letter indeed

written makes but

long
the

after

death

Paracelsus,

accusation

of drunkenness
has been

against him,
discredited which
both
on

this of

testimony
the

grounds
the and letter of the

circumstances the bitter character antiof

brought

out

during

Paracelsan

contest,

general

MISSION

AND

ETHICS

OF

THE

PHYSICIAN.

I33

the

writer/ it is

Had

there
to

been

solid that

basis

for

the
use

charge
by
and the
a

hardly

be

believed would
his
a

greater
been

of this effective his

weapon

not

have

made

antagonists during
quote
of
a

lifetime. work
of
von

Schubert

Sudhoff
statement

also

from

J. Agricola,
der
he

certain

Aegidius
in

Wiese,
says:

former

pupil
true

of

Paracelsus,
Paracelsus when
nor

which

"But but
on

this is
the

that

enjoyed drinking,
he drank had undertaken until he

other

hand,
ate

anything completed
became This

he

scarcely

had
he

it and

then, when

he

had

the

time,

ordinarilymerry
statement

[gemeiniglich lustig]."
well stand of

may

against
indeed
even

the The

larly simitom cusdoned con-

unsupported
of his time
a excesses

statement

Oporinus.
and

and

country

would

have

reasonable

indulgence kind, though

few
there

occasional
in Paracelcondemns that

of that works
are

passages he

sus's

not

where
is
no

himself

drunkenness,
his
own

and
was

positive evidence
with such

life

inconsistent
also
cannot to

convictions. him.

Ignorance
This
the than

be

charged against
based
in German in his
reasons

charge
fact that

seems

have and

been lectured

largely upon
rather time
for Luther his
use

he

wrote

in Latin.

But

those

who

lived
that that his

and
so

country

doubtless
were

well
the the

knew
same

doing
who of Latin
to

much
set

animated

had

him
own

example.
works,
and make
in which

Moreover,
his many

in his and

allusions that
he

Greek

Latin
the
and

authors

it evident

commanded
1

language
Sudhoff,

they

were

writpp.

Ci.

Schubert

Paracelsusforschungen,

II,

79ff

134

PARACELSUS.

ten

and

possessed

an

extensive

familiarity with
not
a

their

doctrines, though
in their

perhaps

scholarly

terest in-

writings.
may have is
no

Nevertheless, whatever
and
the the
earnestness

been
reason

comings his shortto to

limitations, there
or

doubt raise

sincerity of
medical

his
nor

efiforts
the

standards
of his may,
own

of

ethics,

essential

piety
We

convictions.
in accepting justified the the

therefore, be

consistently and
mission
of the of
a

constantly
and

reiterated
the the

ideals

of

of

medicine,

of

ethical

standards
utterances

medical
devoted

practitioner as missionary.
of from

sincere

The
we

condition

medical
such from

ethics

at

the
as

time,
have

if ready al-

may

judge
been and

expressions
Erasmus,
medicine

quoted
as

Agrippa
affords

and

Ramus,

the
was

history of
such
as

ample
reform

confirmation,
of That added
to

to

justify the
his

criticisms
at

Paracelsus the
an

and

warrant

efforts
of the

persecution
element
of

and

contempt

profession
and

personal
is also

resentment

ness bitter-

his

campaign

manifest. of Paracelsus

The

character

of the
upon

appeal
such

and

its
as

probable
were

influence
too

medical

students
him
"

not

strongly prejudiced against

the

and

particularly upon
seem,

lay public, already,

best be understood

it would lastic schohis

somewhat

suspicious of
"

the conventional
from

physician
own

may

utterances.

"Ye the

physicians, of

what
we

use

to

us

is the
not

name,

the university,if title,

possess

the knowl-

MISSION

AND

ETHICS

OF

THE

PHYSICIAN.

I35

edge [of medicine]

not
US

?
or

Knowledge
the school. make Of

makes What

the

cian, physi-

the
appear

name

is it for
we
are

if

we

great and

great display, if
what
or use

have

not

the

knowledge

that

we

considered
we are

great

by lords,

cities

countries
and

"

that the

given dignities and

arises, when
honors
we

honors,
should
and

when

time
to

of need the

be able
we

worthily
not

repay

bestowed
do

have doctor's deserve

the cloak them

knowledge?
and

Whom

honors,
those

the

ring really adorn

reason

but

who

by
not

of in in
our

their

knowledge?
if
we

Knowledge
not

does virtues

grow

heads,
herbs. of

do

know
of
are

the

contained
is like
a

the

The the

garden
arts

knowledge
founded
trees

garden
and

trees;

in

experience garden
is the
are

taught by
down

nature. to

If the

in the
use

mutilated ? However
no

the

trunk,

of what it may

tree

tall and fruits

to

handsome
can come are

be,
And

if it lacks

branches mutilated
are

of it.
those

like

tree

the

trunk
in
no

cians physithe

who

grounded
and

only yield

human

fantasies,
"

they
trunk
a

are

mutilated Or
....

fruits

only

stands
cuts

to

take

another
a so

simile, as
or

when

trooper
to

off the his

tail of

Prankish
that
comes

Swabian

horse

adorn
But

helmet
summer

he

may the

gratify
horse has
a

his

vanity.
to

when
him for

nothing
wretched

protect
reward

from

the

flies

and

has
to

having
with
and

contributed
if
we

the

trooper's splendor.
ourselves
us we as over

So

physicians :
show,
it

give
to

to

vanity

happens
appear

to

the
no

Swabian tails
to

horse, when
protect
us

diseases
must

have

and

be

vexed

136 by
our

PARACELSUS.

the

diseases and and

as

the

horse

vanity
name

splendor, our
title
are

gadflies. For rings paternosters, our

by
the the

and the
a

only
the

stump

remaining
was so

on

horse's

rump is
no

and

tail which
there
....

useful
to not

protection
all whom may

longer
that

wish

monish adme

physicians
are me was was

they scrutinize,
themselves
I
was

to

they

hostile, but

and
grown it into

then in
other. an-

they
your

judge
and
That

accordingly. transplanted
trained and
was no

garden

from

is, I

in that

garden

where
to

trees

are

mutilated
But

slight ornament
Archeites
saw

the that it and

as a

university. growth
should be

when
lead that
me

the

that

would

into I should

vanity
be

and

show,

was

brought good

about

transplanted
For

planted
is
it takes there

in another

garden.
and
a

just

fruit-tree
so

dug

up

linden

planted
sities]. univeris
feast

in

its

place,
For

place
and he

there

[in

the

the

physician's
is made

fruitfulness into
a

taken for the

away eyes This

from like

him,
the

linden-tree, but
was

his

fruits

appear. disfor

transplanting
that after
so

brought
mutilation
that

about

this be

reason,

much

I should I should that

planted
into

in another the

garden,
of

is, that
and

enter

paths
his

experience
the

avoid

mutilation."^

Evidently
his
of himself lack called

attacks

upon from

practitioners of
tions accusa-

day brought
of

forth

his

opponents
for

professional courtesy,
to

he

feels this

upon

defend

himself

against

charge.
2

Chir.

Biicher,

etc., p. 309, "Spitalbuch,"

Preface,

MISSION

AND

ETHICS

OF

THE

PHYSICIAN.

37

"It I
cannot

should

not

appear

strange
in that

to

any

one

that I

praise selfishness
how harmful it

medicine,
the has
so

because

know has into

take

is,so by

art

of medicine led

become
a

falsified and without

a

it and

been that leads

not

astray
can

show

bargaining,
falseness

nothing
to

place
in all

which

tion corrup-

things. The
but
medicine in of

physician must
love.
. .

be

founded

on

selfishness

.1, for
it has
so

my fallen

part,
into

am

ashamed

that
no

ception. de-

There
house

is
or

abandoned
that and

hangman,
will claim
his
not to

bawdysell
cure

keeper,
or

dog-killer
fat for money
even

his
all

human
diseases

dog's
with
that
to

it, and
the him.

that

when of
one

conscience

tells him

treatment

disease

only

is

permitted
take there

But that

because
comes

of their
way.

greed they
Therefore wicked

everything
have
come

their

into medicine

all the remedies

lazy and
whether

vagabonds,
suit
purse
....

and
or

they
not.

sell their Whoever

they
in his

the has

case

gets money
a

the do

reputation
not
so a care

of

being
it has

good physician.
to

They
"It

that

come

them

deserved,un-

only
is also
it
"

that

it is there.
custom not

doctor's

wherever
I do
not

the know
or

law
"

permits
that
....

whether
a

rightly or gulden
another
a

visit is worth
have
not

whether and
or

earned
fulfil the

not.

To love have

pity for
become any wrong.
more

to
use:

law
wish

of
to

will
no

custom

they

law
or

but So

to

take

"

take, whether
themselves
go

it

is

right
and

they
;
so

deck

with

rings

chains and

of

gold

they

about

in silken their open

clothing

proclaim

to

all the

world

138 disgrace,
proper for
strut

PARACELSUS.

which
a

they

consider
so an an

as

an

honor Hke
a

and

as

physician ;
^it is is Medicine

ornamented

picture sight
ployed emperience ex-

they
of

about"

abomination
art

in the

God
....

which

should and

be

with
and does and him
....

great
in the

conscientiousness

great
for he

great
murders

fear

of

God,
steals

who

not

fear

God
has
no

he

and has

continually,
no

he

who

conscience

also

shame

in

I trust
to

I have do
to

defended
the

myself
I would If it

from
or

having
from

anything
the
me

with

pseudo-medici,
:

doing anything
axe

please them
at

rather

speed
on

to

be

laid be

that

tree.

depended

it would In
a

not

long delayed."'
he

similar have

vein

elsewhere
to

says such

: a as

"They
all and their
men

brought things
medicine
and
so

pass

that

flee from

hold

it all

knaving
with
mands com-

swindling.
arts
more

They
a

have

deceived
or

people
a

that

common

peasant
than

Jew
crime

credence
than when
a

they. And,
Is it not

indeed,
a

these and is appointed

can a

do shame

more

the

doctors.

city physician [Stadtarst]

the and

in he
cannot

city,and help
have
them
not

sick flee from

must must

him

because

let

them

lie, and
them?"* ence sciance utteramples ex-

others His

who

studied
of the

assist
of

exalted
of the

ideal
true

mission finds
as

medical

and

physician writings,
: man

frequent

throughout
may

his

the

following
and
not

illustrate wills

"For
'

God

that

be

truthful

op. Op.

foL, I, 259-261, "Die fol, I, 61, "Paramirum."

fiinfte Defension."

MISSION

AND

ETHICS

OF

THE

PHYSICIAN.

I39

doubter and truth Such

and

liar ; He and

has

created the

truth

and

not

Ues,
the

ordained and
not

estabUshed The
truth

physician
his
he

in

in lies.

is then

integrity.
as

is the

physician'sintegritythat
as

shall be

steadfast for

and

truthful

as

the

Apostles
all the

of Christ,

in God's

sight he
take

is not that

less."^
among
arts

"Now

note,

and

professions
and
as

of

mankind
commands

God and
is
so

most

loves him.

the

sician phyguished distin-

He
the

ordains

fore, There-

physician
God
,

preferred
no

and

by mann],
fler,but
"As
no a now

he

must
no

be

hypocrite [Larvenno

old
real

wife,
man

executioner;
he

liar,no

tri-

must

be.""
alone
must

it is the

physician
he

who
have

can

most

highly prize and praise God, And knowledge. why?

physician
great God
works
much that
can

the

est greatthe how the how

and

Who
what
can

is it except he make

"know him

man,

is, and
known

has

made

He the how

of

God, how
is man, other

noble and

universe
one macrocosm

is, and

nobler
from the

proceeds
and
must not

is

born

[i. e.,
not

the

cosm]. microboast

He
himself
a

who

does

know

this

physician."^
of service
may be

His
poor
extract

ideals

of the

physician by
the

toward

the

and

needy
from the
use

illustrated
to

following
the

Preface

his

Hospital-Book.
much

"Of and
5

what

is it if I write of how

about
is to be

sick

the poor

and

their health

secured

op. fol, I, 227, "Paragranum."

"

Ibid., I,
Op.

226.

fol, I, 81, "Paramirum."

140

PARACELSUS.

and
can

do

not

also
to

admonish
poor

the

rich?
the

For rich.
as

no

good
are

happen

the
as a

without
a

Both Uttle

bound
any

together
chain suffer
the rich

with break
the

chain, and
as

may

the

chain

which
ye

binds

together
not

and

poor.

Learn,
break

rich,

to

recognize
ye ye make

these break
cast

chains.
the

For

if you

your broken
you

Unk,
link

only
be

chain

but. like the then,

poor do

will

aside.
free from

Why,
the

try

to

yourselves
from from poor,

and should

to

shut take

your
some

help
links the the the

them?
a

Just
and your

as

if you it too be
too

chain

make

short,
short

so,
to

without
reach
to

would
of

path
chain

Kingdom goal
for

Heaven the

and

you
was

would

not

attain
Learn
on

which rich
one

given
all your
that

you.

then, both
earth lie in of "Do

and

poor,

that

diseases
is the

single hospital and

. . .

pital hos-

God.
not

let of the

yourselves
sick,neither
nor

be

discouraged help
nor

because

with
nor
so

many

faith,nor

art,
it is

benevolence,
ordained
for

anything
for
reasons

will

help them;
elsewhere

them
....

ciently suffi-

described
not

Forget
but
fail but

not

your

truth, despair
in love.

and

be
not

not

but discoui-aged,
art

continue

Despise
it, that

your may

make in

yourself
the
truth

skilled

in

you of

not

and

standing undermay

medicine,
Be
as

that

any

failure and

lie of

with
your

nature.

gentle
to

and

merciful
use

judge

charities
may

what
trust

aim,

and
to

fruitfulness

they

arrive, and

nothing
and

unreason."'
of his

Similar
8

exhortations
etc., pp.

expressions

Chir.

Bucher,

311f, "Spitalbuch."

MISSION

AND

ETHICS

OF

THE

PHYSICIAN.

I4I

Strong

convictions scattered

upon

the

mission

of

the

true

sician phyall

are

numerously
the of

through purification
the dorriinant

nearly
of medical aims

his ethics his

writings.
and reform

Evidently
practice
was one

of

campaign.

PARACELSUS

AS WRITER.

THEOLOGICAL

UNTIL
the
as a

recently
and has
matters

little notice

has

been of

taken

of

very

considerable
writer been of
on

activity theology.
cited

Paracelsus
the
tenor

thinker
that that
to

From it

of

much

already
indeed Paracelsus the
at

might
not

be
be

ferred in-

theology
it

could
was

differen in-

him.

And
that

known

from works

very of

early records
this

had

written
of

cjiaracter.

Even

inventory
after of

his his

sonal per-

effects makes mention

recotded
of
a

Salzburg

death
scripts manu-

collection written

theological
himself.

presumably
Conrad
says
to

by

So

also

Gesner
of Paracelsus of which

in his Bibliotheca that he

Universalis and what

(1545)
dedicated

composed
not to

the

Abbot

St. Gall, "I know

I

ical theologbeen

works

believe

not

have

lished. pub-

Moreover

there Huser of

exists
at

on

record

receipt signed
10,

by Johannes
for
a

Neuburg,

October

1594,
Paracludes inlists

collection

autograph

manuscripts
The works.

by
Other

.celsus upon
some

theological subjects. twenty-five

Netzhammer,

collection

titles of

Raymund

Theophrastus

Paracelsus,

Einsiedeln,

1901, p. S3.

PARACELSUS

AS

THEOLOGICAL

WRITER.

I43

of

his

theological writings
the
a

are

in

existence

dating
In volume
In
a

from

latter

half

of

the

sixteenth

century.
a

1618

publisher, Johann
few
of these
asserts

Staricius, issued

containing a
Preface
where the

theological essays.
that of these he

his

editor
a

knows

place

nearly
may

cart-load found.''

scripts theological manu-

be

Of
to

all these
as

manuscripts
of

not

one

is

now

known
search
to

exist

autograph,
libraries
of

though Europe
of

Sudhoff's
has

through
Gorlitz
as

the

brought
at

light collections
and
as

copies in
some

the libraries
these

Leyden, bearing
scripts manu-

elsewhere,

copies dating

early

1564

to

1567,
for

and

many

of them

titles included
as

in the

early

list of

autograph
or

receipted

by Huser, by

in other

earlv

lists.'
The

manuscripts
at

borrowed
were

Huser

from

the
to

library
be
That used

Neuburg
the
were

manifestly
collection of used of

intended
his works.

in

published
not
so

they
tenor

is

easily explained by
as

the

of

the
or

contents

such

have in the
are

been second

in

part printed
volume of

abstracted

by
For

Sudhofif

his

Versuch.

they
and

very their

spoken out-

and
of many

indeed
of

frankly
the Huser

heretical

in

cisms criti-

institutions
was

observances
a

of the

Roman

Church.
the

himself the

Roman

Catholic, and

publication of
was

works
the

celsus of Para-

by
2

Huser

undertaken

under

patron-

Cf. For

Netzhammer,
statements
as

op. cit., p. 127.

to

the

evidence

of

authenticity of

many

of

these

manuscripts,

cf. Sudhoff,

Versuch,

etc., II, Introduction,

44

PARACELSUS.

age

and

with

the

support
Paracelsus and

of

the

Archbishop
and

of

Co
to at

logne.
the

Though

claimed died

allegiance
was were

Catholic
as a

Church

buried
so

Salzburg
and
so

Catholic, yet
critical

his views many

radical

severely
of the

of
that

of

the

essential

doctrines

Church,

their

publication could
such

hardly

have

been

possible under
it is

support
any

and

supervision.
circulation
him the the

Indeed,

evident have
the

that

wide
upon Even

of his
severest

writings

would

brought
Church.
have had

disciplineof
clerical

Lutheran

party
of

would
view. made

little

sympathy
that
them but

with

his

point

It is
no

quite probable
to

Paracelsus rather
to to

himself

effort

print

avoided

their in the for

publication, preferring
hands
of

merely
thinkers
or

place
leave
that

them them

congenial

posterity.
of his

It is certain

the

revolt

contemporary
as

Luther,
critical
upon

and

his countryman
Erasmus
"

Zwingli
a

well

as

the

of spirit

exercised

great influence
ment temperacriticism

Paracelsus
to

predisposed by
and free

natural

independent
be

thinking and
also
that

of

authority.
It should of the

kept

in mind

severe

cism criti-

orthodox
was

Church,

its observances
even

and the

corruption
time of

quite prevalent
Reformation. 1500
:

before
In

the

Protestant about
the

Italy Macriticizes send the

chiavelli the

writing
of

thus

freely
we

corruption
to

Church the
most

"Should

Curia
of

Switzerland,
that

religiousand
would could
prove

martial that
no

countries,
nor

experiment strength

piety

warrior's

resist

the

papal

PARACELSUS

AS

THEOLOGICAL

WRITER.

I45

corruption
Rome
thank have the

and least Church

intrigue.
.

The
. .

peoples
Italians
we

nearest

religion
and the

We

have have

to

....

priests that

come be-

and irreligious So also

corrupt."*
the

Savonarola,
1493, and the year

great Dominican

monk,
:

writing in
"Go
to Rome

of the birth

of Paracelsus in the

throughout
with
you
;

all Christendom the great but

houses

of the

great prelates and

lords, they
and oric. rhethumanistic

busy
books how With feed the

themselves Go and
see,

nothing

poetry
with
as

will find them it will appear

in their
to

hands souls

if

they

knew

guide

by Virgil,
do
not

Horace

and Petrarch

Cicero.

Aristotle, Plato, Virgil and

their
ears

they
about stead in-

and

trouble do
one

themselves

salvation
of
so

of souls.

Why
The

they

not

teach

many

books, that
life."

in which

is contained rola, Savonaand

courts

the

law
are

and
sunk

the in

prelates, said palaces

monsters

ambition," shamelessness
"

ury, luxare

and
the

the
of

princes
all beasts

"their
and

and of

refuge

the

earth,
stream

asylums
thither

for all rascals because

to

and
find

criminals. there
to

These

they

opportunity
all their

and

citement in-

give
evil be

free

rein
....

boundless is
worse,

desires there
same

and also
may

passions
seen

and

what who

churchmen

join given
the

in the

accord."" Whatever stimulus

may

have

been

to

the

unorthodox

theology

of

Paracelsus

by

Protes-

W. Cf.

Dilthey, Archiv

fur Geschichte
des

der

Philosophie, IV,
2d

pp.

636f.

Paulsen, GescKichte sic, 1896-97, I, pp. lOf.

'

gelehrten Unterrichts,

ed., Leip-

146

PARACELSUS.

tant

Reformation,
and

it is evident

that

he the

was

no

less

critical

unsympathetic
toward
passages Protestant

toward
the

Lu4heran This is

interpretation than
evidenced
he refers

Catholic.

by
to

many the

in his

writings wherein
of his

leaders

day
him

as

false

prophets,
who

etc.

"Those

stand

with

the

Pope
with

consider the who

living saint, those

hold him
a

who

stand
man,

Arian"
hold

also

righteous
stand with the
own on
on

those him
a

with
man, true

Zwingli
those
who

likewise

consider

righteous
him
a

Luther
are

hold

prophet.
fool the

Thus his

people motley.
the

deceived.
He he

Every
on on

praises Pope

who
who he

depends depends
who all

rests

-sand,

Zwingli depends
upon Luther themselves another
are as

hollow
on

ground,
a

depends
deem
one

depends
each above

reed. and

They
and

the

other,

denounce

Antichrists,

heathens

heretics, and
one

but

four them and

pairs
as

of

breeches
a

from that

cloth. been

It

is with

with white
and

tree

has

twice ever Who-

grafted
die.
caused

bears them many

and

yellow
the

pears. he

opposes

speaks
have
recent
"

truth,

must

How
to

thousands in

they strangled years.'"

but
means

and

be

strangled
in
to

"They
not

pray

the

temples
for it

their

prayer

is

acceptable
"

God,

nothing, they
on

and

they

altogether. Papists, Lutherans,

"

Anabaptists,
are

Zwinglians Holy
'

they
that

all

boast
are

that

of

the

Ghost,
doubtless

they
any

founded
heretic.

the

Gospel.

Here

denoting

great
411.

'

Sudhoff,

Versuch,

etc., 11, p.

PARACEXSUS

AS

THEOLOGICAL

WRITER.

I47

Therefore
me,

they

cry

'I

am

right, the right

God, here
follow See what
me,
an

is with and who

I declare word
you
as

the

word

of
"

is Christ
I
am

His

I tell it you the

he

brings
among

Gospel.'

abomination

Pharisees

this is."*
be

More his

specifically may
from the

judged

the
own

extent

of

departure
"It is vain

doctrines

of his

Church

in the

following:
"

the

daily churchgoing
and the
no

and

all the church

"

genuflection, bowing
rules
a

observances

of

by clergy
work

and

laity
"

none

excepted
will the and

all

vain

with

fruits, the
to

service

of the The

Devil, opposed
?

Christ

and

Holy Trinity.
Cathotheir
are

reasons

The

Church

is called

in Latin

lica and

is the

spiritof

all true

believers, and

coming
has

together
location.

is in the

Holy
is

Spirit.
walled

These

all in the
no

faith, that
But
he

is in the Ecclesia condemns

iides
a

catholica, and
structure."
in

it

Continuing,
churches,
"God wishes

public ("a
dance

prayers

the
"

church-festivals
a

of

devils")
and
no

humble

and

contrite

heart

devilish

or holiday observances, oflferings

displays."
of "does
the

Fasting

in the

"walled

churches" of alms

is

an

invention

the Devil.
not
serve

The toward

giving
the

in the churches

eternal

blessedness," and
churches
love from
comes

ing givonly

of from
nor

alms

in

Catholic
from
no

credulity and
for the
to

the

neighbor
have

neighbor.
the saints" monastic

Pilgrimages, dispensations,
are

"running
merit.
'

all in vain

and

no

The

orders orders, the religious

II,
p.

of

Schubert

and

Sudhoflf, Paracelsusforschungen,

153.

148 knighthood
and and the

PARACELSUS.

Hke

are

inventions

of the
the

Devil faith

maintained
the "Who

in his

honor. the
to

Spreading
and

by

sword
can

is from
presume

Devil.
consecrate
to

bless

the

earth. the
water

It is God's
is blessed
water
as

earth, blessed

bring

forth

fruit ; breed
the

by

God
not

to to

quench thirst,to sprinkle to

found

to fish,

the

earth,

banish

Devil

holy water."" points

works
of

Similar his

view

are

expressed
with

in

printed
Thus

though naturally
Paramirum
....

tail less of de-

in his criticism. from

not

the

"God
every

will
man

only

have

the

heart,
a

ceremonies and
But

For full
a man

is with
up

God

neighbor
with hands

has
if
not

power

to

take

his
out

affairs of his

God. and

gives
what and into

this power God

has it

does

keep
another
falls For

given again
and is the
to
not
ceive re-

him, but
from that

surrenders

it to then he

seeks

other,

ceremonies
ceremony

depends
way of

upon

despair.
For
....

every
we

despair
God

if

have
he
us

anything
sees

from

it is

our

hearts

and

the does

ceremonies.
not

If he that
we

has

given
he

anything,
it in
no

he

wish
in
our

should
For

employ gives
God love

ceremonies other
pose purheart

but

work.
that
we

it for with
we

but
and
our our

should
and

all

our

might,
that,
septem

soul, and
which

that he

should
us

help helps

neighbor.

If that

has

given

toward

all ceremonies

will be

forgotten."^"
by Sudhoff,

"

"De

punctis Idolatriae
338ff. de

Christianae," quoted

Versuch,
1"

etc., 11, pp.

O/i. fol, I, 114-115, "Liber

origine morborum

invisibilium.''

PARACELSUS

AS

THEOLOGICAL

WRITER.

I49

That be

such

expressions
with
the

as

the

above of the
appear

are

not

to to

harmonized he claimed

doctrines

Church

which
The

allegiancewould
Netzhammer
recent

obvious.

Rev.
one

Raymund
of the

of the Benedictine of

order,
thus

biographers
upon

Paracelsus,

expresses

himself

this
of

point :"
than
even

"Far

more

in the domain

theology
sometimes

in

medicine, does
Doctor
no

Paracelsus, who
Sacred
to

calls himself
to

of

Scripture, seem
consider his
own

recognize
and That with
every from

authority,but
as

thinking

philosophizing
this

authoritative
free

for him.

principle
foundations
person

of

investigation,denying
Church,
he

authority, even
the

that of the
of

departed
every this

Catholic
But
more

doctrine
not

well-

informed
as

knows. still

only by
from

ciple prinfaith lishment estab-

such, but
did
he he

through
himself

its practical
the

development
of his
fathers:

separate
combated
the

the

hierarchical
of its

of the monastic
and

Church,
its

power

the

keys,

its

orders,
He

ceremonies,

public
arnong the from

prayers

devotions.

rejected preaching
teach the

tians, Chris-

who
and the but

should
banished
.It
. .

themselves

tures, Scripto

apostles
however,

and
not

preachers
be

heathen.
on

must,

denied,

the
a a

contrary
very

emphasized high, though

of many of

that

Theophrastus
too

possessed mystical
as

unfortunately
and

concept
for

doctrines

ments, sacra-

instance

hereditary sin, of baptism

and

with
of
"

its

inextinguishable symbols, Baptism

and

notably

also
are

the

communion.
128f.

communion

Op. cit., pp.

150

PARACELSUS.

for

him

the

two

principal
his

roads

which

lead

to

Heaven."
The

question

as

to

orthodoxy

has
His "Some

been

viewed
Huser inclined

differently by mildly
to

his his in

biographers.
Catholicism.
on

editor
are

defends him
in

hold

suspicion

account

of in

his
position opis

religion, because
to

various
abuses: his

places
in my

he

speaks

certain
as concerns

opinion
it is well

this known

unjust, for,
that and he Roman the did

faith,
from

not

separate
but

the in of the

holy

Catholic
to
can
a

Church,

remained and
died and

obedience

it, as
bear

Archbishopric
where
he

City
in
was

Salzburg
year

witness,
and

1541,

Catholic

Christian,

honorably

terred." in-

{Op. fol.,Preface.)'
Schubert
their studies thus "If
.

and into

Sudhoff
the

summarize character

the of

results

of

life and

sus Paracel-

: we

consider
the

his
we

attitude may felt

toward

the find

religious
in the

parties
years the

of

time,
1531

perhaps
some

that

before

he of

inclination
and

toward

Reformation
in
so

Luther

Zwingli, perhaps
in those

only
broken

far

as

he

presumed
with
his

who

had

in matters

of faith

ancient reform science

authorities, a
ideas
....

greater
domain after

sympathy
of medicine

also
and

with

in

the
"

natural

Later talk

the the

year

531"

there
On

is
the

no

further

of also

sparing
combated
of

Protestants.
Roman other

contrary, 'if he
external

the and

hierarchy, the
ceremonies,
he

forms

worship

yet rejects all

PARACELSUS

AS

THEOLOGICAL

WRITER.

I51

dissenting religious parties

more

as

'sects,'almost

even

violently."^^ Though
were none

of the

theological papers
his
or

celsus of Parafar
as

published during
were more or

life,so

is

known,
from

yet his views

less known,
his upon free

either
pressions, ex-

manuscript
and
and

copies,

from

oral the

evidently brought
disapproval
of
this

him

pleasure dis-

Catholic
a

authorities.
among

Evidence the in

as

to

appear's in

manuscript
and

collection

examined
in The his

by
volume

Sudhoff
on

published
of nently emiview
his that

large part

the

manuscripts
below
is
so

Paracelsus.

extract

translated Paracelsus's
and
so

characteristic
in

of

point

of

theological
at
one

matters

well

illustrates

relation it forms his

the

time
the

to most

the

orthodox

theology,

of

interesting expressions
and

of

spiritual experience.
"Your

daily disputations
of my and

sharp
in

attacks

upon that inns I

me

on

account

truth-speaking, namely,
several
times

have and

sometimes roadhouses

taverns,

spoken against

useless and

churchgoing, fasting,giving
and

luxurious

festivals,vain

praying
....

of

tithes, alms, ofiferings,

sacrament,
and
and have

confession, partaking priestlyrules

me

of the

all other accused

servance obon

of

drunkenness

account

of
and

this, because
the taverns truth
"

this has
are

taken
to

place

in

the

taverns,

held
you

be call
me

inappropriate
me a corner-

places

for
:
"

the

and
you
op.

that

preacher
12

Why
and

do

do

this to

at

this

time,

Schubert

Sudhoff,

cit..11,

pp.

lS2f.

152

PARACELSUS.

when
taverns to
was

you

were

silent

and
to

well

pleased

when

in the you and

I advised you in and the

people
not
to

give offerings to
you

follow proper

speak against
and
was

? If that
to

inns you there

now

of
the

service truth
I
was

you^

then in the in

let it inns.

please
For
now

that the

is
a

spoken
believer
and
no

in
a

inns

you,

but

am

believer
into

in Christ the inns

longer
then

in you.

And
say
to

if I these

came same

with

you, selves yourare

I would

people, 'Guard
and
never

against
sent

false

prophets
I would

deceivers

who

by

the
to

Devil.'
but

again speak
from

of the

giving
usurped

you, power the

of

taking
you
....

away have

you,

which

long
you

exercised
say

through
that

Devil's

power

Also
to
reason

of

me

I have You
....

just
say

sense

enough
go

with
the

ants peas-

I should

amongst

doctors

at

Louvain,
I

Paris, Vienna,
have real

Ingolstadt, Cologne,
under
masters

where
not

shottld
not

persons but
to

my

eyes,

peasants,
Know

tradesmen,
my
answer

ogy. -of theolto

then
own

this
not

those

will
other, an-

come

their but

equals. teaching
and

If it be my

I, it will be
for

my

and

witnessing
them.

Christ
never

will
came never

come

forth

overcome

Christ

to
came

Rome,
to

yet Rome

is His
he

vicar; St. Peter

patron
my

Cologne, yet
I do is not
not
come

is her
that

saint,
fault. He

;md

if in the

end

is not

r"or the

teaching
a

mine,

it is from

Christ.

will send
the

Netherlands and their

to

messenger those of Vienna

if I cannot and

speak
willcome

language,
send born

Ingolstadt
truth

lie will be

countrymen,
them and

and

the
them

amongst

through

will

PAkACELSUS

AS

THEOLOGICAL

WRITER.

53

to

lightand
doctrine
not.
me

not

through
live on,
if I
were

me.

And
for
at

when

am

dead

the dieth

will And

it is of Louvain
"

Christ, who
and
at

Paris you
me.

it is not
count
"

they
would
that
as

would
but my

punish punish

upon

which
and
not

they

Christ

Yet

I believe

speaking to-day will spoken

be in their lost at go

be

heard

by
For Nor is

them

as

well does

if I had

presence. any

Christ
does
not

not

let his word

time.
It

he let it lie
one

hidden, it must
it must

forward.

for

alone,

be

spread
that

abroad.

be opened to it. Everything must "You and complain much loudly

made make the

have
never

peasants

contumacious,
care

so

that
or

they
not

offerings and
if my you

little for
were me.

you the
as

at

all.

Consider;
would
me

speech
and

from But than

Devil, they

follow
not

not np

they
the
to

follow

and

you them

believe which

other teaches

that

Holy
For I have

Spirit
your I have

is in

them

recognize

character,
not

trickery and
the

great falsehoods.
what

invented

anything myself" Holy

Ghost.
from

said
....

that and

is from
has

It is the the

Gospel

been
But

the

Gospel
the old

time

of Christ

till this from The

day.
and

your

trickery
the

is

more

ancient and

"

Cain
new

from

hypocrites
old,
the

bishops.
The Were
new

[Gospel]
the

is true,
not

false.
new.

condemns Old

old,
from

the which

old
you

the

Testament

take

all your
not

tions decephave
newed re-

fully good
it

and

true, Christ

would

again.""
Christianae," quoted by Sudhoff,

1'

"De

Versuch,

punctis Idolatriae septem etc., II, pp. 333ff.

154

PARACELSUS.

The

doctrines
appear but
not

of

theology
from from be of
to
no

which above
numerous

Paracelsus

cepted ac-

only

the

strong

ment state-

consistently
his the works
to

extracts

throughout
of
no

his

own

literal He asked him

to
was

pretation interfor their

rectness cor-

teachings authority

Christ.

intermediate

interpret to
doubts That
as

meaning, impressed
often
to

and
of his

entertained
own

the

rendering. spiritof
of the

he

deeply
of

with

the

teachings
his the

Christ

shows
the

tion itself,particularly in its practical rela-

service

man

toward

fellow. poor and

Love the

and sick

helpfulness
are

for

the

neighbor,
of his

frequently
the is
a

themes

appeals.
Sudhofif
an

Among

manuscripts
sermon

which

has

produced re-

containing
written

ical autobiographlater years,

so

fragment, manifestly
which
is
so

in his

retrospective and
in accord

introspective,and
known the facts of

completely
life of internal is at and in the 1610.

with
that

the

the sible pos-

Paracelsus,

it bears of is

strongest
The

evidence and

genuineness.
a

script manu-

Leyden Copies
in Latin

copy

made later the

between date

1590
also

of somewhat and

exist

Copenhagen,
latter For
a

Salzburg

British

Museum,

version. mental
to

the

estinifitionof the personality and

of

experiences
omitted. "As

Paracelsus,

it is too

important

be

I have

undertaken

to

write
not

of

the

blessed
to

life of

Christian
to

faith, it has
that

seemed
this
to

proper

attempt
. . .

portray
I have

without

introduction.
this

Therefore

undertaken

write

pref-

PARACELSUS

AS

THEOLOGICAL

WRITER.

55

ace

to

the .blessed
excuse

life of

Christian
in

experience
this

that
as

I may

my upon

delay

writing
and

book,

began working Why

youth
time,
should
I have
so

it in the twentieth

year

[1520].
has
not

long postponed
reasons. come

delayed
before

happened

without
not

One forwar"i
appear hour

of these

is this that its proper

its

should
as

nothing
await the

should

before

time,
which

but
we

determined
another
matters

toward
not

all progress.

For that

reason,

only

my

youth,
have

but

other
me,

of that

my

profession
cine medi-

prevented
and
works
to
so

namely
which
to

astronomy,
to

in that

philosophy
leave that

had

be the

described,

that

is

say, that

concerns

Light
harvest

of

Nature,
the

I had

for

later

Sacred

Writings;
have been

they
first.

might
to

be end
are

well and
two not

ripened, they
the
reasons

postponed
influenced
the I
was

the

lesser

things completed
have
these

These
me.

that
from
more

strongly
causes

But

only
much up in

has that that

delay arisen,
raised
resources

but

from

this
so

and

grew
not

great
me

poverty
to act

my

have desires.

permitted
"And
arose

according
I had and

to

my

even

when

nearly
shoulders back of

finished

there sition oppo-

in my

afifairs, public
has
no

private, much
and

which
there
me.

lain
one

on

my hold

alone, and
shield
have and for

has

been
very

to

For
and

strange
me

kinds

people
me

cuted perse-

accused
me,
so

and
I have

hindered
had

credited dis-

that rather

little For

reputation
my

among is not

men

but for

contempt.
but for

tongue
for the

built

chattering

work

and

156
truth. for much That is the

PARACELSUS.

reason

that

I have

not

counted
in

with

the

logicians
and
fine

and

dialecticians
Also for

medicine,
pomp the

philosophy display
I have been
me

astronomy.

their
and

and
rich
"

and been

speeches
like

princes greatly

nothing
So
of

that, and
has

have
mented tor-

therefore

forsaken.

also my

the

winning
For
.

bread
is not

[der PUug
to.be gained
for

meiner

Nahrung]
as

the

world

by astronomy,
nor

it has
as

little value
not

except
over

itself,

by

medicine

it has

power

all diseases,

nor

by philosophy [i.e.,
as

natural
but

philosophy] by
men's tradesbeen has

likewise,

it is held and and

in

contempt,
manners.

wealth
a cross

courtly

That

to

me

still is to

this the

day.
:
. . .

"Nor

has is
so

all this been

least

The
.

other
it
"

[reason]
that from
true

great

that
cause

can

hardly
has been
me

describe
hindered

is the

greatest
"

which
not

me

writing
Christian
I and
new me
a am

that
;
a

have

considered

that

has

troubled
of

severely. by
and
to

For

because

creature

God,
received

redeemed
food

His

blood
in the make

through

it have has

drink
me

birth, that
true

seemed

sufficient

to

Christian.
has arisen

"But
and

there

against
as
a

me

another
as a

crowd
ant, peassuch but

faction
as a as

who

say,
man,
to
"

'Thou

layman,
not

common

shouldst
the
to

speak

of

things
shouldst
to

pertain
to
us

Sacred
we

Scriptures,
tell you

listen
and

what
to

and
nor

hold
read

that,

shouldst
us

listen
alone !'
to

no was

others thus

anything except
a

forced
were

into

delay

"

hardly

dared

stir for

they

power-

PARACELSUS

AS

THEOLOGICAL

WRITER.

57

ful in this

world, I had
the stairs.

to

endure

it

as

one

who

must

lie under

"But, nevertheless,
of Christendom of the coal-heaver for
truth
me

when

I read

the corner-stone and

and

heard

the

preaching
like
a

putation disand
a

others
each

(it was
I should

miller

against
manifest

other), it became righteousness

darkness,
the

necessary the

and than

that

accept rather
than
rather

lies,rather
rather When

unright
Christ
I let

eousness,

light than
I

than

Satan.

perceived

difference and As

the for

opposition go myself
that the in the

without Christian

contradiction
corner-stone.

accepted
I then
man,

found the would

layman,
name

in

the

common

in

peasant
abuse

(which
their
the

they employ
most

when

they
abides,

opponents

scornfully), the
life most I

perfection of
and
not at

blessed

Christian
then

all in those of the

others,

began
much

to

write
then

of the finished
there

truth the

life in Christ.
and

When with

I had

writing
out
now

concluded
of the

hope,
of this So
I

broke
as

the is

division

kingdom

world

it and and

[i.e.,
pause
"

the

Reformation?].
seemed
these
me

delayed
autumn
me

took

postponed
has
to
now

it till another

harvest.
an

It
so

good

to

to

make

end, and
seed

close with
has

books,
from

the
the

fruits

of the

which

been

with

beginning.
"Therefore I have
to

included
the

in

one

work

the

lation re-

of the

Christians

blessed
to

life and unblessed

likewise life.
.
. .

relation in the
own

of Christians unblessed the

the

Those
"

life

are

great,
"

are

arrogant
are

thev

world,

it is theirs

they

the

158

PARACELSUS.

children

of have

the
not

Hght
the

of

the

world.
but

But

the

blessed
"

they

world
"

they
but

have
of the

their
the

dom king-

which
and

is the

not

of

this

world
two

Eternal,
life

with

Eternal
there is

where Christ

of

blessed
Those

are

together,
riches
those that

the in this

third.

are

the

they
who

have have

world.
have what

And

though al-

opposed
not

me

greatly
has that

hindered in

me,

they
I the have

have

suspected
mouth should

lain
the

my

pen; and

kept

my

closed,
not

storm

thunderbolt I
not

strike

me

to

earth.

Thereby
and held have

have troubled

brought myself
with
and has

it

forward about

till

this
but

day
have of

them,

companionship they
are

the
have been

common

people
fore there-

whom been

ashamed This

myself
my

despised.
work.""

preparation

for

this

"

Sudhoff,

Versuch,

etc.,

11,

pp.

406-408.

THE

LATER

YEARS LABOR.

OF

STRENUOUS

WHEN
his that

PARACELSUS
his
career as
a

so

summarily

nated termi-

university
he

teacher

by

flight from
henceforth from
"I
arn
a

Basel he the

in could

1528,

evidently
little

realized
or

expect
or

sympathy

support

profession
a

the

university
of
a

ties. facul-

called

rejected

member

the

versities, uni-

heretic
He

of the

profession,
that
for of

misleader
realization

of

scholars.
of

'"^

recognized
for
must

the

his

ambitions
he

the

reform
upon

medical
to
a

theory
wider
to
a

and

practice
than

depend
scholastic

appeals

public
younger

the

physicians
students. in my

and

generation
I

of

medical
not

"Nevertheless,
to

shall

time

be

able
are new

overthrow and
are

this

structure

of

fables, for
learn

they

old

obstinate ashamed does

not

dogs
to

who

will

nothing

and

recognize
very the young

their

folly. That,
but it does be

however,
matter

matter

much,
men

that,
different

as

hope,

will
in

of

very Haut
""

character
e.,

[werden 'schlupfen']
Preface.

eine

andere the old

schlieffcn, i.
Op.

when

fol, I, 201, "Paragranum,"

l6o

PARACELSUS.

ones

have

passed
thus

away, the

and

will

forsake

their superstitions will

and make

foundation

[of medicine]

progress.""
On

leaving

Basel

he

was

in his
some

thirty-fifth year.
thirteen years,
to

His
was

comprising subsequent life,

devoted
and upon and

with when

great

energy

and

persistency

writing
treatises

possible to publishing his many natural philosophy, medicine, surgery,

subjects comprising
his

theology
This

other

nous volumi-

works.
work and and the the
was

pursued

in

spite
Driven

of

many

stacles ob-

much

opposition.
his

by poverty
as

necessity for earning

opponents,
often
new

his
to

bread,

well

as

by
of

of hostility

frequent changes by
of

residence,

impelled
to
a

doubtless
scenes

his
labor life.

own

native

restlessness he led

seek

and

experience,
The
out

lonely

and

wandering
has been
notes

story of these
detail from from dates

wanderings

pieced
in his
or

in

autobiographical
and

works,

places where
books
or

prefaces
were

dedications
and from

of his various occasional been

letters

ten writrecords.
local

contemporary
sifted

local

Such
and
mann,

data

have

and

compared

with
R.

contemporaneous
and record thus
a

records very

notably by
and life has
here
to

J. Hartrect cor-

connected of his

probably
been

of this It is not

period
the

structed.^ recon-

purpose

follow
no

this year

story in detail.
2

It appears,

however,
in

that

Chir.

Bucher,

etc., Preface op. cit. The

be found in

(firstprinted
detailed Stoddart's

1536).

'

Cf. Hartmann,
may

embellishment

story with some imaginative Life of Paracelsus.

THE

LATER

YEARS

OF

STRENUOUS

LABOR.

l6l

passed
of

for

Paracelsus
no

without

one

or

more

changes
his home. in Colmar his friend
on

residence, and
After

place
he
"

could
was

be for
a

called time
"

leaving Basel,
he
wrote
at

whence
B.

letters

still extant
later
at

to

Amerbach
which

Basel;
he

Esslingen
some

the

Neckar,
with him.
a

place
the

left after

experiences provoked
deavoring en-

patient and Shortly

to

local

physicians who
at

after

we

find him certain of the for from

was

Nuremberg
works.
censors

publish
had been

his

It appears

that

these
had

passed granted

public
the

and
cause beulty facThere

permission
of
is

printing, when
medical revoked.
in his

of protests

emanating permission printed by

the

Leipsic writings appeals

In the

the

preserved

and

Huser

collection the
this nying de-

of the author

of Paracelsus,
to

the letter in which

city

authorities
the

against
thus

decision. him of the

he

it he

challenges
He

justiceof
for

privilege of publication on
stands should be made
before letter
at

the protest
the
to

university faculty.
and
his

truth,
prove

says,

opponents

their

claims
should

in open

disputation
This and
is dated

his

tions publicadate

be
i,

prohibited.

bears

of

March

1530,

Beratzhausen.
his

There

is

no

evidence, however,

that

appeal

was

granted
in

consideration.
as

Interesting evidence
1529
and
of

to

his presence
he

in Nuremberg

the

impression
in
a

made

upon

contemporary

writer, is found
und

passage

in the

Chronica,
Franck:

Zeytbuch

Geschichtsbibel

of

tian Sebas-

"Dr.

Theophrastus

von

Hohenheym,

physician

62

PARACELSUS.

"

alte;r(v$

yiovL

srr

"

qyi

svvs

esse

poirsTf

/^AVEUEQU ^THEOPEHIR/VSTI

/vfi^MOHEM.'^

PARACELSUS This

THREE
tlie

YEARS
one are

BEFORE

HIS

DEATH.

portrait and

following
after reads beider

probably by A. Hirschvogel
from life.
von

(c.
produced re-

1503-1569), engraved
underneath

sketches
:

The

signature

"Theophrastus
Arzneien

Hohenheim,

der

Heiligen

Schrift

und

Doctor."

THE

LATER

YEARS

OF

STRENUOUS

LABOR.

63

and

astronomer.
came

In
to

the year
"

1529
a

the Doctor and and

tioned men-

Nuremberg
He is said

strange

ful wonder-

man,

who

ridicules

nearly
to

all doctors have burned

writers
the

of

medicine.

Avi-

PARACELSUS

IN

HIS

LAST

YEAR.

cenna

in

public

in the

University;
men

is

quite

alone

in

opposition to

all medical

in

his

prescriptions,
many

diagnosis,medical

theory,

and

maintains

dif-

164

PARACELSUS.

ferences

with

many

of

them

[und

vil wider sinns

tnit vilen The is

helt]."
allusion
to

Paracelsus

as

an

"astronomer"
tications prognos-

justified by
of class

his occasional

publications of
other
events
common

politicaland period,
issued later and

in

Europe.
even

This
a

of

publications was
many them. years
we

very

at

much

later

physicians and
Paracelsus
not

tronomers "as-

That of
mass

these

of

were

years

active
of

authorship,
his

know

only
but

from

the his than

evidently struggles,
to

authentic
more

work,

from

occasional

often

unsuccessful
In
a

successful,
letter he
"

get

his
to to

works
an

printed.
unnamed labor
Internal

Latin

of

Paracelsus

correspondent
in

himself

refers
no

his continuous

writing
evidence

taking
From

time date of

for

pleasures.
at
a

locates

the

this of

1529

or

1530.*
about
a

the in

leaves

diary. of

1534-35
of

written

Latin

by Joh. Riitiner,
spent
some

citizen

St.

Gallen,
that
"

where

Paracelsus
"

time,

we

learn

"Theophrastus
the

is most

laborious, sleeps little,

himself, booted
three
and
lessly, cease-

without
on

undressing
bed
for

throws
some

spurred,
The
was

hours, and

ceaselessly,writes."^ preface
in said
to

the Gall

third
in
to

book

of the

Paramirum here
that

dated
is

St.

1531.
have Abbot

It'was
dedicated
of

he

by

Staricius
to

-various

theological writings
*

the

St. Gall.

See

Schubert 63.

and

Sudhoff,

Paracelsusforschungen,

II, p. S3.

Ibid., I,

p.

THE

LATER

YEARS

OF

STRENUOUS

LABOR.

65

In

1534,

he

came

to

Innsbruck and where

in the
he

Austrian

Tyrol,
was

in poverty the

and

rags,

apparently master burgoin

refused of

of privileges
has
courts

the

city.
seen

"The

Innsbruck the

probably
of
remarks

doctors

silken in the the

clothing at
sun

princes, not
Pestilence he the

broiling
in the
to

in tattered
to

rags,"
From
to

Paracelsus
in
went

Preface
of

his

treatise, "The

City
where

Stertzingen.'"
and
us

Innsbruck
Meran

Stertzingen,
he

thence that
he

in
honor

Tyrol, good
1535
in

tells
But

obtained
not

and
as

fortune. he
at
on

apparently
of

for

long,

is the Pf

guest

the
he

Abbot
wrote
at

Joh. Jakob Russingen

and

affers,where
mineral
In

published
resort,
a

treatise often
same

the

springs 1536
he
in

that
at

work in

reprinted.
year of
at

is both

Ulm
of

and

the

Augsburg,
Greater
to

which

cities editions in
he that year. failed
was

his

Surgery
where
to

appeared
it appears

Thence
to

Vienna
consent

again
and

obtain
to

publish

certain

works

made

feel the
In

unfriendliness he

of the his died

medical

fession. prohome

1537
his

revisited
had

boyhood's
in in

Villach

where while

father
was same

1534,

ently apparor

Paracelsus
In

absent year

Innsbruck
as

that

vicinity.
of

the

(1537),
left in
had

is

corded re-

by Erastus,
chest

Paracelsus
he

Kromau

"a there

books,
a

part of which

brought
there."

with
In

him,

part he had
he

dictated
to

while

1538,

presented

the

authorities

of

the

Archduchy of Carinthia, with the request that they be published, four of the manuscripts: Chronicles
"

op. fol, I, 356.

l66

PARACELSUS.

Land

of Carinthia,
Slanders
these

The

Labyrinth of
and
The

Errors

of

the

Physicians, Tartaric
the

Diseases Enemies.
and

Defense Against
authorities
cepted ac-

of

His

courteously
the the

promised
was

they
not

should

be

published, though long

afterward
were

promise
the of

fulfilled,
the letter Huser

and

manuscripts

and

of acceptance and

acquired by
his collection

energetic
1

published Augsburg,

in

589-1 590.
also
to

Munich,

Gratz,
of

seem

have brief
at

served

as

resting-places during
his later
at

Paracelsus before

for

intervals
his last The been
a

years,

arriving

brief years

residence from of

Salzburg.
to

1531

1534

appear for

to

have

period

grinding
were more

poverty
comfortable
more

sus. Paracelor

Later
rate

years

at

any

relieved

by periods Though
him,
he

of

comfortable
were

cumstance cirerally genquently fre-

the
was or

physicians
called in

opposed
to treat

to

quite

wealthy
the

distinguished patients physicians

as

in

cases

where
to

regular
in his

attendant

had

failed
or

afford

relief.

According
treatment

he

was

more

less successful On the

was

his

fortunes his

tuated. fluc-

whole

it is evident
even

that

popular
years is
corded, re-

reputation
of

considerable
and

in these

later It
was

disappointment
for

discouragements.
in 1537 of
a

instance, that

dinner
at

given
house

in his honor of the

by

the

town

Pressburg
Beham.' later years

the

Stadtrichter
as a

Blasius
these

Taken

whole,

of Paracelsus

Strunz, Theophrastus Personlichkeit, Leipsic, 1903, p. 73.

Cf. Franz

Paracelsus, sein Leben

und

seine

THE

LATER

YEARS

OF

STRENUOUS

LABOR.

167
to

may

be

summarized
to

as

a so

continuous
far
as

struggle
medical which
was,

commit his and

new

writing,
to

and

possible to print,
to

message The

philosophy,
volume
to

theory
he
ceeded suc-

practice.
in

of

work

committing
which

manuscript
his

under

the

circumstances indeed doubtful

The

limited
even

accomplishment,
all works
of

remarkable,

eliminating
obtained
not

authenticity. recognition
his
own

he
was

from

his

works

during
very

life

great
of his

except
Greater
as an

for

the

considerable

popularity
the

gery, Surwas

though
held rather and less in

at

time,
than

surgery
esteem

art

contempt

by

the

medical and

doctors,
others The
of the

was

largely practised by
and

barbers

of

scholarly training. largely

of successful
to

determined conservative the

efforts the
some

medical works
to

party

prevent
was

publication of
measure a

Paracelsus,

in

tribute
as

their
extent

potential influence.
of this
the

That
were

their

fears

to

the

influence

entirely justifiedis
of these books This about
The

shown

by

great
to

popularity
appear his works
a

when

they finally began

of active

in

print. began
years.

period 1560
last version

publication of
for

and

extended

about
of his

hundred
was

printed
of
many

collection

works
at

the which

Latin
in

1658, published imperfections

is the
one

Geneva,
with
to

spite of
world

met

the the

widest medical
The upon

circulation

and

best

known

great
the

generally. popularity and

of the works

consequent
of
Paracelsus

influence is evi-

time

68

PARACELSUS.

denced

by

the

bibliography
in

of

his
no as

printed
less

works
two

compiled
hundred 1600.

by
and

Sudhoff,

which

than

fiftyare-

recorded

appearing reprints, 1658,

the

before tions translayear

These and

comprise

editions,

collected

works. Latin
had

By
reached

of of

the

above-mentioned

collection, the
about

record
three

printed publications
and The

dred hun-

ninety.
circulation
of the

medical
contest

works between
of less the

of the

celsus Paragressive pro-

initiated

the

fierce

party
chemical
Paracelsan

favoring
and and
more

the

use or

so-called

remedies

influenced

by

theories,
to

the

conservative of
the the
utmost

party,
Greekthe

holding
Arabian radical This of the

the

traditional
and the
to

dogmas resisting to
followers
dwell upon

authorities,
innovations
is not the of

of

of

Paracelsus. this

place
medical

chapter
it to say way and the

history gradually
the

science.

Suffice

that

the

chemical of

remedies

made

against

opposition

medical The

faculties
of

conservative
was

profession. compelled by
a

University
revolt
to to

berg Heidel-

student

eliminate the
use was

the such

oath

pledging
and

candidates
the

oppose of

of

remedies,
to

University

Paris

forced among

cancel

similar
and It
was

legislation by
of the this

opposition
gressive pro-

students

members

medical

party.

during
of

long

and

bitter
rumors

struggle
were

that

many that
so

those

reports

and

initiated Paracelsus.

long

discredited

the

reputation

of

THE

LATER

YEARS

OF

STRENUOUS

LABOR.

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"

BROADSIDE
Before 1606.

ON

PARACELSUS.

Engraved

by

Balthasar

Jenichen

after

originals by

Hirschvogel.

170

PARACELSUS.

That

with

the

really progressive
other
were

influence and
true.

which
even

his

ideas

exerted,

less

progressive
is also

reactionary influences
many of the
common more

exerted theories time

and

For

fantastic
to

and

superstitious
in his of

notions

his

contained the

writings,
his his

doubtless

received
his for

through
a new

weight
of the

reputation with
own

followers

and vitality,
cient ana

disregard
Greek
his

the
was

achievements shared
followers. in

physicians

too

great

degree by
of him and

enthusiastic
too

Later

critics
to

Paracelsus, however,
with having been
the

often

appear
of the

credit

originator
his
were

mystical
than deed in-

supernatural
them almost

ideas
as

of

writings,
"

rather

considering

they
and

very of

full and the

encyclopedic
beliefs

record
of the and

popular
neo-

supernatural
Platonic
was

fashionable

philosophy

of his time
true ; that

people.
the

That

he

superstitiousis
endeavored
others and
to

he,

on

other

hand,

often he
cause

bring supernatural ideas, which

the domain
seen

with

credited, within
we

of natural

effect

have

already
that
we

illustrated. sixteenth
say also and in the have acelsus, Par-

Nevertheless,
seventeenth

it is true
"

in the may

centuries

and

nineteenth

century
and

"

mystics

and

visionaries
his works.

sought
of the

for

found

inspiration in
to

endeavoring philosophy
to

present

complete system
includes facts
to

of

nature,
the

naturally
then

and of

attempts
nature

systematize
were

accepted

which

credited
relates

by
these

the

people
as

which
were

he

belonged.
any

He

just

if he

describing

other

accepted facts

of nature.

The

THE

LATER

YEARS

OF

STRENUOUS

LABOR.

IJl

following illustration though

from it reads the

may

serve

as

an

example,

strangely enough
sixteenth
the
were

^htn
into

transplanted
the clearer

superstitious atmosphere

tellect inIt who

of
there

twentieth
many

century.
of his

is doubtful would "For

elements in and

whether found
are

day

have

it absurd. real

there

beings

who

live

in

all four
and who

[i. e., Air, Water,

times
as

Earth,
were

Fire]
often

former

of

nature

considered indeed
us :

worshiped
whom

gods.

And God
has

it

is

these in His
we

against

Almighty
on no

warned
of

commandment shall
water

the

first tablet

Moses
neither
"

that
in

have
"

other He He
means means

gods
the

but

Him,

the
the

here

nymphs

nor

under

earth
For of

"

here is
a

the

sylphs
visits
unto

and
such the

pygmies.
misdeeds third
that and the for has

He
the

jealous
upon

God

and children

fathers

the

fourth

generations.
in

And

it is not

less true

Ventisberg
Venus
been
was

was Italy {sic'\ a

peopled by these,
and
or

herself
to

nymph, kingdom
her
to

the

Venusberg
But

compared
now

her and

paradise.
has

she
away
we

has with heard when

is
no

perished
and

kingdom
exist.
them For

passed
have old And
For all

her

ceased
more

when
those

anything
Tannhauser
fable
are

of

since
were

days
that those
those

and him
a

others

there.

about
such

but

true

story.

folk

of

nature

that those
or

they

love

who

love

them,
to

and

hate

that

hate

them.
to

Therefore them

him

who

binds and

pledges

himself

they give knowledge

riches

enough.

They

172

PARACELSUS.

know may be

our

minds

and

thoughts
to
come

also,
to

so

that

they

easily influenced
respect
to

us."*
of
current

With

many

such

records
not

supernatural
of Paracelsus of his others the
to

beliefs that

it is
he

perhaps
was more

the

peculiarity
than
in having
to tempt at-

credulous

time, but
to

that

he and

was

peculiar
times
even

courage

record

at

explain phenomena
with
more

which

other

writers

of

his

day
to

purely mystical
to

theories
of

hardly
pected sus-

dared

commit

writing
for the

for

fear

being
of

and connection the

punished
with of and the

possession
And
after

occult
not

Evil

One.

all,is
to

concept

"superstition" purely
belief of
a

relative

the

knowledge
For

particular state
had
a

of knowledge?

Paracelsus
"

also
be

his

own

ideas

of

superstition
man

"Can
knows remained

that

proper

condition
man

of

when has

he
ever

nothing?
misled,
Where

,No
nor

of he
ever

edge. knowlbeen

has the

found

superstitious.
those who among

are

superstitions?
Where is

Among pride?
Where

understand
those

nothing.
who
those
no

Only
is wisdom And
can

lack who

foundation.

folly?

Only
and when

with

persist
manifest

in

their

own

advance

farther is made

into God's

wisdom. and it

so no

knowledge
from the know the

find

foundation be

in their

empty
and

skulls,
sorcery.
comes cerer sor-

they
....

think For

it must every for

one

Devil,
that

should
to

all
nor

help
to

from

God,
is it While

neither

Devil

any

possible."
it has been the
occulta

fortune

of many

prominent

"

op.

fol, II, 291, "De

philosophia."

THE

LATER

YEARS

OF

STRENUOUS

LABOR.

173

names

in

the have

history
been

of

civiUzation and it his and

that

their their the

best nesses weakfate of

thoughts
and Paracelsus

remembered

vagaries
that and for

overlooked,
centuries

was

shortcomings
his merits

were

emphasized
The

exaggerated
of his of

mized. mini-

period

activity

was

distinguished
ideas,
to

by
the

the

development
of
the

revolutionary
was

when free self it-

spirit
from

modernism

struggling
medieval idea and

bondage

of

scholasticism. that of
dependence in-

And

the

most

revolutionary
in

was

questioning by

judging
of

tive authorita-

dogmas
In of this his

sanctioned
Paracelsus

centuries

acceptance.
the
not

respect century.
science

was

among
was

greatest
that
he

That be

his

method

of

modern be of
that

may

freely
realization

admitted,
of
the

yet

may

credited
such

with method

some

necessity preached

and
est

of

foreseeing

as

he

"Experientia

Scientia."

THE

LAST

DAYS

OF

PARACELSUS.

THE
this

restless in last the

career

of of

Paracelsus in

came

to

its In

close his

city
it

Salzburg
town,
his that

Austria.

residence

most

povertyfound
a

stricken

days past, quiet

was

seems

he

had

comparatively
also nine
more

and

restful

harbor.

Probably

his

health
of

failing. Though
he

scarcely fortyappearance from

of
a

years

age age

presented
if
we

the

advanced

may

judge

his
within

most

authenticated
or

portraits
"

drawings
death.
on

made

two

three

years death

before

his

His

took 1541.

place
Current

the

twenty-fourth
various
he

of

September,
however,
for his death.

legends, originating,
attributed
causes

long afterward,
It
was

alleged
it
was

that said

died
that he

in had

drunken been

debauch,
murdered

and

also
at

by
enemies.
the

assassins

the

instigation

of

professional
have shown
to

Modern

researches, however,
of these in
rumors

groundlessness

and

brought

light positive
of his exhumed

evideftce remains

contradiction.

Investigation
on

gives
that

evidence

the

basis

of

expert

examination
from the

Paracelsus

had would

suffered doubtless

from

childhood
account

rickets, which

for

early

appearance

of age.

THE

LAST

DAYS

OF

PARACELSUS.

75

Evidently
Three

his death

was

not

sudden

or

pated. unantici-

days
document

before

the

day

of

his

death,

he

dictafed

to

the

pubhc notary
has witnesses
formal

his last will and

ment. testa-

This
attested It

been

preserved signed by

to

us,

duly

by
:^

three

and and

the notary.

begins
the and

in 'the

seology stately legal phra-

"In

name

of

God,
to

Amen. every

Let
one

it be who

made may

known
see,

manifest
or

all and

read that

hear

read, this present

after the birth

public
and

ment, instruour

in this year
one

of Christ

dear
on

Lord,
the

thousand St.
of

five hundred the

at most

forty-one,
the
enth sev-

day

of

Matthew,

holy Apostle, midday, holy

in the Father the and

twenty-firstday
year

September,
of the God's
in

of the

reign
in

and third in the cially espehas

Lord
pope

in of

God,

Paul,

providence
named

that name, of
the

my"public notaryship besought

the

presence

hereinafter
and

witnesses
:

summoned

therefor
and Doctor

there

personally appeared Theophrastus

Arts and
a von

worthy

very of

learned
the in eral Lib-

Hochenhaim,

of

Medicine, although weak

body,
mind
of his

sittingupon
and this

couch, yet quite sound

order that
testament
same

in reason,
not

spirit.
world

In

h'e may

take

leave
of

without
the

and
Dr.

ordering
free

temporal goods,
with
any

Theophrastus,
with
no

with
and

plainly comprehensible right knowledge,

one,

words,
under

will

compulsion
his

from

has

done

and

performed
as

said

necessary

From

the

text

of the

testament

given by Netzhammer,

op. cit.

Appendix.

176
business
measure

PARACELSUS.

and and

last
form

wishes
as

thereto

pertaining
contained:

in

all

hereinafter

"viiiiiii"iiiiiiir"iiiiiiH^^^ ,'jiV'ii 1.1J1,'

li|i!LiLn''iiM""liMlillU
BUST OF

PARACELSUS

AT century, shows

EINSIEDELN.
after

By Ildephons vogel
and

Kuriger. Jenichen.

Early
The

19th

drawings
coat

by Hirschof
arms.

socle

Paracelsus's

"First, he
soul
to

commits and

his

life, death
of

and

his

poor

the

shield

protection

Almighty

God,

THE

LAST

DAYS

OF

PARACELSUS.

77

in the God and

confident

hope
His

that

the

everlastingmercy
Son
our

of

will not death Christ of

suffer

the

bitter

suffering,martyrdom
Saviour lost to

only begotten
unfruitful
nor

Jesus

to

be

him,

erable mis-

creature.

"Then,

that Doctor

his

burial-place
at

has

been

selected of
cording ac-

by
the

the

said

Saint
be

Sebastian's
sung

this side

bridge.
to

There

shall usage,

in the

church,
and
a

ancient

the

seventh first,

tieth thirpenny

[Psalms],
is
to

and

at to

all three
every poor

singings
person

be

given

in hand

before

the

door." Then
sums are

enumerated
or

various

bequests

of srhall
to

of money

articles of personal belongings

or

designated
instance books
to

persons

for

particular purposes, plasters Wendl,

of and

as

for

his

medicines,
Andre

professional
and barber And and

Master also

citizen

(therefore
he
the

surgeon)
all other

Salzburg.
his

finally
"

"Fifthly, for
institutes and other wretched
nor

of his
as

goods

ings belongpoor,
no

and
the

names

heirs, the
who
he have

needy

people
And be

stipend
in this favor

provision."
there but
poor

directs

that

distribution
nor

shall that

shown the be
wants

neither and

disfavor of such

only
shall

necessities The

people

considered.

inventory
notary
and various

of his modest

possessions attested
circumstantial,
in of money

by

the

witnesses
small
cups
or sums

is very

cataloging
silver

gold
It of

or

coins, silver
and

other

vessels, articles of
is the

clothing

similar notice

personal belongings.
the presence

interesting to

of

copy

178
Bible, of the Bible, the
New

PARACELSUS.

Testament,
of

concordance

of
on

the the

Interpretations
one

Hieronymus
seven

Evangelists,
of

printed
treatises
a

and and

manuscript
similar and

umes vol-

medical
also

"various several
to

lections, col-

"collection

of

various ten writ-

manuscripts
That executed the
we

on

theology

assumed

have

been

by Theophrastus." provisions
have Peter of of his in will the
were

faithfully
and of
corded re-

evidence

signed Bishop
for for him

receipt by
siedeln items of his

Wessner,

Ein-

(the birthplace
property

Paracelsus),
to

certain istration. admin-

bequeathed
know been
to

It is last

satisfaction
seems

to

that
some

Paracelsus
extent

in his

days
the years,

to

have

relieved
of
lier ear-

from

distressing poverty
and that

and held

hardships
in

though
he

slight
some

esteem

by professional colleagues
held know whose but
so

yet found
a

who
to

him that

in he

estimation.

It is also the

satisfaction
many
so

died

accepted by
observances
as

Church

of

doctrines

and

he had

severely
but
to

seriously
fundamental
a

denounced
faith he

corruptions,
know

whose

yet claimed
to

allegiance.
that
and
a

It is
mass

yet greater
and three upon

satisfaction

of

confusing
for

discreditinglegends
centuries the have have of
cast

tions, fic-

which

served unde-

reproach
as a man

reputation
been and shown

Paracelsus

and
to

physician
be
to

by
there

modern

research

groundless,
our

that

exists

nothing
the

that

present

knowledge
upon

contradicts
his tomb

inscription originally engraved

THE

LAST

DAYS

OF

PARACELSUS.

79

in

the

cemetery

of

the

Hospital
reads

of

St.

Sebastian

in

Salzburg,
"Here

which,
is Doctor buried

translated, Philippus
of

Theophrastus,
who with

guished. distinwonderful

Medicine,

art

cured

dire

wounds,
diseases

leprosy,
of which of the
he

gout,

dropsy
and who and the

and

other the

contagious
poor In

body,
obtained Lord

gave
mulated. accu-

to

the the
he

goods
year

our

1541,
death."

24th

of

September,

exchanged

life

for

BIBLIOGRAPHY/

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Schubert

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bast Bomcelsus, ParaNew

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Kritik der

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celsus Para-

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Qelsischen
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Berlin, 1894. Berlin, 1899.

Paracelsus: Lehre
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vols.,London,

184'

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Arthur

Moeller Mindeni.

van

den d.

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Die

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III.

W.,

n.

(1904).
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neueren

Wilhelm

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Die

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sophie
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ihrem
den

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der

allgemeinen
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vols., Lehmann,

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1907.

Alfred

Abergldube

und

Zauberei.

2d

ed.,

gart, Stutt-

1908.

Ernst

Cassirer,
und

Das

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der
neueren

in

der 2d

Philosophie
ed.,
2

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1911.

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vols.,

Berlin,
Frank P.

Graves, of

Peter the

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the

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