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own capacity he proclaimed himself the legitimate monarch； the very
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Christ of medicine。 〃You shall follow me；〃 cried he； 〃you； Avicenna；
Galen； Rhasis； Montagnana； Mesues； you； Gentlemen of Paris；
Montpellier； Germany； Cologne； Vienna； and whomsoever the Rhine and
Danube nourish； you who inhabit the isles of the sea； you； likewise；
Dalmatians； Athenians； thou； Arab； thou； Greek； thou； Jew； all shall follow
me； and the monarchy shall be mine。〃＇12＇
＇10＇ And men have oft grown old among their books To die case
hardened in their ignorance。
Paracelsus； Browning。
＇11＇ Anna M。 Stoddart： Life of Paracelsus； London； 1911； pp。 95…96。
＇12＇ Browning's Paracelsus； London； 1835； p。 206 （note）。
This first great revolt against the slavish authority of the schools had
little immediate effect； largely on account of the personal vagaries of the
reformerbut it made men think。 Paracelsus stirred the pool as had not
been done for fifteen centuries。
Much more important is the relation of Paracelsus to the new chemical
studies； and their relation to practical medicine。 Alchemy； he held； 〃is to
make neither gold nor silver： its use is to make the supreme sciences and
to direct them against disease。〃 He recognized three basic substances；
sulphur； mercury and salt； which were the necessary ingredients of all
bodies organic or inorganic。 They were the basis of the three principles out
of which the Archaeus； the spirit of nature； formed all bodies。 He made
important discoveries in chemistry； zinc； the various compounds of
mercury； calomel； flowers of sulphur； among others； and he was a strong
advocate of the use of preparations of iron and antimony。 In practical
pharmacy he has perhaps had a greater reputation for the introduction of a
tincture of opiumlabdanum or laudanumwith which he effected
miraculous cures； and the use of which he had probably learned in the
East。
Through Paracelsus a great stimulus was given to the study of
chemistry and pharmacy； and he is the first of the modern iatro…chemists。
In contradistinction to Galenic medicines； which were largely derived
from the vegetable kingdom； from this time on we find in the literature
references to spagyric medicines and a 〃spagyrist〃 was a Paracelsian who
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regarded chemistry as the basis of all medical knowledge。
One cannot speak very warmly of the practical medical writings of
Paracelsus。 Gout； which may be taken as the disease upon which he had
the greatest reputation； is very badly described； and yet he has one or two
fruitful ideas singularly mixed with mediaeval astrology； but he has here
and there very happy insights； as where he remarks 〃nec praeter synoviam
locqum alium ullum podagra occupat。〃＇13＇ In the tract on phlebotomy I
see nothing modern； and here again he is everywhere dominated by
astrological ideas〃Sapiens dominatur astris。〃
＇13 Geneva ed。； 1658； Vol。 I； p。 613。
As a protagonist of occult philosophy； Paracelsus has had a more
enduring reputation than as a physician。 In estimating his position there is
the great difficulty referred to by Sudhoff in determining which of the
extant treatises are genuine。 In the two volumes issued in English by Waite
in 1894； there is much that is difficult to read and to appreciate from our
modern standpoint。 In the book 〃Concerning Long Life〃 he confesses that
his method and practice will not be intelligible to common persons and
that he writes only for those whose intelligence is above the average。 To
those fond of transcendental studies they appeal and are perhaps
intelligible。 Everywhere one comes across shrewd remarks which prove
that Paracelsus had a keen belief in the all…controlling powers of nature
and of man's capacity to make those powers operate for his own good： 〃the
wise man rules Nature； not Nature the wise man。〃 〃The difference between
the Saint and the Magus is that the one operates by means of God； and the
other by means of Nature。〃 He had great faith in nature and the light of
nature； holding that man obtains from nature according as he believes。 His
theory of the three principles appears to have controlled his conception of
everything relating to man； spiritually； mentally and bodily； and his
threefold genera of disease corresponded in some mysterious way with the
three primary substances； salt； sulphur and mercury。
How far he was a believer in astrology； charms and divination it is not
easy to say。 From many of the writings in his collected works one would
gather； as I have already quoted； that he was a strong believer。 On the
other hand； in the 〃Paramirum；〃 he says： 〃Stars control nothing in us；
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suggest nothing； incline to nothing； own nothing； they are free from us and
we are free from them〃 （Stoddart； p。 185）。 The Archaeus； not the stars；
controls man's destiny。 〃Good fortune comes from ability； and ability
comes from the spirit〃 （Archaeus）。
No one has held more firmly the dualistic conception of the healing art。
There are two kinds of doctors； those who heal miraculously and those
who heal through medicine。 Only he who believes can work miracles。 The
physician has to accomplish that which God would have done
miraculously； had there been faith enough in the sick man （Stoddart； p。
194）。 He had the Hippocratic conception of the 〃vis medicatrix naturae〃
no one keener since the days of the Greeks。 Man is his own doctor and
finds proper healing herbs in his own garden： the physician is in ourselves；
in our own nature are all things that we need： and speaking of wounds；
with singular prescience he says that the treatment should be defensive so
that no contingency from without could hinder Nature in her work
（Stoddart； p。 213）。
Paracelsus expresses the healing powers of nature by the word
〃mumia；〃 which he regarded as a sort of magnetic influence or force； and
he believed that anyone possessing this could arrest or heal disease in
others。 As the lily breaks forth in invisible perfume； so healing influences
may pass from an invisible body。 Upon these views of Paracelsus was
based the theory of the sympathetic cure of disease which had an
extraordinary vogue in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries； and
which is not without its modern counterpart。
In the next century； in Van Helmont we meet with the Archaeus
everywhere presiding； controlling and regulating the animate and
inanimate bodies； working this time through agents； local ferments。 The
Rosicrucians had their direct inspiration from his writings； and such
mystics as the English Rosicrucian Fludd were strong Paracelsians。＇14＇
＇14＇ Robert Fludd； the Mystical Physician； British Medical Journal；
London； 1897； ii； 408。
The doctrine of contraries drawn from the old Greek philosophy；
upon which a good deal of the treatment of Hippocrates and Galen was
baseddryness expelled by moisture； cold by heat； etc。was opposed by
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Paracelsus in favor of a theory of similars； upon which the practice of
homeopathy is based。 This really arose from the primitive beliefs； to
which I have already referred as leading to the use of eyebright in diseases
of the eye； and cyclamen in diseases of the ear because of its resemblance