Who is Paracelsus? Description, biography, medical practice. Alchemy of Paracelsus
The Swiss doctor and warlock of the Middle Ages, Philippi Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim (Philippi Theophrasti Bombast von Hohenheim Paracelsi) was a stranger to modesty. For example, to let everyone know that he considers himself equal to the great physician of antiquity Celsus, he added a Greek prefix to his name (“para” means “similar”) and called himself Paracelsus.
On a cloudy and cold day on November 10, 1493, Paracelsus was born in the small village of Maria Einsiedeln, canton of Schwyz, two hours' walk from Zurich. His mother, the warden of the almshouse at the Benedictine abbey in Einsiedeln, married Wilhelm Bombast von Hohenheim, a doctor at this almshouse. He belonged to an old noble Swabian family; was an educated physician, had a good library. After her marriage, she left for Villach, since, according to existing rules, a married woman could not hold the position of a matron.
The family of Paracelsus lived in poverty, in his childhood he suffered hardships and hunger more than once. Whether he went to school is not clear from his autobiography. In one of his writings, Paracelsus mentioned that his father taught him to read and understand alchemy. Most likely, according to biographers, he received his education on his own. Paracelsus did not care about book education, he even boasted that he had not opened books for 10 years. He collected medical knowledge bit by bit, not disdaining to learn from old women who knew how to prepare a drink for the treatment of the wounded, from barbers, gypsies and even executioners, he acquired recipes for potions unknown to university scientists. This knowledge allowed him to become a skilled healer.
In his book "On Women's Diseases" (the first essay on this subject), Paracelsus took advantage of the knowledge of witches, women who were known as experienced midwives. In those days, not a single woman went to the doctor with her illness, did not consult with him, did not trust him with her secrets. The witch knew these secrets more than others and was the only doctor for women. With regard to the medicine of witches, it can certainly be said that for their healing on a large scale they used an extensive family of plants, not without reason called "comfort herbs."
Having a great propensity for exaggerations of the most incredible nature, Paracelsus assured that he had thoroughly studied all alchemical knowledge. In 1526, having appeared in Zurich, this extravagant choleric amazed the townspeople not only with his torn and dirty clothes, obscenities and drunkenness, but also with lengthy discussions about magic and his medical art. But there is no prophet in his own country. He had to leave for Basel, where in 1527, with the help of his flexible mind, which manifested itself in the field of combating diseases, he received the position of city doctor from the municipality.
Soon Paracelsus claims a professorship with good pay at the University of Basel. The university management put forward a counter condition for him - to present a diploma and a degree. Paracelsus did not fulfill the requirement, since he did not possess either one or the other. The recommendations and patronage of the municipality helped Paracelsus get around these requirements and achieve his goal.
Latin remained until the middle of the 19th century the international language of biology and medicine. In this language, scientists were required to write scientific papers, conduct teaching, and discuss at scientific conferences. Those who did not know Latin were not respected and were not allowed into the learned society. Paracelsus did not know the Latin language; he wrote his compositions in German. Therefore, he aroused the hostile attitude of the scientific community, who considers him an upstart. By the way, his contemporary, the famous French surgeon, who came out of the barbers, Ambroise Pare also broke the tradition: he wrote his works in colloquial French. But not only ignorance of the scientific language hindered the career of Paracelsus. By the way, Paracelsus' ignorance of the Latin language excludes the fact of his studying at any university, which some authors claim.
To be honest, Paracelsus was not distinguished by sobriety and sometimes half-drunk read his lectures. This was not least the reason for his harsh statements. Thus, he declared to his listeners that his "shoes are more versed in medicine than these authoritative doctors of antiquity." For such intransigence, he was nicknamed Kakofrast1 instead of Theophrastus in Germany, and Luther at the University of Paris. “No,” exclaims Paracelsus, “I am not Luther, I am Theophrastus, whom in Basel you call Cacophrastes in derision. I am higher than Luther, he was only a theologian, and I know medicine, philosophy, astronomy, alchemy. Luther is not worthy to untie my shoelaces."
Having brought chemistry closer to medicine, Paracelsus, thus, was the first iatrochemist (from the Greek “yatro” - doctor), that is, the first doctor who used chemistry in his medical practice. A.I. Herzen called him "the first professor of chemistry since the creation of the world". Paracelsus introduced many new things into the doctrine of medicines; studied the therapeutic effect of various chemical elements, compounds. In addition to introducing new chemical medicines into practice, he also revised herbal medicines, began to isolate and use medicines from plants in the form of tinctures, extracts and elixirs. Paracelsus even created the doctrine of the signs of nature - "signature", or "signa naturale". Its meaning is that nature, having marked plants with its signs, as if she herself pointed out to a person some of them. Thus, plants with heart-shaped leaves are an excellent heart remedy, and if the leaf resembles a kidney in shape, it should be used in diseases of the kidneys. The doctrine of the signature existed within medicine until the moment when chemicals with a therapeutic effect began to be isolated from plants and carefully studied. Gradually, with the development of chemistry, it was possible to reveal the secrets of many plants. The first victory of science was the discovery of the secret of the soporific poppy.
In pharmacology, Paracelsus developed a new idea for his time about the dosage of drugs: “Everything is poison and nothing deprives poisonousness. The dose alone makes the poison invisible." Paracelsus used mineral springs for medicinal purposes. He argued that there is no universal remedy for all diseases, and pointed out the need to search for specific remedies for individual diseases (for example, mercury against syphilis). He pointed out that syphilis (called the "French disease") is sometimes complicated by paralysis. The views of Paracelsus did not have any influence on the development of neurology, although he tried to study the causes of contractures and paralysis and develop their therapy. He treated with golden medicine (its composition is unknown) paralysis, epilepsy, fainting. He also treated epilepsy with zinc oxide. Mineral springs he treated lumbago and sciatica.
The innovation of Paracelsus manifested itself in the creation of a chemical theory of body functions. All diseases, he believed, come from a disorder of chemical processes, therefore, only those drugs that are made chemically can be of the greatest benefit in treatment. He was the first to widely use chemical elements for treatment: antimony, lead, mercury and gold. It is worth saying that the follower of Paracelsus Andreas Libavius (1540-1616), a German chemist and physician, was against the extremes of the iatrochemical teachings of Paracelsus. In his book "Alchemy" (1595), he systematically presented the information on chemistry known at that time; first described a method for producing sulfuric acid by burning sulfur in the presence of saltpeter, the first to give a method for producing tin tetrachloride.
“The doctor's theory is experience. No one will become a doctor without knowledge and experience,” Paracelsus argued and maliciously ridiculed those who “sit behind the stove all their lives, surrounding themselves with books, and sailing on the same ship - the ship of fools.” Paracelsus rejected the teachings of the ancients about the four juices of the human body and believed that the processes occurring in the body are chemical processes. He avoided his colleagues, calling them sputum-makers (humorists), and did not agree with the prescriptions of pharmacists. Paracelsus reprimanded the doctors in his usual defiant manner: “You, who studied Hippocrates, Galen, Avicenna, imagine that you know everything, while in essence you know nothing; you prescribe medicines but don't know how to prepare them! Chemistry alone can solve the problems of physiology, pathology, therapeutics; outside of chemistry you wander in the dark. You physicians of the whole world, Italians, Frenchmen, Greeks, Sarmatians, Arabs, Jews, must all follow me, and I must not follow you. If you don’t stick to my banner in all sincerity, then it’s not even worth being a place for dogs to defecate.”
The militant Paracelsus, as a sign of contempt for the past of medicine and distrust of the prevailing views, resorted to a symbolic act: on June 27, 1527, in front of the University of Basel, he burned the works of Hippocrates, Galen and Avicenna. Forced to leave Basel, Paracelsus left, accompanied by a crowd of students who believed that their idol possessed the philosopher's stone (Lapis philosophorum). This magical heart of alchemy was attributed, in addition to the ability to turn metals into gold, also healing power, the ability to cure all diseases. "Red Lion", "magisterium", "great elixir", "panacea of life", "red tincture" and other titles, which called the "philosopher's stone" in the dark alchemical manuscripts, are something more than an absolute catalyst. Miraculous properties were attributed to him, comparable only to the manifestation of divine power.
It was intended not only to ennoble or "heal" metals - the emanations of planetary principles, but also to serve as a universal medicine. His solution, diluted to the concentration of the so-called aurum potabile - "golden drink", ensured the cure of all ailments, complete rejuvenation and prolongation of life for any period. Everyone, thus, could gain the desired longevity, revive the dead, penetrate into the innermost secrets of nature. To do this, it was only necessary to take possession of the "magisterium". In addition, the philosopher's stone was understood symbolically as an internal transformation, the transition of the soul from a state in which the material principle predominates, to spiritual enlightenment, knowledge of the Absolute.
Paracelsus wrote about his travels in Europe in the book "Great Surgery" (2 books, 1536). In 1529 he came to Nuremberg in an attempt to find work. There he became famous for the free treatment of patients, whom everyone refused. And again he had a conflict with the doctors.
A story has come down to us that happened to Canon Cornelius, who suffered from a stomach ailment and promised 100 florins to the deliverer. Paracelsus helped him, but the canon's gratitude also faded with his illness. Paracelsus sued Cornelius. Taking advantage of the judicial routine, Cornelius fell from a sick head to a healthy one. When, indignant at the ingratitude of the healed, Paracelsus began to shout at the judges and insult them, the court decided to apply repressive sanctions against him. Paracelsus fled to Colmar.
In the Czech Republic, everything went wrong. After two deaths of his patients, he thought it best to retire. He returned to his native Villach, where his father lived. The health of Paracelsus, as a result of a restless way of life, was very upset. It was said that he settled in Salzburg and soon died, having converted to the Catholic faith before his death. It happened in the 48th year of life, September 24, 1541.
According to the archivist of the Salzburg hospital, the property of the deceased consisted of two gold chains, several rings and medals, several boxes with powders, ointments and chemical devices and reagents. He left behind the Bible, the Gospel, and an index of Bible quotations. He bequeathed the silver goblet to the monastery in Switzerland, where his mother lived. The cup is still kept in this monastery. It is said that the metal of the goblet was created by Paracelsus himself. He bequeathed ointments and his books on medicine to the local Salzburg barber (they were also surgeons in those days).
The opinions of scientists regarding the theories of Paracelsus were extremely different: some considered him a reformer of all scientific knowledge, others - a fanatic, demagogue, troublemaker, anyone, but not a reformer. However, it should be recognized that neither the lack of modesty nor the eccentricity of Paracelsus overshadows his merits: without knowledge of the great systems of antiquity, he created his own philosophy and medicine and it is not by chance that he is ranked among the cohort of great scientists of all times.
Paracelsus wrote 9 works, but only 3 of them saw the light during his lifetime. The most complete collected works of Paracelsus were published in 1589 in Basel in 10 parts. In it, he condemns the explanation of natural phenomena by the influence of secret forces and expresses the principle: be silent if you cannot find the reason. It is amazing that, having no classical knowledge, bookish erudition, Paracelsus nevertheless had a tremendous influence on the medicine of his age, criticizing the old principles and refuting the classical authorities.
The name Paracelsus has become one of the symbols of medicine. The Paracelsus Medal is the highest award that a doctor could receive in the GDR.
Paracelsus (1493-1541) - Swiss physician, philosopher and alchemist, naturalist. He owns the great reforms in medical science and practice. The founder of iatrochemistry (a direction whose goal was to put chemistry at the service of medicine, namely, to prepare medicines). Criticized ancient medicine. He became one of the founders of modern medical science, tried his best to enrich it with chemicals.
Parents
Paracelsus was born on October 24, 1493 in the town of Eg in the German-speaking canton of Schwyz in central Switzerland. Then it was a small village a couple of hours on foot from Zurich. His name, inherited from his parents, completely sounds like this - Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim (Paracelsus is a pseudonym).
His father, Wilhelm von Hohenheim, is an indirect (illegitimate) descendant of the old and glorious noble family of Bombasts. Once this noble family was considered noble, there were knights of the Order of St. John in it, their residence is a castle near Stuttgart. But over time, the family became poorer. Paracelsus' father was proud of his distant relationship with Bombastov, but apart from pride, this brought him absolutely nothing - neither fame nor money.
Little is known about Paracelsus' mother. She looked extremely frail, her big head with crooked thin legs looked ridiculous and ugly. Before she married, she worked in the almshouse of the Benedictine abbey as a matron. After the marriage, I had to leave this position, since a married woman could not occupy it. Mom got a job as a nurse in the hospital of the local abbey.
Paracelsus' father was engaged in medical practice, but did not achieve anything special in this field. Then he decided to bring at least his only son to the people, so that he would avoid beggarly need in the future. The father predetermined and prepared for the child the path to the priesthood, then this was the only way to get rid of poverty and achieve prosperity.
Studies
Parental upbringing of Paracelsus was simple, one might even say peasant, no one instilled refinement and refined manners in him. He did not drink honey as a child, did not eat soft wheat bread and dates. The main food in their family was milk, cheese and wholemeal bread.
The boy grew up diligent and diligent, he liked to read books and gain knowledge. Despite poverty, the family had an excellent library. Sometimes, Paracelsus was so fond of books that he sat over them until early morning. The father did not scold him for this, despite the fact that the child burned candles that were not cheap at that time. Wilhelm tried to pass on to his son all the knowledge of philosophy, alchemy, therapy and surgery that he himself possessed. Paracelsus revered his father, always saying that he was his best mentor and friend.
When the boy grew up a little, his parents placed him in the monastery of St. Andrew as a student. Stubborn to study and diligent, the child soon showed himself as the best student.
At the age of sixteen, the young man left his father's house and went to study at the University of Basel. This educational institution is now one of the oldest in Switzerland. After graduating, he went to Würzburg to the monastery of St. James for further education. Paracelsus was taught by the abbot of the monastery, Johann Trithemius of Ipanheim, who was then famous for his knowledge in the field of alchemy, medicine, astrology and even magic.
But, plunging into the world of knowledge, the young man began to understand that the truth is not always written in books, the authors are also mistaken and make mistakes, like ordinary people. Paracelsus was more interested in practice than in theory. He went to local pharmacies, to a glass-blowing workshop, to mining, where lead, precious metals, iron ore, sulfates, and zinc were mined. The guy realized that in practice he would receive much more necessary knowledge and experience than sitting in a monastery reading books.
In the end, he left the monastery walls and went to the Italian University of Ferrara. Having received another educational course in it, Paracelsus left the educational institution with a diploma of a doctor of medicine.
Wandering period
In 1517, a graduate physician pretended to be a poor monk and began to travel. For almost ten years he wandered around the universities of Europe, as a physician he took part in military campaigns, visited many countries. On foot he passed through France, England, Germany, Scotland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden. Then he changed course and went to Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Croatia. He even visited the Scandinavian countries, Russia, Constantinople, Africa and Palestine.
Meeting on his way with different people, he talked with them, listened to their stories, gaining new knowledge for himself. He did not shun any communication, he absorbed any new information with particular greed. He talked equally, equally with scientists, alchemists, soothsayers and doctors, as well as with ordinary shepherds, Jews, gypsies, executioners, elderly healers and barbers. If he considered it useful, he was not ashamed to learn even from vagabonds, sorcerers, witches and midwives. They told him their secrets of healing decoctions that can stop the blood, remove damage, and cure various sores.
Especially a lot of experience and knowledge gave him army practice - he entered the army of the Danish king Christian as a doctor, was a paramedic in the Dutch army. The soldiers nicknamed him "desperate" because he never sat in the infirmary, but was always next to the wounded on the battlefield.
In Lyon, he got a job in a funeral home to embalm bodies, where corpses were available to him, which brought the scientist many new discoveries in the human structure.
Other physicians did not use such information. Therefore, Paracelsus managed to collect unique recipes of medicine from all over the world, which made him a famous doctor of that time. For example, on the basis of numerous conversations with midwives, he wrote "The Book of Women's Diseases." In those days, this area of medicine was accessible only to a narrow circle of people, since women did not dare to go with their problems and illnesses to male doctors.
Shot from the film "Paracelsus"
True, there was a downside to this method of collecting knowledge. Paracelsus was often accused of having connections with members of the lower strata of society, of vagrancy, drunkenness, and incompetence as a medical scientist.
Medical practice
He was already thirty-two years old when, having wandered around the world to his heart's content, Paracelsus returned to Germany and began to heal. At first, people were skeptical about his knowledge and experience gained in his travels. But very soon, after he cured several patients, gossip was replaced by fame.
In 1527 he settled in Basel, where he was appointed to the post of city doctor. He also took up teaching activities as a professor of medicine, physics, and surgery. At the university, he lectured, which brought a very good income, however, as well as healing.
Paracelsus innovated and began to teach medical lectures in German, while throughout Europe this was done in Latin. Many felt that the scientist by such an act challenged the education system. But the great doctor was forgiven for such self-will.
During lectures on medicine, he did not repeat the works of Avicenna or Hippocrates, but shared with students the knowledge collected personally. The students respected Paracelsus very much, while colleagues, on the contrary, were horrified by his innovative ideas. In 1528, constant disagreements with other teachers provoked a conflict with the city authorities. He was excommunicated from teaching, and the scientist again went to wander.
Now he decided to travel only in Europe. When he got to Nuremberg, he learned that fellow doctors accused him of fraud. Paracelsus did not intend to endure insults. He turned to the city authorities with a request to entrust to him those patients who were already considered hopeless by his insulting colleagues. The city council decided to allocate him for the treatment of several people with elephantiasis. In a short time, the physician cured the patients, which is documented in the city archives.
Paracelsus was left alone, and he went on his journey. In his wanderings he continued to study medicine, astrology and alchemy, treated people, never allowed himself to abandon medical practice.
In the late 1530s, Paracelsus finally settled in Salzburg. Here he was invited by Duke Ernst, who was fond of secret knowledge. In the face of the Duke, the physician found a patron and intercessor. He settled on the outskirts of the city in a small house, which he divided into two parts. He equipped one of them as a laboratory, where he conducted his experiments and research, and from the second part he made an office for receiving patients. Finally, he found a haven and could safely do what he loved.
Death
On September 24, 1541, the scientist was found dead in a hotel room. The real cause of death remains unknown, but there is speculation that Paracelsus was killed out of envy. Among his fellow doctors, he had quite a few enemies, they envied the success and rich knowledge of the scientist. The friends of Paracelsus believed that an assassin was hired by envious people who hit the great physician on the head with a heavy stone. He died from his injuries a few days later. Later, German scientists examined the skull of Paracelsus. A crack was found on it, which confirmed the version of the murder.
Monument to Paracelsus
Paracelsus was buried in Salzburg in the cemetery at the church of St. Sebastian.
Proceedings and writings
During his wanderings, Paracelsus carefully recorded, analyzed, and drew conclusions about all his observations. He had amazing performance. His friends testified that at the desk he could spend several days in a row without sleep. Paracelsus owns nine books:
- "Paragranum" about the secrets of Kabbalah. He began to study Kabbalistics with the abbot Johann Trithemius.
- "Paramirum" about the history and characteristics of human diseases. Here he outlined all his knowledge about the nature of the human body and about the methods of treating various diseases.
- "Labyrinth of misguided physicians".
- "Chronicle of Cartinia".
- "Philosophy".
- "Hidden Philosophy".
- "Great Astronomy";
- "Schneeberg pulmonary disease";
- "A book about nymphs, sylphs, pygmies, salamanders, giants and other spirits."
The basis of the teachings of Paracelsus was that all living beings have a certain proportion of chemicals in their composition. As soon as this proportion is violated, disease appears. It is possible to restore the balance in the human body and cure the disease due to external chemicals. Thus, he was the first physician to combine alchemy and medicine, and to invent and test prescriptions for medicines. He was also the first to use antimony, gold and mercury in the treatment of patients.
Paracelsus was a harsh critic of ancient medicine, he believed that it did not bring practical benefits. He was engaged in the introduction of new methods of treatment, for which his colleagues did not like him. But now he is considered one of the founders of medicine as a science. Pharmacology also owes its appearance to him. Paracelsus famous phrases:
- “Everything is poison, and everything is medicine. Both that, and another depends only on a dose»;
- "The main purpose of alchemy should not be to make gold, but to prepare medicines."
One of his great achievements was the discovery of the disease silicosis (this is an occupational disease of miners), explained its causes and nature.
Paracelsus (real name Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, von Hohenheim) (1493-1541), physician and naturalist, one of the founders of iatrochemistry. Subjected to a critical revision of the ideas of ancient medicine. Contributed to the introduction of chemicals in medicine. He wrote and taught not in Latin, but in German.
Paracelsus, real name - Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim (1493-1541) - physician and alchemist. Swiss by origin. He wandered almost all over Europe as a practicing doctor, communicating with the people, studying healing springs, herbs and minerals. P. wrote his works not in Latin, but in colorful German. The historical significance of P.'s work was the convergence of medicine and chemistry, the tendency to overcome alchemy from the inside. Sam P. put into practice a number of chemical medicines.
Philosophical Dictionary / ed.-comp. S. Ya. Podoprigora, A. S. Podoprigora. - Ed. 2nd, sr. - Rostov n/a: Phoenix, 2013, pp. 307-308.
Paracelsus (Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim) (1493-1541) - physician and naturalist of the Renaissance, originally from Switzerland. According to Paracelsus, the world based on the primordial matter created by God is a self-developing integrity. Man (microcosm) as a part of nature (macrocosm) is in principle able to cognize it. Paracelsus was one of the first to proclaim the idea of experimental knowledge as the basis of all scientific knowledge. Believing in the power of reason, Paracelsus urged doctors and scientists to study not "holy books", but nature itself, sharply criticized medieval authorities, scholasticism, religion. Bound by the anti-scientific concepts that prevailed at that time, Paracelsus, in explaining the world, remained on the positions of anthropocentrism and panpsychism, he believed that everything in the world was permeated with the mysterious "archaeus" (spirit). In an effort to turn medicine and chemistry into science, he at the same time believed in the power of alchemy and magic.
Philosophical Dictionary. Ed. I.T. Frolova. M., 1991, p. 332-333.
aka Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim
Paracelsus (lat. Paracelsus - "greater than Celsus") Aureol Theophrastus, real name - Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim (Hohenheim) (1493-1541) - Swiss philosopher, naturalist, physician, who was called during his lifetime "Luther in medicine ". One of the most complete and systematized presentations of the so-called "occult pneumatology" (the direction of mystical philosophy focused on comprehending the nature of spiritual substances) was carried out by P. The main works: "Occult Philosophy", "Interpretation of 30 Magical Figures", etc. Repeatedly subjected to persecution for philosophical reasons. P. - the author of the understanding of nature as a living whole, permeated "stellar soul" ("astral bodies" that make it possible to operate mystical objects of nature through the secret tools of the initiates). Nature, according to P., consists of earth, water, air and heavenly fire as the first principles, which, in turn, are constituted of a subtle gaseous element and a gross bodily substance. The general term "elements" P. considered it right to designate the physical, lower hypostases of the four initial principles, the concept of "elemental essences" (elemental essenses) P. called their invisible spiritual components.
To the same extent that visible Nature is inhabited by countless living individuals, to the same extent its spiritual counterpart (formed by rarefied components of the visible world) is filled with hosts of "ethereal" "natural spirits" ("elements"), including "gnomes, undines , sylphs and salamanders". All of them are incomprehensible and unknown to people due to the primitive organization of the sense organs of the latter. Elemental spirits, according to P., are not just spirits, because they have flesh, blood and bones, they live and produce offspring, they eat and talk, sleep and stay awake, etc., and, therefore, cannot be called simply spirits. They occupy an intermediate position between humans and spirits, resembling men and women in organization and form, and spirits in speed of movement. He formulated the understanding of medicine as a universal science, synthesizing the achievements of physics, chemistry, physiology, coupled with reliance on the values and principles of theology and philosophy. ("... The number of diseases that occur from some unknown cause greatly exceeds those diseases that occur from medical causes ... The best doctors are those who do the least evil ... There are doctors in whom much learning replaces every common sense... The doctor must be a servant of Nature, and not her enemy. "hermetic therapy" of that time: evocation of spirits; "vibration" - color therapy, music, singing and spells; with the help of talismans, amulets and charms; herbs; prayer; diet and proper lifestyle; bloodletting and various methods of cleansing the body. P. - the author of the dynamic-functional interpretation of life processes. Knowledge of humanity in all its manifestations, according to P., is the result of a process of self-revelation. The potential of a person is determined by the nature of his relationship with nature - the creation of God's providence: "... whoever wants to know the ways of Nature must proceed with their own feet. What is written in the book of Nature is written in letters. But the sheets of this book are different earth. And if these are the Laws of Nature, then these sheets must be turned over. The scientist has the right to search for truth in all lands and among all people.
Man ("microcosmos") - has a divine soul - a source of knowledge, morality and bliss. The enemy of the soul, according to P., are vampires - astral bodies, usually dead people. In an effort to prolong their own existence in the physical plane, vampires take life energy from living people and use it for their own purposes. According to P., "a healthy and clean person cannot be obsessed with them ... they can only act on people who have a room in their mind for them. A healthy mind is a lock that cannot be taken if there is no desire of the owner; but If allowed to break in, they arouse the passions of men and women, arouse desires in them, move them to evil thoughts, have a destructive effect on the brain, they sharpen the animal mind and stifle the moral sense.Devil spirits take possession only of those people in whom the animal nature is dominant Minds enlightened by the spirit of truth cannot be possessed...". The treatment of the patient, therefore, should be carried out, according to P., in the unity of three levels - bodily, mental and spiritual.
A.A. Gritsanov
The latest philosophical dictionary. Comp. Gritsanov A.A. Minsk, 1998.
Paracelsus Theophrastus
Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, nicknamed Paracelsus, was born on November 10, 1493 near the village of Einsiedeln (Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland). Following the example of his father, Paracelsus began to study medicine quite early in Germany, France and Italy.
Already in the years of teaching, Paracelsus became interested in chemistry. At that time, chemistry as a separate specialty was not taught at universities. Theoretical ideas about chemical phenomena were considered in the course of philosophy. Pharmacists and alchemists were engaged in experimental work in the field of chemistry.
In 1515 Theophrastus received the degree of doctor of medicine in Florence.
According to him, he listened to lectures by medical luminaries at major universities, at medical schools in Paris and Montpellier, visited Italy and Spain. Was in Lisbon, then went to England, changed course to Lithuania, ended up in Poland, Hungary, Wallachia, Croatia. And everywhere he asked and memorized the secrets of the art of healing. Not only doctors, but also barbers, bath attendants, healers. Then Paracelsus practiced everything he had learned during his search. For some time he served as a doctor in the army of the Danish king Christian, participated in his campaigns, worked as a paramedic in the Dutch army. Army practice gave him the richest material.
The scientist spent 1526 in Strasbourg, and the following year he was invited to the post of city doctor in the large Swiss trading city of Basel. He was invited to take the chair of medicine at the University of Basel. At the very first lecture, he burned the works of Galen and Avicenna before the eyes of the students and declared that even the ties of his shoes knew more than these ancient sputum-makers.
The philosophical views of Paracelsus, set forth by him in many works, boiled down to the following: there must be harmony between nature and man. A necessary condition for the creation of a rational social system is the joint work of people and their equal participation in the use of material goods. In 1528, Paracelsus had to secretly leave Basel, where he was threatened with trial for freethinking.
In Colmar he succeeded in rousing patients whom other physicians considered hopeless. His popularity grew. However, not everyone liked his independent behavior, harsh judgments about his fellow workers. In addition, Paracelsus was engaged in alchemy, diligently studied the works of Eastern magicians and mystics. Rumors began to spread that Paracelsus had intercourse with the devil. At any moment, Paracelsus could be charged with heresy and massacred against him.
In Nuremberg, he managed to publish four books. But then came the decision of the city magistrate to prohibit further printing of his works. The reason for this was the demand of the professors of the medical faculty of the University of Leipzig, who were indignant at the writings of Paracelsus.
Having learned that there is an epidemic of plague in Sterzing, Paracelsus goes to this city. But when the epidemic ended, Paracelsus was not needed in Sterzing either. He was forced to roam the roads again, changing city after city.
In Ulm, and then in Augsburg, his work "Great Surgery" was published. And this book did what Paracelsus had been striving for for many years. She made people talk about him as an outstanding physician.
Man, Paracelsus believed, is formed by the spirit, soul and body. Violation of the mutual balance of the main elements leads to illness. The doctor's task is to find out the relationship between the main elements in the patient's body and restore their balance.
Therefore, this disturbed balance can be restored with the help of certain chemicals. Therefore, the primary task of chemistry Paracelsus considered the search for substances that could be used as medicines. To this end, he tested the effect on people of various compounds of copper, lead, mercury, antimony, arsenic. Paracelsus gained particular fame by successfully using mercury preparations to treat syphilis, which was common at that time.
After the publication of the book, the position of Dr. Paracelsus changed. He is received in the best houses, noble nobles turn to him.
His last refuge is Salzburg. Here he is engaged in medical practice. On September 24, 1541, Paracelsus died.
Reprinted from http://100top.ru/encyclopedia/
Medical Alchemist
PARACELSUS (pseudonym, meaning - above Celsus, the ancient Roman encyclopedist and connoisseur of medicine of the 1st century BC), real name Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim (von Hohenheim) (1493, Einsiedeln, canton Schwyz - September 24, 1541, Salzburg) - a physician and philosopher, medical alchemist, or iatrochemist (from the Greek ἰατρός - doctor), studied medicine in Germany, Italy and France. From 1526 a surgeon in Strasbourg, a professor of medicine in Basel, was forced to leave Basel two years later and travel for a long time. German natural philosophy originates from Paracelsus. The teachings of Paracelsus are rooted in the Platonic-Pythagorean tradition and in Hermeticism. First of all, this is an understanding of nature as a living whole, with an invisible "stellar soul" (astral body), which is a synonym for the world soul (spiritus mundi), the active principle of nature, close to the Aristotelian ether and the quintessence in the alchemical tradition. By virtue of the parallelism of the microcosm and the macrocosm, a person who owns "lasso" (secret means) is able to magically influence nature. Self-knowledge is congenial to natural knowledge, helping to subdue the forces of nature and subordinate them to man. Imagination, according to the teachings of Paracelsus, magically materializes thought as the will of the soul. But the main thing in his activity is medical-alchemical (iatrochemical) research related to new ideas about the main task of healing - to restore the harmonic order in a diseased organism, disturbed by the invasion of a healthy organism by alien spirits. In a healthy state, this order is provided by archaea - the supreme life spirit. A doctor is a healer of body, soul and spirit at the same time.
Man, according to Paracelsus, as well as metals, is composed of sulfur, mercury and salt. Under the influence of medical and medicinal practice, the alchemical triad is modified into a “five”: Paracelsus speaks of five basic substances, or “closest and natural principles”: sulfur, mercury, salt, phlegm and a dead head. Phlegm and a dead head are coarse substances, of low spirituality. Hence another definition of alchemy, as the art of separating the pure from the impure by dissolving mixtures. Paracelsus mixes, without dividing, the Aristotelian elements-elements with the elements-qualities, adding to them the fifth essence - the quintessence, which determines healthy substances (= bodies). The production of healing "arcanums" of specific medicinal substances, correlated with parts of the body, is the main technological pathos of its chemistry, while planetary-zodiacal fluids spiritualize the material world of "arcanums". In this regard, the idea of "sympathetic affinity" of substances is being developed; an organo-chemical system is being designed, which provides for the impact on the affected parts of the body with the help of chemicals. As an iatrochemist, Paracelsus develops a "chemical" theory of the functions of a living organism - as opposed to Galen, who treated with plant juices. The quintessence is to be found in Paracelsus as a miraculous remedy extracted from plants or mineral antimony, arsenic and mercury preparations. The transmutation of metals is relegated to the background for him.
In the future, the influence of the ideas of Paracelsus can be traced among the natural philosophers of the 17th-18th centuries. (J.B. van Helmont, O. Tahenia and others), J. Boehme, German romantics (Schelling, Novalis).
V.L. Rabinovich
New Philosophical Encyclopedia. In four volumes. / Institute of Philosophy RAS. Scientific ed. advice: V.S. Stepin, A.A. Huseynov, G.Yu. Semigin. M., Thought, 2010, vol. III, N - S, p. 200.
Paracelsus (Paracelsus) (pseudo; real name and surname Philipp Aureol Theophrast Bombast von Hohenheim, von Hohenheim) (1493, Einsiedeln, canton Schwyz, - 24.09.1541, Salzburg), philosopher, naturalist, doctor. The teachings of Paracelsus can be characterized as a kind of theosophical naturalism, formed under the influence of the Platonic-Pythagorean tradition and Hermeticism. At the center of it is the concept of nature as a living whole, imbued with a single world soul (Gestirn - "starry soul", the so-called astral body in occultism, not visible and not associated with any particular space, capable of influencing any other astral body, t i.e. the magical principle of the soul). This concept of the world soul (spiritus mundi), acting as a universal agent in nature, merges with the concept of ether, or the “fifth essence” (see Quintessence), coming from Aristotle, as well as the Neoplatonic concept of space - an intermediary between the mind (cus) and matter. The parallelism of the microcosm and macrocosm creates, according to Paracelsus, the possibility of man's magical influence on nature with the help of secret means. A person's knowledge of his soul is the way to comprehend nature and master its forces. Imagination, unlike fantasy, is the magical creation of an image as a real body of our thought, which is understood by Paracelsus precisely as a practical-volitional aspiration of the soul (in this he anticipates the German idealism of the late 18th and 19th centuries).
The main elements that make up the cosmic body of Paracelsus are earth, water, air and sky; in addition to them, Paracelsus recognized three principles: mercury (mercury), sulfur and salt - not as empirical substances, but as a special mode of action of bodies. Thus, mercury is an unchanging spirit (spiritus vitalis), which ensures the variability of all living things; sulfur produces the growth of all living things and, rather, corresponds to the concept of the soul; salt gives strength to bodies, it is the basis of corporality.
Since all nature according to Paracelsus is inhabited by spirits and demons, the task of medicine is to restore the order violated by the invasion of an alien spirit, which in a healthy state is provided by archaea - the supreme life spirit of every creature; thus, the doctor must treat both the body, and the soul, and the spirit of the patient.
Paracelsus had a strong influence on J. Boehme, W. Weigel (1533-1588), physician, chemist and natural philosopher J. V. Helmont (senior) (1579-1644), F. M. Helmont (junior) (1614-1699) , who probably influenced Leibniz with his doctrine of monads ("life spirits"). Some motives of the teachings of Paracelsus were developed by German romanticism (Schelling, Novalis), as well as the philosophy of life (Klages).
Philosophical encyclopedic dictionary. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ch. editors: L. F. Ilyichev, P. N. Fedoseev, S. M. Kovalev, V. G. Panov. 1983.
Works: Sämtliche Werke, Bd 1-14, Munch.-B., 1922-36; Sämt-Ae Werke, Bd 1-4, Jena, 1926-32.
Literature: Proskuryakov V., P., M., 1935; Leven V. G., Theophrastus P.'s problem of matter, "FN", 1959, No. 3; Gundolf F., Paracelsus, B., 19282; Sudhoff K., Paracelsus, Lpz., 1936; Vogt A., Th. Paracelsus als Arzt und Philosoph, Stuttg., 1956; Sudhoff K., Bibliographie Paracelslca, Gras, 1958; Weimann K.-H., Paracelsus-Bibliographie 1932-1960, Wiesbaden, 1960.
Read further:
Philosophers, lovers of wisdom (biographical index).
World-famous scientists (biographical index).
Compositions:
The hermetic and alchemical writings, v. 1. Hermetic chemistry. L., 1894, in Russian. lane: On the occult philosophy. - In the book: Hermeticism. Magic. Naturphilosophy in European culture of the 13th–19th centuries M., 1999, p. 130–167.
Literature:
Proskuryakov V. Paracelsus. M., 1935;
Rabinovich V.L. Alchemy as a phenomenon of medieval culture. M., 1979;
Koire A. Mystics, spiritualists, alchemists of Germany in the 16th century. M., 1994;
Spunda F. Das Weltbild des Paracelsus. Vienna, 1941.
(real name Theophrastus Philip Aureol Bombast von Hohenheim) (1493 - 1541)
His motto was: "Don't be different if you can't be yourself." We can hardly find in the annals of history a person who can compare with Paracelsus - a physician, astrologer, anthroposophist, theologian, mystic and magician.
At the moment when science began to divide into many branches, when the confrontation of warring dogmas broke out within the Christian faith, when the earth was about to lose the proud title of the center of the universe - in short, in an era when the old single picture of the world was collapsing - Paracelsus reached impossible: he linked theoretical knowledge, practice and faith together.
In pursuit of this magical ideal, Count von Hohenheim demonstrated his rootedness in the traditions of the outgoing Middle Ages - an era when such a combination of all areas of human thought was still permissible. But Paracelsus boldly countered this craving for the past with innovative empiricism. By publicly burning the works of Galen, and by this symbolic gesture pointing out the complete helplessness of his fellow doctors, he made it clear that his own world would be united by completely different means than those offered by tradition. Paracelsus wanted to understand the true nature of things through real scientific research, and not by studying ancient dusty volumes.
Mysteries of great people
A number of researchers of the life and deeds of the great people of the Renaissance are sure that Paracelsus, one of the founders of modern medicine and chemistry, visited the Crimea. Paracelsus, who is even credited with creating the elixir of immortality, allegedly studied and adopted the secrets of local healers in the Crimea at the beginning of the 16th century.
In the turbulent and turning point for the world of the 16th century, the titans of the Renaissance opened up new paths for mankind: Leonardo da Vinci, Luther, Copernicus , Durer and others. They bravely sought to know the truth, sometimes making mistakes, but often making great discoveries or creating masterpieces of art. A cohort of those who dared opened a new era of human development. Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim also belonged to this cohort, who took the pseudonym “above Celsus” (the ancient Roman expert in medical science) - Paracelsus. He dared to reject the ancient medical authorities, preferring to develop medicine on the basis of observation, experience and experiment.
Researchers of his biography suggest that Paracelsus was in Tatar captivity during his wanderings, or he could visit the Crimean Khanate to get acquainted with the methods of treatment used by its inhabitants. Indeed, the secrets of healing of the Crimean Christians, the medical practice of the Sufis, the methods of traditional treatment of the Turks could attract Paracelsus. The most exotic version of the Crimean page connects the trip of Paracelsus to India with the Tatar captivity, where, according to occultists, he was initiated into the secret knowledge of the East. Be that as it may, the connections of the genius with the Crimea are just one of the unsolved episodes in the life of Paracelsus, who can rightfully be called a man of mystery.
The name that called fate
Paracelsus was born in 1493 in the settlement of Einsiedeln near Zurich, in the canton of Schwyz, into a noble and glorious, but impoverished family. The family castle of Hohenheim was located near Stuttgart. Paracelsus' uncle was the grand master of the well-known knightly order of St. John.
The magnificent noble name - Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim - did not bring him a big fortune, but, perhaps, laid down a special life program. His father, Wilhelm Bombast, was an educated physician and a capable alchemist. It was he who named his son in honor of the outstanding physician, student of Aristotle Theophrastus.
Wilhelm Bombast began teaching his only heir the basics of alchemy, surgery and therapy from childhood. There is evidence that Paracelsus also studied with the monks of the monastery of St. Andrew in the Savona Valley, and at the famous abbot of the monastery of St. James in Würzburg, Johann Trithemius of Sponheim. This well-known adept of the Kabbalah, alchemy and astrology developed in the young Theophrastus a penchant for the occult sciences. The craving for them led von Hohenheim to Tyrol - to the laboratory of the alchemist and rich man Sigismund Fugger, who was able to transfer many knowledge to the student.
After completing his studies at the University of Ferrara in 1515, von Hohenheim received the degree of doctor of medicine. But even then the level of knowledge gained could not satisfy him. Teaching in Europe at that time was conducted on the basis of old medical theories, without relying on practice and with corresponding consequences for patients. Von Hohenheim would later write: “The knowledge for which we are destined is not limited to our own country and will not run after us, but waits until we go in search of it. No one can acquire practical experience without leaving home, just as no one will find a teacher of the secrets of nature in the corner of his room.
He traveled valiantly in search of knowledge throughout Europe, the Middle East and Egypt. It was not the best time to travel in this part of the world: political conflicts, wars, the beginning of the religious struggle between Catholics and Protestants, the confrontation between Christians and Muslims ... But the harsh reality does not frighten the seeker of knowledge. He becomes a military doctor in Denmark and the Netherlands, takes part in military campaigns in Sweden, Poland, Italy, travels to England, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Transylvania, Wallachia, probably Muscovy, visits Constantinople. At the same time, von Hohenheim communicates not only with official medical luminaries, but also with carriers of folk medical knowledge: healers, midwives, herbalists, sorcerers and gypsies. At the same time, he earns a living as an ordinary barber, opening the blood, or a teacher of astrology and alchemy.
Knowledge collected from all over the continent and adjacent territories formed the basis of a new doctrine of health. This is how the “transmutation” of von Hohenheim into Paracelsus took place.
“I wandered in search of my art, often endangering my life,” Paracelsus would later write. - I was not ashamed even from vagabonds, executioners and barbers to learn everything that I considered useful. It is known that a lover can go a long way to meet the woman he adores - how much stronger is the pull of the lover of wisdom that makes him wander in search of his divine beloved!
Fierce battles of the Aesculapius
The return of Paracelsus to Switzerland and Germany stirred up the medical community. Physicians in the Renaissance were clearly divided into three hierarchical groups: the highest position was occupied by scientists-doctors, below pharmacists, even lower - surgeons-barbers. Outside the medical system, there were healers who served the poor and were persecuted (one inquisition was worth it!). For many medical scientists, the writings of ancient medical authorities were almost the only sources of knowledge, and new data and observations that contradicted established opinion were ignored. They relentlessly adhered to the theory of Galen, according to which the disease is an imbalance of the four bodily components. Treatment should consist in restoring the balance by forced bloodletting, diarrhea, sweating or vomiting. Often, patients died after these procedures, and doctors explained this outcome by the severity of the disease.
Paracelsus dared to reject Galen's approach. “The best of our known physicians are those who do the least harm,” he wrote. - Unfortunately, some poison the sick with mercury, others heal them with laxatives or bloodletting to death. Some have learned to such an extent that they have completely lost common sense, others are more concerned about their own benefit than the health of the sick. The doctor must understand the causes of the disease. The doctor should be a servant of nature, and not her enemy: he should lead and direct her in her struggle for life, and not raise new obstacles to the path of healing by his unreasonable intervention.
The fight against inertia and greed, the spread of the new teaching did not promise an easy life for Paracelsus. The sharp character of the doctor also left an imprint on relations with others. Paracelsus confessed: “Of course, I am rude compared to white-handed women and people of fine manners, for they were brought up in soft clothes, and we are on fir cones, and we do not understand each other well.” In 1525, he was expelled from Salzburg by the authorities for supporting the struggle of the peasants against several bribe-taking princes.
Soon Paracelsus was invited to the post of city doctor in the wealthy Swiss city of Basel. He saved a rich man's leg from amputation, who could not be helped by the best doctors in the city, and he was invited to take the chair of medicine at the University of Basel. During a lecture, he publicly burned the works of Galen and Avicenna and declared that even the laces of his shoes knew more than these ancient "sneakers." Professor Paracelsus broke with the medieval tradition of lecturing in Latin and began teaching in German. All this caused the displeasure of the Basel doctors.
The conflict deepened even more after the chief physician of the city began to control the work of pharmacists, the quality of the medicines prepared by him, which Paracelsus called "stinking stew". Thus, he dealt a blow to the income, as they would now say, "medical mafia."
Often, Paracelsus treated the poor for free, but did not give the rich a descent. His legal conflict with an influential but ungrateful citizen who did not pay the doctor's fee was the last straw - he was also forced to flee from Basel. Even the inhabitants of the city, whom he cured of severe or considered incurable ailments, could not help Paracelsus. By the way, among them was the famous writer and philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam. Paracelsus returned to a nomadic lifestyle and treated villagers in the mountainous regions of the Alps.
Paracelsus, as an innovator, abandoned complex and often ineffective medieval medicines, creating his own, simpler ones, based on extracts, “quintessences”, from plants and minerals. He is considered the forerunner of modern pharmacology, he owns the phrase: “Everything is poison, and nothing is devoid of poison; one dose makes the poison invisible "(in a popular presentation:" All the poison, all the medicine; both determine the dose "). Paracelsus was the first to widely use chemical agents in the treatment, in particular, preparations of iron, antimony, lead and copper. In addition, he strongly promoted natural remedies: fresh air, peace, diet and healing mineral waters.
In 1528, Paracelsus arrived in Colmar, where he managed to raise many seriously ill people to their feet. The scientist continues his studies in alchemy, masters other occult sciences. A rumor spread around the city that he had intercourse with the devil. Avoiding trouble, Paracelsus goes to Esslingen, and then in 1530 to Nuremberg. Here his conflict with the "real doctors" is repeated. To refute the accusations of quackery, he asked the city council to send him several patients whose diseases were considered incurable. According to the documents of Nuremberg, in a short time and free of charge, he cured the unfortunate from elephantiasis. In this city, Paracelsus published his works, which, however, were banned at the request of the physicians of the University of Leipzig. He visits Innsbruck, then treats the plague patients in Sterzingen. All these years he has not stopped writing on various topics - from theology and medicine to the occult sciences. According to eyewitnesses, Paracelsus could work on manuscripts for several days without sleep. The long-awaited recognition was brought to him by the book "Big Surgery", published in Ulm and Augsburg.
Exhausted by the struggle, Paracelsus moves at the invitation of a high-ranking official to Salzburg, where, it would seem, he can finally indulge in his favorite pastime in a calm atmosphere. But in 1541, at the White Horse inn, he was found dead.
The circumstances of the death of an outstanding physician are still controversial: some call it the cause of undermining vitality due to wandering and struggle, others - the mercury vapor that Paracelsus inhaled during his experiments, and others - a drunken fight. There are many other versions as well. However, among occultists, it is generally accepted that the great physician was poisoned by his physician colleague.
An inscription is carved on a gravestone in Salzburg: “Here is buried Philip Theophrastus, an excellent doctor of medicine, who healed severe wounds, leprosy, gout, dropsy and other incurable diseases of the body with ideal art and bequeathed his property to be divided and donated to the poor. In 1541, on the 24th day of September, he exchanged life for death. There is a legend that prayer near the grave of Paracelsus stopped the approach of the plague to the city in 1831. People come here today to pray for health.
Reformer of alchemy and medicine
The credit for discovering or describing a whole range of rational approaches to treatment belongs to Paracelsus. So, for example, he used the placebo effect, when people were healed by taking pills without drugs. He suggested using opium tincture and new antiseptics as anesthesia. Paracelsus treated syphilis with small doses of mercury vapor, although in most cases he was not believed. Only four centuries later, a new cure for syphilis was created on the basis of poisonous arsenic. For these innovations, he was criticized by doctors of the old formation.
However, practical observations were only one wing of Paracelsus' philosophy. The second was the reliance on the "four pillars": natural philosophy, astrology, alchemy and virtues, by which he understood the inner strength of people, planets and minerals. Paracelsus developed an alternative biochemistry based on sulphur, salt and mercury. As a result, physicians of subsequent centuries considered him almost a sorcerer. But today, behind the metaphors of his works, a modern holistic (holistic) approach is visible: the doctor should strive to harmonize all the components of the patient's health, including the external environment, psychosomatics and the supernatural.
Paracelsus believed that the main task of alchemy was not the search for a philosopher's stone for turning metals into gold, but the creation of medicines, and he succeeded a lot in this matter. According to legend, Paracelsus even managed to create an elixir of immortality. However, after his death, the mysterious substance and the recipes for many drugs disappeared.
ANDREY IVANETS
First Crimean N 158, JANUARY 19/JANUARY 25, 2007
