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1911。
Paracelsus is the Luther of medicine； the very incarnation of the spirit
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of revolt。 At a period when authority was paramount； and men blindly
followed old leaders； when to stray from the beaten track in any field of
knowledge was a damnable heresy； he stood out boldly for independent
study and the right of private judgment。 After election to the chair at Basel
he at once introduced a startling novelty by lecturing in German。 He had
caught the new spirit and was ready to burst all bonds both in medicine
and in theology。 He must have startled the old teachers and practitioners
by his novel methods。〃On June 5； 1527； he attached a programme of his
lectures to the black…board of the University inviting all to come to them。
It began by greeting all students of the art of healing。 He proclaimed its
lofty and serious nature； a gift of God to man； and the need of developing
it to new importance and to new renown。 This he undertook to do； not
retrogressing to the teaching of the ancients； but progressing whither
nature pointed； through research into nature； where he himself had
discovered and had verified by prolonged experiment and experience。He
was ready to oppose obedience to old lights as if they were oracles from
which one did not dare to differ。 Illustrious doctor smight be graduated
from books； but books made not a single physician。＇10＇ Neither
graduation； nor fluency； nor the knowledge of old languages； nor the
reading of many books made a physician； but the knowledge of things
themselves and their properties。 The business of a doctor was to know the
different kinds of sicknesses； their causes；their symptoms and their right
remedies。 This he would teach； for he had won this knowledge through
experience； the greatest teacher； and with much toil。 He would teach it as
he had learned it； and his lectures would be founded on works which he
had composed concerning inward and external treatment； physic and
surgery。〃＇11＇ Shortly afterwards； at the Feast of St。 John； the students had
a bonfire in front of the university。 Paracelsus came out holding in his
hands the 〃Bible of medicine；〃 Avicenna's 〃Canon；〃 which he flung into
the flames saying： 〃Into St。 John's fire so that all misfortune may go into
the air with the smoke。〃 It was； as he explained afterwards； a symbolic act：
〃What has perished must go to the fire； it is no longer fit for use： what is
true and living； that the fire cannot burn。〃 With abundant confidence in his
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