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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
to that part； and the Egyptian organotherapy had the same basis；spleen
would cure spleen； heart； heart； etc。 In the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries these doctrines of sympathies and antipathies were much in
vogue。 A Scotchman； Sylvester Rattray； edited in the 〃Theatrum
Sympatheticum〃＇15＇ all the writings upon the sympathies and antipathies
of man with animal； vegetable and mineral substances； and the whole art
of physics was based on this principle。
＇15＇ Rattray： Theatrum Sympatheticum； Norimberge； MDCLXII。
Upon this theory of 〃mumia；〃 or magnetic force； the sympathetic cure
of disease was based。 The weapon salve； the sympathetic ointment； and
the famous powder of sympathy were the instruments through which it
acted。 The magnetic cure of wounds became the vogue。 Van Helmont
adopted these views in his famous treatise 〃De Magnetica Vulnerum
Curatione；〃＇16＇ in which he asserted that cures were wrought through
magnetic influence。 How close they came to modern views of wound
infection may be judged from the following： 〃Upon the solution of Unity
in any part the ambient air 。 。 。 repleted with various evaporations or
aporrhoeas of mixt bodies； especially such as are then suffering the act of
putrefaction； violently invadeth the part and thereupon impresseth an
exotic miasm or noxious diathesis； which disposeth the blood successively
arriving at the wound； to putrefaction； by the intervention of
fermentation。〃 With his magnetic sympathy； Van Helmont expressed
clearly the doctrine of immunity and the cure of disease by immune sera：
〃For he who has once recovered from that disease hath not only obtained a