Course XXV - Teaching 12: Paracelsus

Paracelsus was born in Einsiedeln, Switzerland; his father was a prestigious physician; he guided his first steps in science by taking him later to Carintia, where practically he learnt in mines and forges the properties of metals that were so useful for him as the foundation of a methodical study of therapeutic elements. This first objective education must have impressed him when later, being already a mature man, he taught, “progress can only be founded on experience and on conjectures extracted from it”.
Later he passed to the North of Italy to study medicine. Seemingly in this decision he was also influenced by his father that was aware of the Renaissance drive given to sciences, which began in the peninsula as a result of the coming of sages from Bizantium, motivated by the fall of Constantinople in the hands of Mohammed II.
Paracelsus also traveled through all the German land for 10 years and after two years of rest in Karuten, he passed to Salzburg.
In his multiple trips, Paracelsus had acquired fame as magician and scandalous man.
These exaggerations are explainable, as well as distorted or intentioned interpretations, considering the cultural level of that time, which expressed so intolerant concepts. More shocking for them should be his independent character, haughty, venturesome against spiritual and temporal authorities, in whose portrait, painted by Holbein, one can foretell his authoritarian profile, his somewhat protuberant and aquiline nose, his a little fine mouth, his eyes looking at the distance as a man that knows what he does and what he says.
He dictated his writings to his disciples, with a style that is a mixture of theories with clear conjectures and genial intuitions.
His publications are: “Chirurgia Magna” (1536), a Manual where he recommends the use of mercury for syphilis; “De Gradibus”, Frankfurt (1568); and “Ovni der Bergsucht” (1567). In his Opera Omnia there is a noticeable Teaching on “Degeneratione stultorum”.
In them and in his polemics, different parts of the physical system appear delimited as spiritual and material. Life derives from God that created the vital principle or Archaeus, contained in an invisible vehicle or mumia, which is easily identified with the double of the Egyptians, and that therefore reveals us the spiritualistic source of these teachings.
The material comes from the primordial mud or Iliaster, which by undergoing transformations substantially remains formed by three elements figured by these symbolic words: sulphur, mercury and salt, meaning matters that react differently in contact with fire. He has the idea of what he called signatures, that is, that diseases manifested by certain symptoms could be cured by vegetables that contained some manifestations interpreted as similar. So, jaundice had to be cured with juice of cabbage.
This idea is the germ of “similia similibus curantur”, on which Hannemann constructed the Homeopathy four centuries later.
Through Astrology he deduced a treatment to remove from the body the mumia, with magnetic procedures, and to insert it in a suitable plant to get the influence from the Stars (Astra). Thence the name of Astral Body. His admiration for Hippocrates oriented him toward a parallel as to a strictly scientific observation, without prejudices that obscured any progress in experiences and their consequences. Doubtless he was also inspired by the Hippocratic thought: “love for the sick is source of love for the healing art”. So he said to alchemists: “you should not look for gold that is vain straw, but medicines that cure diseases”.
The founder of Chemistry reveals himself with this thought. In this activity he excels in such a way that his genius is visible, already foretold when he contradicted consecrated masters, in his famous fire of Basel.
He studied the pharmacological properties of opium, laudanum, lead, sulphur, iron, arsenic, sulphate of copper and sulphate of potassium (specificum purgans Paracelsi). He observes the benefits of hot springs, already advised by ancient Germans, and analyzes those waters and recommends them. He distinguishes alum from ferrous sulphate and finds the iron contained in the water through tartaric acid.
He popularized tinctures and alcoholic extracts.
He studied renal stones and gallstones by classifying them as tartaric diseases, like the matter formed in wine casks.
Moreover, as a genius, he intuits the catalyst power of some chemical bodies by pointing out their influence not only by quantity but also by quintessence.
As a clinician, he observes as a past master the cretinism and its connections with endemic goiter in Tyrol, by studying them during numerous trips in his nomadic but fruitful life.
As a surgeon, he was skillful.
In short, Theophrastus Paracelsus was a very complete man. There are many outstanding facets in his way of being.
His eternal search that he continued tirelessly investigating himself within, his fellow men and abroad, and with innumerable visits throughout Europe, is something genial.
Persistently he sowed that part of the truth that he was able to know and showed generosity and prophetic vision. But in those days, this behavior would take for granted a courage that at least attracted sympathy, and apparently this was the opinion of those with whom he socialized and whom he served by generating this way a legendary fame after his death.
His way was a quick and tenacious fight against dogma that he needed to throw down as the first step of the mission that he had entrusted to the new medicine, and the illumination of his legion of followers with admirable sparks tracing instructions on the eternal road of knowledge.
As a forerunner, as a builder, despite unavoidable exaggerations in those ferments destined to the development of Humanity, he has a place well conquered in the history of its benefactors.
In 1541, he died in Salzburg.