Paracelsus the chemist. "Everything is poison and everything is medicine" and other quotes by Paracelsus

20.09.2019

Philip Aurelius Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, known as Paracelsus was born in 1493 near the town of Maria - Einsiedeln, at that time a village two hours walk from the Swiss city of Zurich.

His father, a doctor, Wilhelm Bombast from Hohenheim was one of the descendants of an old and glorious family, a relative of the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St. John. In 1492 he married his sister, the mistress of the hospital of the local abbey. As a result of this marriage, Theophrastus, their only child, was born.

In his early youth, Paracelsus was taught the sciences by his father, taught him the basics of alchemy, surgery and therapy. He continued his studies with the monks of St. Andrew, located in the Savona Valley. Upon reaching the age of 16, he was sent to study at the University of Basel. After that, he was taught by the famous Johann Trithemius of Spanheim, rector of St. James in Würzburg, one of the greatest adepts of magic, alchemy and astrology. It was under the guidance of this teacher that special development and practical use received the inclination of Paracelsus to the occult sciences. Craving for coccultism led him to the laboratory of the rich Sigismund Funer in Schwarz (Tyrol), who was also a famous alchemist. Later, Paracelsus traveled widely. He traveled to Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Russia. It is believed that he visited India when he was captured by the Tatars and taken to the Khan. During the stay of Paracelsus in the Tatar captivity, the Eastern teachers of the occult revealed their secret teachings to him. In the West at that time they did not know about the properties of the astral body, about the septenary structure of man. Paracelsus wrote a lot about the spirits of nature, but, describing them, he replaced the eastern terms with the corresponding names from Germanic mythology in order to facilitate the understanding of these issues by his compatriots. Probably Paracelsus remained with the Tatars until 1512, since in 1521 he arrived in Constantinople and received the philosopher's stone there.

Paracelsus traveled around the Danubian countries and visited Italy, where he served as a military surgeon in the Imperial Army and took part in many military expeditions of that time. In his wanderings, he collected a lot of useful information, not only from doctors, surgeons and alchemists, but also communicating with executioners, barbers, shepherds, Jews, gypsies, midwives and soothsayers. He drew knowledge from both great and small scientists and among the common people. “He could be found among cattle drivers or vagrants, on the roads and in taverns,” which was the reason for the cruel reproaches that his enemies poured out in their narrow-mindedness. He spent 10 years wandering, either practicing his art as a doctor, or teaching or walking. At the age of 32, he returned back to Germany, where he soon became famous after several amazing cases healing the sick.

In 1525 Paracelsus went to Basel. In 1527, the city council appointed him professor of physics, medicine and surgery, putting a high salary. His lectures, unlike the speeches of his colleagues, were not a simple repetition of the opinions of Galen, Hippocrates and Avicenna. The teachings of Paracelsus were indeed his own. He taught without regard to the opinions of others, thus earning the applause of his students, and horrifying his orthodox colleagues by violating the established custom of teaching only that which could be securely backed up by established, generally accepted evidence, whether or not that was consistent with reason and truth. At the same time, he served as chief city doctor. Under his supervision were all city pharmacies. He checked whether the pharmacists knew their business well and whether they had real medicines in sufficient quantities. By this he incurred the hatred of pharmacists and pharmacists. Other physicians and professors, jealous of his success in teaching and curing ailments, joined in the persecution under the pretext that his appointment as a university professor was made without their consent and that "Paracelsus was a stranger - no one knows where he came from, and it is not known whether he's a real doctor." As a result, Paracelsus was forced to secretly and hastily leave Basel in July 1528 and return to a wandering life, followed by numerous students.

In 1529 and 1530 he visited Esslingen and Nuremberg. The "real doctors" from Nuremberg denounced him as a swindler, a charlatan and an impostor. To refute their accusations, he asked the city council to entrust him with the treatment of several patients whose diseases were considered incurable. Patients with elephantiasis were sent to him, whom he cured for a short time without asking any fee. But this success did not change the life of Paracelsus, who, it seemed, was destined for the fate of a wanderer. He visited many cities. In 1536 he settled in Salzburg, where he was invited by Duke Ernst, a great lover of secret sciences. There, Paracelsus was finally able to see the fruits of his labors and gain fame. However, he was not destined to enjoy such well-deserved peace for a long time. September 24, 1541 After a short illness, he died (at the age of 48) in a small room at the White Horse Hotel. They buried him in the cemetery of St. Sebastian. The circumstances of his death are still unclear, but the most recent research confirms the version of his contemporaries, according to which Paracelsus was attacked during a dinner party by bandits hired by one of the healers, his enemies. As a result of a fall on a stone, his skull was crushed, which led to death a few days later.

The works of Paracelsus were not published immediately. His first work was published only in 1562. It contains the basic principles of the teachings of Paracelsus about diseases and their causes; second work - general principles medicine - was published three years later. Both books are written in German.

The greatest merit of Paracelsus is that he officially renounced ancient medicine and instead of complex and invented medieval prescriptions for drugs, he began to give patients simple but effective remedies. He applied healing herbs, trying to extract from them the active principle, which he called the quintessence. 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 recommended natural remedies for: Fresh air, peace, diet and healing mineral waters.

The name of the Swiss healer, alchemist, philosopher and naturalist is known to many. But not everyone knows who Paracelsus is and what exactly he became famous for. In this article we will talk about the biography of this doctor, what exactly he won worldwide fame.

Paracelsus in his youth

The famous scientist was born on September 21, 1493 near Zurich in the small village of Einsiedeln. His full name was Philip Avreol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim in honor of Theophastus, who was a student of Aristotle. The alchemist's mother worked as a nurse, and his father was a medical practitioner. Phillip's family was of noble origin, but the financial and material situation left much to be desired.

From an early age, Father Wilhelm instilled the boy in science and medicine. It was Wilhelm who had a strong influence on the formation of the future alchemist, teaching his son medical sciences, including surgery, chemistry, biology, and also philosophy.

Since the house had a fairly rich library with many useful books, by the age of 16 Philip had learned all the necessary basics of anatomy and therapy, after which he entered the University of Basel.

The study and education of a healer

After studying at the university, while in Würzburg, Paracelsus was trained and studied alchemy, the basics of astrology under the guidance of abbot I. Trethemius. Accumulating more and more knowledge, comprehending all the subtleties of physics and chemistry, von Hohenheim graduated from the University of Ferrara in Italy in 1515, and then he received a doctorate in medicine. But according to the doctor himself, all the knowledge already available at that time was not enough for him, and already in 1517 the doctor begins a journey through a number of countries. The purpose of such a journey was a deep study and improvement of the skills and knowledge of magic, physics and anatomy.

More than ten years have passed since the beginning of the wanderings of Dr. Paracelsus, as he managed to visit almost all corners of European countries and their most famous universities, and also took part in hostilities as a field physician.

In addition to higher educational institutions, as well as scientists and doctors, a very significant and significant contribution to the enrichment of knowledge for the doctor was communication with healers, gypsies, traditional healers, as well as executioners. He also did not disdain meetings with sorceresses or witches. This allowed the scientist to create and assemble a unique collection of recipes, since other doctors did not resort to such methods of knowledge as the alchemist.

One such example was a book that collected the description and treatment of diseases in women. It was thanks to witches and sorceresses that the scientist managed to find out all the secrets and secrets female body. Since at that time other physicians and doctors did not practice communication with healers, the book of Paracelsus was unique. But despite this, many critics spoke negatively about Philip, considering his connections with sorcerers as not a serious approach to the study of medicine.

Doctor's medical practice

Traveling around the world ended only by 1526, when Paracelsus returned to Strasbourg and continued his career as a doctor. Already a year later, after he moved to Basel, they started talking about him as an experienced good doctor, because he put several seriously ill people on their feet. After that, he began his teaching career at the university.

Having received the position of professor, the alchemist set about innovating in the practice of teaching. He began to teach classes in German, and at lectures he taught students everything that he comprehended and studied on his own, adding his knowledge collected during his wanderings to the theoretical material.

Such zeal for learning process and innovation was very irritating to colleagues and the leadership of the scientist. Constant conflicts have brought to the point that the doctor once again goes around the world - to Colmar. Due to sharp contradictions in the field of anatomy and biology, the professor could not always find mutual language with colleagues, so he rarely lingered in places along the way of his wanderings.

Despite constant traveling, medical practice, he always found time for self-development, wrote articles and books on philosophy, alchemy, botany, astrology, and was engaged in pharmacological research. He undertook the treatment of the most serious diseases, when others shrugged, to the marvel of everyone, the scientist cured the sick. This very often angered local doctors, which led to further moves of the famous alchemist.

More than once, the Inquisition hunted him, considering his remedies unacceptable from a religious point of view.

After many years of effort and diligence, the book "Big Surgery" was finally printed, which quickly spread among doctors and scientists. Many doctors began to treat von Hohenheim with respect, seeing him not as a wanderer, but as an experienced practitioner.

Last years: how did Paracelsus die?

Only at the end of the 1530s did the doctor settle on the outskirts of Salzburg as a place for permanent residence. Fortunately, the city archbishop constantly stood up for the professor, preventing evil rumors about him from spreading around the city. Dr. Paracelsus plunged into scientific work, engaged in research, experiments, and also the treatment of patients.

During his wanderings across the continents, the health of the alchemist was noticeably shaken. The exact disease and diagnosis could not be established. Self-treatment did not give positive results, and on September 24, 1541, the doctor died. But there are still legends about possible murder great guru.

Video with an opinion about Dr. Paracelsus

In this video, the eccentric Russian businessman German Sterligov will express his opinion about the healer Paracelsus:

Paracelsus (Paracelsus)
(Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim; von Hohenheim)

The famous medieval physician and alchemist Paracelsus was born in the town of Einsiedeln (Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland) in the family of a doctor. Following the example of his father, Paracelsus began to study medicine - in Germany, France and Italy. In 1515, he received the degree of doctor of medicine in Florence, after which he wandered around Europe, continuing to study medicine and alchemy.

In 1526 Paracelsus became a university professor and city doctor in Basel; at the university, he lectured in German instead of traditional Latin, which was then an unheard of audacity. His lectures attracted many listeners and became widely known; at the same time, Paracelsus made many enemies among doctors and pharmacists, since in his lectures he sharply opposed scholastic medicine and blind reverence for the authority of Galen; publicly burned a textbook of medicine, written on the basis of the ideas of ancient scientists. In 1528, Paracelsus had to leave Basel, where he was threatened with trial for freethinking. In the last years of his life, he again wandered around the cities of Alsace, Bavaria, Switzerland, even visited Prussia, Poland and Lithuania, and finally settled in Salzburg, where he found a powerful patron in the person of the Archbishop and Count Palatine of the Rhine. Here he died in 1541 (according to some reports, a violent death).

Paracelsus resolutely rejected the teachings of the ancients about the four juices of the human body and believed that all processes occurring in the body are chemical processes. He distinguishes four main groups of causes of diseases, which he calls entia: 1) ens astrale– cosmic and atmospheric influences, 2) ens naturale- the reasons that lie in the anatomical and physiological properties of the body; they fall into two main groups: ens veneni- poisonous substances in food and drink and ens seminis- hereditary anomalies; 3) ens spirituale– psychic influences and 4) ens Deale- God's permission.

Paracelsus based his therapy on the alchemical doctrine of the three principles; he taught that three material principles participate in the composition of a living body, which are part of all bodies of nature ( tria prima): mercury, sulfur and salt. In a healthy body, these principles are in balance; if one of them prevails over the others or is not in sufficient quantity, then various diseases arise.

Paracelsus studied the therapeutic effect of various chemical elements and compounds, introduced the practice of using preparations of copper, mercury, antimony and arsenic; isolated medicines from plants and applied them in the form of tinctures, extracts and elixirs; developed a new idea for that time about the dosage of drugs, used mineral springs for medicinal purposes. He pointed to the need to find and use specific drugs against certain diseases (for example, mercury against syphilis). Paracelsus brought together chemistry and medical science, therefore the teaching of Paracelsus and his followers is called iatrochemistry: “Chemistry is one of the pillars on which medical science should be based. The task of chemistry is not at all to make gold and silver, but to prepare medicines.”

The views of Paracelsus and his practical activities, however, are permeated with medieval mysticism. His system is a combination of mystical confusion with individual bright thoughts, clothed in a scholastic-kabalistic form. Paracelsus did not deny the possibility of making a philosopher's stone; in his writings you can find a detailed recipe for the preparation of a homunculus. The most important part of his medicine, he considered the doctrine of "archaea" - the highest spiritual principle, allegedly regulating the vital activity of the body.

St. Petersburg State Medical University

named after academician I.P. Pavlova

Department of Philosophy and Political Science

"Paracelsus and his medicinal principle"

Performed:

group student

medical faculty

Checked:

Saint Petersburg

Introduction 3 pages

Chapter 1 Biography of Paracelsus 4 pp.

Chapter 2 Medicinal Principle 7 p.

Conclusion page 14

Illustrative material 15 pages.

References 16 pages

Introduction

Paracelsus is rightly considered one of the greatest movers of medicine, and many of his views have not lost their significance to this day. In pathology, he gave a classification of diseases: 1. Diseases caused by astral influences acting on the astral body of a person and then acting on his body; 2. Diseases caused by toxins, toxic substances and internal blockages; 3. Diseases caused by an abnormal state of physiological functions due to organ abuse or harmful influences; 4. Diseases caused by psychological causes such as desires, passions and vices, as well as morbid imagination; 5. Diseases based on spiritual causes (inclinations) created (in previous lives) by disobedience to the divine Law (Karma).

The main historical significance of Paracelsus, however, lies not so much in his pathology as in his therapy. Long studies in alchemy served him well. Medicine owes him the introduction of a number of new remedies of both mineral and vegetable origin, such as preparations of iron, mercury, antimony, lead, copper, arsenic, sulfur, etc., hitherto used extremely rarely. Paracelsus brought together chemistry and medical science: therefore, the teachings of Paracelsus and his followers are called iatrochemistry. "Chemistry is one of the pillars on which medical science should be based. The task of chemistry is not at all to make gold and silver, but to prepare medicines," said Paracelsus. Paracelsus was the first to look at the processes taking place in a living organism as chemical processes.

But in his teaching, along with many positive knowledge, there are ideas that have nothing in common with positive knowledge. He did not deny the possibility of the philosopher's stone; in his writings you can find a detailed recipe for the preparation of a homunculus.

The purpose of my work was to highlight the medicinal principle of Paracelsus. After analyzing the presented literature on this topic, I tried to summarize the main conclusions. I was also interested in the connection between the above principle and modern homeopathy. Considering the biography of Paracelsus, I singled out Interesting Facts which, undoubtedly, will help to form a multifaceted idea of his teaching.

Chapter 1 Biography of Paracelsus

The Swiss doctor and warlock of the Middle Ages, Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, 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 witch medicine, it can be said for sure that they used for their healing on a large scale 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.

Paracelsus was not distinguished by sobriety and sometimes half-drunk read his lectures. This was not least the reason for his harsh statements. So, he told his listeners that his "shoes are more versed in medicine than these authoritative doctors of antiquity." For such intransigence, he was nicknamed Kakofrast instead of Theophrastus in Germany, and Luther at the University of Paris. “No,” exclaims Paracelsus, “I am not Luther, I am Theophrastus, whom you call Cacophrastus in Basel in mockery. I am higher than Luther, he was only a theologian, and I know medicine, philosophy, astronomy, alchemy. Luther is not worthy to untie my strings shoes".

Having brought chemistry closer to medicine, Paracelsus, thus, was the first iatrochemist (from the Greek "iatro" - 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. Only the dose 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 an experience. No one becomes 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 sail 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 doctors in his characteristic defiant manner: “You, who studied Hippocrates, Galen, Avicenna, imagine that you know everything, while in essence you know nothing; you prescribe medicines, but do not know how to prepare them! Chemistry alone can solve problems physiology, pathology, therapeutics, out of chemistry you wander in the dark.You physicians of the whole world, Italians, Frenchmen, Greeks, Sarmatians, Arabs, Jews - all must follow me, and I must not follow you. If you do not come sincerely to my banner, you are not even worth being a place to defecate for dogs."

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).

Paracelsus wrote about the journey through 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.

After the incident with Canon Cornelius, 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.

Paracelsus wrote 9 works, but only 3 of them saw the light during his lifetime. The most complete collection of Paracelsus' works was 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.

The study of the biography of Philip Avreol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim (Paracelsus) - a Swiss alchemist, physician, philosopher, naturalist, natural philosopher of the Renaissance, one of the founders of iatrochemistry. Study of his contribution to the development of medicine.

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Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus

Vitebsk State Order of Friendship of Peoples

medical University

Department of Public Health and Health

ESSAY

According to the "History of Medicine and Pharmacy"

on the topic: “Paracelsus (Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim)

(1493-1541) - an outstanding physician of the Renaissance"

Executor:

student of the 9th group of the 1st year

Vysotskaya Alexandra Vadimovna

Vitebsk - 2012

Introduction

In the 16th century, in the firmament of Western science, between alchemy and medicine, a new figure: Paracelsus is an amazing doctor and alchemist, surgeon, bully and duelist, who is equally good at both the lancet and the sword.

“The real purpose of chemistry is not to make gold, but to make medicine!” - these words determined the life credo of Paracelsus. medicine paracelsus the alchemist

Being one of the greatest minds of the Reformation Epoch, an epoch when religion, literature, science turned out to be fettered by chains of dogmatism, hypocrisy and hypocrisy, Paracelsus made a revolution in the spiritual life of Western civilization.

He not only stirred up society, brought him out of the state of medieval hibernation with his whole way of life, his speeches, his teachings. His literary heritage is also very large. Philosophy, medicine, pneumatogogy (the doctrine of spirits), cosmology, anthropology, alchemy, astrology, magic - this is not a complete list of the topics of his works.

I would like to note that for modern world Much of the Renaissance is relevant, because, looking back, we see that the problems that the world faces today were already experienced by our predecessors.

The ancient sages of East and West taught that history repeats itself, that in its evolution it goes through periods of relatively calm existence and development of cultures, as well as turning points, moments of changing epochs. The outgoing old fights with the new, which is just emerging. The calm and logical course of history is replaced by disorder, what seemed strong and durable collapses in an instant, and the wind of history sweeps away everything familiar, leaving confused people no points of support, nothing permanent that could be trusted.

Then people come who stand in the middle of this whirlwind, like beacons, illuminating the path for those lost in the darkness. Then people-Titans are born, carriers and exponents of great Ideas. They are able to see signs of the new in the chaos and, among the dying transient forms, to see and proclaim the ancient wisdom, for they know that behind the variety of forms are hidden the same eternal laws that have existed and will continue to exist while the universe is alive, and which simply change their appearance. from era to era, from culture to culture. These people-Titans live with their souls in the future, see the past and try to convey new, but in fact eternal truths to their contemporaries. In the period of world crises and wars, in times of hopelessness, they show people new ways and teach by their example how to live in such a time, based on the ideals of goodness, courage and beauty. Among these people stands the great Paracelsus.

1. Biography of Paracelsus

Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, known as Paracelsus (similar to Celsus) was born in 1493 near the town of Maria - Einsiedeln, at that time a village two hours walk from the Swiss city of Zurich.

In his early youth, Paracelsus was taught the sciences by his father, taught him the basics of alchemy, surgery and therapy. He continued his studies with the monks of St. Andrew, located in the Savona Valley. Upon reaching the age of 16, he was sent to study at the University of Basel. After that, he was taught by the famous Johann Trithemius of Spanheim, rector of St. James in Würzburg, one of the greatest adepts of magic, alchemy and astrology. It was under the guidance of this teacher that Paracelsus' inclinations towards the occult sciences received a special development and practical application. The craving for the occult led him to the laboratory of the rich Sigismund Funer in Schwarz (Tyrol), who was also a famous alchemist. Later, Paracelsus traveled widely. He traveled to Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Russia. It is believed that he visited India when he was captured by the Tatars and taken to the Khan. During the stay of Paracelsus in the Tatar captivity, the Eastern teachers of the occult revealed their secret teachings to him. In the West at that time they did not know about the properties of the astral body, about the septenary structure of man. Paracelsus wrote a lot about the spirits of nature, but, describing them, he replaced the eastern terms with the corresponding names from Germanic mythology in order to facilitate the understanding of these issues by his compatriots. Probably Paracelsus remained with the Tatars until 1512, since in 1521 he arrived in Constantinople and received the philosopher's stone there.

Paracelsus traveled around the Danubian countries and visited Italy, where he served as a military surgeon in the Imperial Army and took part in many military expeditions of that time. In his wanderings, he collected a lot of useful information, not only from doctors, surgeons and alchemists, but also communicating with executioners, barbers, shepherds, Jews, gypsies, midwives and soothsayers. He drew knowledge from both great and small scientists and among the common people. He could be found among cattle drivers or vagabonds, on the roads and in taverns, which was the reason for the cruel reproaches that his enemies poured out in their narrow-mindedness. He spent 10 years wandering, sometimes practicing his art of medicine, sometimes teaching or walking. At the age of 32, he returned to Germany, where he soon became famous after several amazing cases of healing the sick.

In 1525 Paracelsus went to Basel. In 1527, the city council appointed him professor of physics, medicine and surgery, putting a high salary. His lectures, unlike the speeches of his colleagues, were not a simple repetition of the opinions of Galen, Hippocrates and Avicenna. The teachings of Paracelsus were indeed his own. He taught without regard to the opinions of others, earning the applause of his students and horrifying his orthodox colleagues by violating the established custom of teaching only what could be reliably backed up by established, generally accepted evidence. Whether or not it was compatible with reason and truth. At the same time, he served as chief city doctor. Under his supervision were all city pharmacies. He checked whether the pharmacists knew their business well and whether they had real medicines in sufficient quantities. By this he incurred the hatred of pharmacists and pharmacists. Other physicians and professors, jealous of his success in teaching and curing ailments, joined in the persecution under the pretext that his appointment as a university professor was made without their consent and that Paracelsus was a foreigner - no one knows where he came from, and it is not known whether he is real doctor. As a result, Paracelsus was forced to secretly and hastily leave Basel in July 1528 and return to a wandering life, followed by numerous students.

In 1528 Paracelsus came to Colmar, and in 1529 and 1530. he visited Esslingen and Nuremberg. The "real" doctors from Nuremberg slandered him as a swindler, a charlatan and an impostor. To refute their accusations, he asked the city council to entrust him with the treatment of several patients whose diseases were considered incurable. To him were sent patients with elephantiasis, whom he cured in a short time, without asking for any payment. But this success did not change the life of Paracelsus, who, it seemed, was destined for the fate of a wanderer. He visited many cities. In 1536 he settled in Salzburg, where he was invited by Duke Ernst, a great lover of secret sciences. There, Paracelsus was finally able to see the fruits of his labors and gain fame. However, he was not destined to enjoy such well-deserved peace for a long time. On September 24, 1541, after a short illness, he died (at the age of 48) in a small room at the White Horse Hotel. They buried him in the cemetery of St. Sebastian. The circumstances of his death are still unclear, but the most recent research confirms the version of his contemporaries, according to which Paracelsus was attacked during a dinner party by bandits hired by one of the healers, his enemies. As a result of a fall on a stone, his skull was crushed, which led to death a few days later. On the base of the monument to Paracelsus there is an inscription: “Here lies Philip Theophrastus of the title of Doctor of Medicine, who healed many ulcers, gout, dropsy and some incurable contagious diseases of the body with miraculous art. He honored the poor with the distribution and giving of his property. In the year 1541, on the 24th day of September, he changed life for death.

2. Contribution to the development of medicine

Paracelsus was undoubtedly a great physician. Now, when the history of medicine is remembered, he is put in the top three of the greatest physicians of the past: to the right of Hippocrates and to the left of Galen.

It is difficult even to list all his achievements and discoveries. First of all, he was the founder of a new, progressive direction in natural science - iatrochemistry (or iatrochemistry, from the Greek "iatros" - doctor), the science of searching chemicals and methods of treatment, as well as chemical changes in the body during its disease. He believed that the union of chemistry and medicine would lead to the progress of both sciences, and the future proved him right. Iatrochemistry lasted until the second half of the 18th century. and had a significant benefit to chemistry and pharmaceutics, gradually freeing them from the influence of scholasticism and alchemy and significantly expanding knowledge of vital chemical compounds.

Paracelsus, not without reason, believed that certain chemical components in the body are in constant balance, the violation of which leads to illness. Therefore, the patient should be given such substances that are able to restore the harmony of the chemical functions of the body. To restore balance, Paracelsus introduced drugs of mineral origin into practice - compounds of arsenic, copper, iron, antimony, lead, mercury, etc. - in addition to traditional herbal preparations. Glory to Paracelsus was brought by his mercury preparations against syphilis, which he proposed to use instead of guaiac resin, which he considered useless, a medicine brought from America.

With the advent of Paracelsus, humanity abandoned the cauterization of wounds with boiling oil and the amputation of wounded members of the body: it turned out that even serious wounds heal themselves if they are cleansed of pus, preventing further blood poisoning. Other diseases considered incurable before Paracelsus include ulcers, dropsy, leprosy, and gout.

Along with chemical preparations, Paracelsus also used herbal medicines in medical practice. When choosing medicinal plant he adhered to the naive doctrine of signatures, which arose in antiquity, according to which the shape of a plant, its color, taste and smell can serve as an indication of the disease for which it should be used. For example, for jaundice, you need to use plants with yellow flowers(immortelle, celandine), plants with kidney-shaped leaves - for kidney diseases. prickly thistle was used for colic in the stomach and to scare away "evil spirits", and the similarity of ginseng and mandrake roots with a human figure gave reason to consider them as a panacea.

Paracelsus was the first to introduce alcohol extracts from plants (extracts and tinctures) into medical practice. With the help of alcohol or "water of life", obtained shortly before by the alchemist Lull, he tried to isolate from them the "quintessence", i.e. medicinal substance in its pure form. Galenic preparations obtained with the help of other solvents (water, vinegar, honey), he considered insufficiently purified and therefore not very effective.

In pharmacology, Paracelsus developed a new idea for his time about the dosage of drugs: “Everything is poison and nothing deprives it of its poisonousness; one dose alone makes the poison invisible.

Perhaps no one remembers that Paracelsus was the one who first invented the pill. Since then, the tablet has slightly transformed and deformed, but Paracelsus came up with the idea of moisturizing and pressing the powder.

Paracelsus made a real revolution in medicine, the first to offer an anesthetic - opium. In general, he often purified opium and used it on a large scale. It should be noted that before Paracelsus, surgery did not know anesthesia, and patients were slaughtered, one might say, “alive”.

Hydrotherapy is one of the areas in medicine in which Paracelsus not only succeeded - some mineral water sources were first discovered by Paracelsus and could rightfully bear his name.

Paracelsus devoted his entire conscious life and medical practice to the promotion of hygiene and cleanliness, being sure that the soap, which, by the way, it was he who first began to cook, can not only destroy pathogenic bacteria and cleanse the body, but also become a real panacea from the plague that raged during the time of Paracelsus.

Paracelsus paid special attention to the pharmacy. In a letter to the master of Basel, he revealed the shortcomings of the work of the pharmacy, demanded that measures be taken to improve the education of pharmacists, and exposed the dishonesty of doctors and pharmacists. From pharmacists, Paracelsus demanded a good knowledge of chemistry, since pharmacies, in his opinion, should also be good chemical laboratories. Theophrastus and his followers greatly increased the number of medicinal substances, substantiated the doctrine of the dose, improved many instruments and apparatus for the manufacture and analysis of drugs. In the manufacture of medicines, Paracelsus strongly recommended the use of scales.

The success of Paracelsus in chemistry is amazing. In 1526, for the first time, he introduced an instrument absolutely necessary for all modern chemists - water bath and discovered the sour salt "tartar" - the potassium salt of tartaric acid, in 1530 - discovered a new element zinc and described its chemical properties, and in 1537 he first obtained pure acetic acid (from table vinegar). "The first professor of chemistry from the creation of the world" called Paracelsus Alexander Ivanovich Herzen. Paracelsus was such a famous chemist that occultists credited him with the creation of the "elixir of life, Alkahest" - a mysterious combustible water, which, acting on the liver, supposedly heals the whole organism.

And it is almost certain that it is Paracelsus who is the founder of psychiatry. The fact is that he was the first to prove that "possession by the devil" or "possession" is just a mental illness that can and should be treated. He eloquently reasoned that prayers would not help here, and one should treat the mentally ill with care and humaneness.

In general, many biographers of the great doctor (Fyodorovsky, Proskuryakov) literally idolize Paracelsus, calling him “the most famous Swiss who made a revolution in spiritual being throughout Western civilization. According to their testimonies, Paracelsus was not only an outstanding physician and chemist, but also an anthropologist, astrologer, philosopher, cosmologist, visionary, mystic, and even miracle worker.

In the last fifty years, Europeans still consider him as a scientist, paying tribute to his merits in serious science. It's just that his primitive materialistic views are largely idealized, since they were not free from medieval mysticism and religion. After all, Paracelsus lived at the beginning of the 16th century, when the pursuit of science inevitably led to thoughts about the connection with magic, occultism and mysticism. That is why many of the views and teachings of Paracelsus seem modern man not just wrong, but naive and absurd. The great physician believed in the existence of natural magic in nature and in all objects, but it should not be forgotten that at that time charlatans and healers really often possessed more effective means treatment than professional doctors. Following the then fashion (which, by the way, has not died to this day, after almost five centuries), Paracelsus blindly believed in the influence of stars and planets on the whole life of people and the power of talismans depicting heavenly bodies.

But one should not judge his erroneous views too harshly. It is enough to stop taking them literally, to abstract from the ornate mystical judgments - and it becomes clear that this inquisitive researcher looked into human nature in order to understand and treat the root causes of diseases, and not their consequences. According to Paracelsus, medicine must be based on experience, observation of nature and experiment, and knowledge can be expressed in any language. “The strength of the doctor is in his heart, his work should be guided by God and illuminated by natural light and experience; the greatest basis of medicine is love... The doctor must think day and night about his patient and observe him daily, he must direct all his thoughts and thoughts to the well-considered treatment of the patient. This is how Paracelsus wrote about his vocation as a healer, hinting at what a real doctor should be like.

Some idealistic views of Paracelsus in the light of recent discoveries do not look so mystical. For example, he saw the cause of aging in the age-related violation of certain chemical reactions.

The philosophy of Paracelsus is aimed at searching for "archaea" - the highest spirit of self-regulation of human health, expressed in the relationship of soul and body. Here is how the scientist himself wrote. “Man is not a body. Heart, soul - that's a man. And the spirit is a whole star from which it is built. If, however, a person is perfect in heart, nothing in the whole world of nature can hide from him ... You can know yourself through the power of imagination. He, in general, was skeptical about magic and considered all the processes occurring in the body, exclusively from a chemical point of view, because man is an integral part of nature. Paracelsus believed in the existence of "primary matter", the world soul, or the simplicity of the heart, which had an essential expression in such an element as gold. The poor, in his opinion, possess "primary matter" to a greater extent than the rich.

Paracelsus mistakenly believed that living matter, like all world matter, consists of three main components: mercury, sulfur and salt, characterized respectively by volatility, combustibility and hardness. In this speculative naive theory, the inseparability of the scientific research of Paracelsus with the then dominant alchemy is most clearly manifested. Man for Paracelsus is a “microcosm”, living in the space of a “macrocosm”, from which he stands out only because, in addition to sulfur, mercury and salt, his composition also includes spirit, soul and body. Determining the causes of diseases, Paracelsus argued, for example, that fever and plague come from an excess of sulfur in the body, with an excess of mercury, paralysis occurs, and an excess of salt causes indigestion and dropsy. In the last statement about the ability of excess salt to cause diarrhea and dropsy due to a violation of the water-ion exchange, Paracelsus is right, but his other attempts to explain all diseases by excess or lack of three substances - nothing more than naivety.

After all, despite the reformist spirit, Paracelsus was still a man of his inveterate time. So, he firmly believed that medicine rests on four pillars: on philosophy, astrology, virtue and chemistry, although he attached decisive importance to the latter. It seems incredible how Paracelsus could successfully, perhaps better than anyone in Renaissance Europe, treat deadly diseases and terrible gunshot wounds with such naive, almost medicine men views. Apparently, therefore, many considered him a magician-healer during his lifetime, and still consider him to this day.

Conclusion

The famous philosopher, alchemist and physician of the 16th century, Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim, was an amazing, mysterious, complex and at first glance, contradictory person, whom some considered a drunkard and a brawler, others considered a misogynist, others were afraid of his clear mind and sharp tongue and persecuted, accusing him of heresy, the fourth prayed to him, worshiping him as a magician and miracle worker.

Paracelsus was a true son of the Renaissance. It is as great and complex for our understanding as this time. He was one of those whom we today call the Titan people, the creators of a new era and a new culture.

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.

List of used literature

1. Hartman Franz "The Life of Paracelsus and the Essence of His Teachings" M .: "New Acropolis" 1997 - 233 p.

2. "Great Soviet Encyclopedia" M.: 1981. - 1020 s.

3. "Medical Encyclopedia" M.: 1997. - 965 p.

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