Four Treatises of Theophrastus Von Hohenheim Called Paracelsus

by Paracelsus

Four treatises which illustrate one of the most original minds of the Renaissance at the height of his powers. Born near Einsiedeln in 1493, Philip Theophrastus von Hohenheim, who later called himself Paracelsus, was the son of a physician. His thirst for knowledge led him to study arts in Vienna, then medicine in Italy, but the instruction left him disillusioned. He had learned to see nature with his own eyes, undiluted by the teachings of books. He was a rebellious spirit, hard-headed and stubborn, who travelled all over Europe and the British Isles to practice medicine, study local diseases, and learn from any source he could, humble as it might be. In these years of wanderings, Paracelsus developed his own system of medicine and a philosophy of theology all his own. Though he wrote a great many books that covered a wide range of subjects, only a few of his works were ever published in his lifetime. When he died in Salzburg in 1541, one of the most forceful personalities of the Renaissance died with him. Here are collected four treatises which illustrate four different aspects of Paracelsus' work. The first gives a passionate justification of his character, activities, and views, and gives a picture of the man and his basic ideas. The second treatise is a study of the diseases of miners, with whom Paracelsus had spent a great deal of time. Then follows a treatise on the psychology and psychiatry of Paracelsus. Written at a time when mental diseases were beginning to be studied and treated by physicians, this pioneering essay anticipates a number of modern views. The last essay, entitled "A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits," is a fanciful and poetic treatment of paganism and Greek mythology, as well as a good sample of Paracelsus' philosophy and theology. Together these essays show one of the most original minds of the Renaissance at the height of his powers.

Genres: Occult, Philosophy, History, Alchemy

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, who published under the name Paracelsus ("greater than Celsus," a reference to the first-century Roman encyclopedist Aulus Cornelius Celsus) was a Renaissance physician, botanist, alchemist, astrologer, and occultist. He pioneered the use of chemicals and minerals in medicine, and was among the first to credibly suggest that illness was the result of the body being attacked by outside agents, rather than an imbalance of the four Hippocratic humours. However, he is today remembered more for his contributions to alchemy and his magical theories, which stood in contrast to those of Cornelius Agrippa and Nicolas Flamel.

Reviews

[Mateusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Paracelsus' “Of Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies and Salamanders and of Other Spirits” for the first time in Polish translation, not out of some misguided pastime, but because I wanted to read what I see with my own eyes every day. With delight I love the little spirits of the elements, and in all my anger and rage the most delicate and fragile and magnificent creatures bring me calm and peace, not because of their smallness, but to the gnomes - because of their nobility, who treated me like a Gulliver, to the nymphs - because they guard their sacred rivers, when I visited one, who lived near a river where I used to live, after getting used to me she offered me splendid kisses, to sylphs and nature spirits whose works I admired and who are close to me because of my airy nature, though choleric and melancholic, martial-Saturnian but airy, and to salamanders or Vulcans, whose ferocity and passions are similar to my anger and rage. There are many other spirit worlds and just as there are the treasures of nature in the biosphere, there are many spirits that relate to the nature and substance of the ethereal worlds on earth and beyond. What I find great about Paracelsus is that he was able to separate the metaphysics he witnessed from the work of a serious physician. He reserved metaphysics for the operations of the divine, but he tried to rationalise medicine with an ardent love for the professional use of vitriol. Like his father, he was an expert in miners' medical emergencies and maladies, but surpassed the knowledge of his time in every respect. I do not have enough modern biochemical knowledge to judge all his prescriptions, but what is certain is that the sulphurous springs are still recommended today and that extracts of Cyclamen Europaeum are still recommended for asthma and sinus problems, as confirmed by modern research. Nevertheless, he was a dedicated and ingenious physician who was often misunderstood by his contemporaries. Paracelsus was not only a divine physician of spirits, which - despite his age - he distinguished from the 'devil' in this socio-historical framework of belief, but he defended the ancient spirits that accompanied people and still do today, albeit invisible to the majority. He was also a genuine, committed physician with a passion for healing who believed that no illness was considered incurable, apart from death. He took on the subject of madness and epilepsy, as well as various psychiatric illnesses, which he was the first to attempt to cure - previously this had been a study of theology rather than a genuine attempt to heal patients. Like Cornelius Agrippa, he defended beautiful spirits and, like the former, women at a time when this was dangerous. Agrippa’s beloved wife was carried off by the Black Death and, together with his assistant plague doctor, he swore to find the cure. This is all in the ancient Aesculapian, Draconian tradition of true healers working for the health and hygiene of society, physically as well as mentally and spiritually. Having finished this book, I reach for Galen’s “On Theriac to Piso” - Paracelsus disliked Galen, that mighty physician of Marcus Aurelius, but the dislike was probably attributed to his desire to distance himself from earlier reformers in order to offer a revolution he did not live to see in his lifetime. Posthumously, it is certain that his soul and spirit were crowned by his endeavours for genuine movements and his commitment to people and splendid spirits. Such books must be read by the lenses of their time, and whatsoever wise may be found in them, should be kept like a treasure in one's heart and intellect.