I think Paracelsus was a committed contrarian who was going against a medical system that had a lot wrong with it and how it understood the body. That means he was correct in a lot of his criticisms, but he wasn't really any better when he came up with his own ideas.
With hindsight, mercury (which was a major component of his "cures") was an unfortunate choice, but as you said, the prevailing belief at the time in the "four humors" (where you were thought to have too much or too little blood, bile, or what not if you were ill) wasn't really much better.
> Another favourite theme was to boast about his humble origins and plebeian influences – ‘I have not been ashamed to learn from tramps, butchers and barbers’ – even though he had benefited from a sound education as a child and gained a doctorate in medicine from the University of Ferrara.
I don't see the contradiction here. He does not claim to have only learned from ordinary people, just that he wasn't ashamed to do so. And that quote says nothing at all about his origins, humble or not.
In general, I don't understand the point of this article. It feels like a hit piece, but to what end?
Also, it really shouldn't come as a surprise that he was an alchemist. He lived during the sixteenth century. The alchemist that would go on to formulate classical mechanics was born a century after Paracelsus' death.
The science writer Philip Ball wrote an interesting biography of Paracelsus and his world view "The Devil's Doctor: Paracelsus and the World of Renaissance Magic and Science" that is worth a read if you are interested.
fun fact: Paracelsus (real name Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim) is the historical inspiration for the character Van Hohenheim from Fullmetal Alchemist.
I think Paracelsus was a committed contrarian who was going against a medical system that had a lot wrong with it and how it understood the body. That means he was correct in a lot of his criticisms, but he wasn't really any better when he came up with his own ideas.
With hindsight, mercury (which was a major component of his "cures") was an unfortunate choice, but as you said, the prevailing belief at the time in the "four humors" (where you were thought to have too much or too little blood, bile, or what not if you were ill) wasn't really much better.
> Another favourite theme was to boast about his humble origins and plebeian influences – ‘I have not been ashamed to learn from tramps, butchers and barbers’ – even though he had benefited from a sound education as a child and gained a doctorate in medicine from the University of Ferrara.
I don't see the contradiction here. He does not claim to have only learned from ordinary people, just that he wasn't ashamed to do so. And that quote says nothing at all about his origins, humble or not.
In general, I don't understand the point of this article. It feels like a hit piece, but to what end?
Also, it really shouldn't come as a surprise that he was an alchemist. He lived during the sixteenth century. The alchemist that would go on to formulate classical mechanics was born a century after Paracelsus' death.
The science writer Philip Ball wrote an interesting biography of Paracelsus and his world view "The Devil's Doctor: Paracelsus and the World of Renaissance Magic and Science" that is worth a read if you are interested.
Why not both? :)
fun fact: Paracelsus (real name Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim) is the historical inspiration for the character Van Hohenheim from Fullmetal Alchemist.
Revolutionary? Mystic? Come on...
The guy is clearly a fasion maven!!! I mean, look at that hat!
He seriously needs his own twerk tic channel! He's an influenza!