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BIOGRAPHIES OF GREAT SCIENTISTS
Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, nicknamed Paracelsus. Biography of a scientist
Directory / Biographies of great scientists
In the XNUMXth century, a new figure emerges between alchemy and medicine in the sky of Western science: Paracelsus is an amazing doctor and alchemist, surgeon, bully and duellist, who is equally good at using both a lancet and a sword. "The real purpose of chemistry is not to make gold, but to make medicine!" - these words determined the life credo of Paracelsus. Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, nicknamed Paracelsus, was born on November 10, 1493 near the village of Einsiedeln (Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland). Following the example of his father, Paracelsus began to study medicine quite early in Germany, France and Italy. Already in the years of teaching, Paracelsus became interested in chemistry. He not only made experiments, but also worked in mines and mining plants. But Paracelsus attached the greatest importance to the use of chemistry in medicine, which led to the emergence of iatrochemistry. When Paracelsus was a student, chemistry as a separate specialty was not taught at universities. Theoretical ideas about chemical phenomena were considered in the course of philosophy in the light of general ideas about the emergence and disappearance of substances. Numerous apothecaries and alchemists were engaged in experimental work in the field of chemistry. The latter, making experiments on the "transmutation" of metals, not only discovered new methods for obtaining various substances, but also developed the natural philosophical teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle, Empedocles, Leucippus, Democritus. According to these teachings, all substances in nature are composed of simpler parts called elements. Such elements, according to Leucippus and Democritus, were atoms - the smallest particles of qualityless primary matter, different only in size and shape. In 1515 Theophrastus received the degree of doctor of medicine in Florence. But the acquired knowledge did not satisfy Paracelsus. Observing how often doctors with their knowledge, which has changed quite a bit since antiquity, turn out to be powerless at the bedside of the patient, Paracelsus decided to improve this area by introducing new ideas about diseases and methods of treating patients. When creating a new system of medicine, Paracelsus relied on the knowledge he gained during his travels to different countries. According to him, he listened to lectures by medical luminaries at major universities, at medical schools in Paris and Montpellier, visited Italy and Spain. Was in Lisbon, then went to England, changed course to Lithuania, wandered into Poland, Hungary, Wallachia, Croatia. And everywhere diligently and diligently asked and memorized the secrets of the art of healing. Not only doctors, but also barbers, bath attendants, healers. He tried to find out how they take care of the sick, what means they use. Then Paracelsus practiced everything he had learned during his search. For some time he served as a doctor in the army of the Danish king Christian, participated in his campaigns, worked as a paramedic in the Dutch army. Army practice gave him the richest material. In 1524, Paracelsus finally decided to stop his wanderings and settle in Salzburg; however, a year later, the scientist had to urgently leave this city, since his support for the struggle of the peasants against the feudal lords incurred the wrath of the city authorities. The scientist spent 1526 in Strasbourg, and the following year he was invited to the post of city doctor in the large Swiss trading city of Basel. Paracelsus managed to cure one rich man, who could not be helped by the best doctors of the city. He was invited to take the chair of medicine at the University of Basel. At the very first lecture, before the eyes of the astonished students, he burned the works of Galen and Avicenna and declared that even the ties of his shoes knew more than these ancient sputum-makers. At the city university, Paracelsus for the first time began to lecture to medical students in German instead of traditional Latin. So the new professor fought against the dogmatic medicine of the Middle Ages, closely connected with theology. The philosophical views of Paracelsus, set forth by him in many works, boiled down to the following: there must be harmony between nature and man. A necessary condition for the creation of a rational social system is the joint work of people and their equal participation in the use of material goods. In the philosophical works of Paracelsus, the main arguments are also given against the theological ideology of the Middle Ages, hostile to natural science, and a sharp criticism of social relations in the days of feudalism and the era of early capitalism is given. In 1528, Paracelsus had to secretly leave Basel, where he was threatened with trial for freethinking. He is forced to wander in the mountainous regions of Aschenzell, moving from village to village, occasionally healing the peasants. Paracelsus wanted to stay in Colmar, to practice medicine. But he only stayed there for six months. He could not put up with the ignorance, the quackery of persons dressed in doctoral robes, and in Colmar remained true to himself. In Colmar, they talked about Paracelsus as about the most skillful doctor. He was able to raise patients to their feet, whom other doctors considered hopeless. His popularity grew. However, not everyone liked his independent behavior, harsh judgments about his fellow workers, and his refusal to blindly adore authorities. In addition, Paracelsus was engaged in alchemy, diligently studied the works of Eastern magicians and mystics. A person who is carried away, inquisitive, he showed interest in everything where, as it seemed to him, something new could be discovered. He was mistaken, often fell into the thrall of superstitious ideas, suffered setbacks, but continued his search. All this gave food for various conjectures that Paracelsus entered into intercourse with the devil himself. The situation was aggravated by the fact that Catholics continued to maintain their positions in Colmar. They zealously watched to ensure that no one dared to make judgments that ran counter to established ideas. Only the canons consecrated by the Catholic Church were recognized as valid, any attempt to revise them was declared blasphemous. At any moment, Paracelsus could be charged with heresy and massacred against him. From Colmar, the wanderer's path lay in Esslingen, and then Paracelsus moved to Nuremberg, where he hoped to publish his writings. By that time he had written a lot. In his travel luggage lay several hundred pages of essays. He wrote down his observations, drew conclusions, expressed his own opinions. He was extremely efficient. There is evidence that Paracelsus sometimes spent several days at his desk, almost without sleep. Finally happiness smiled at him. One by one he managed to publish four books. But then unexpectedly followed the decision of the city magistrate to prohibit the further printing of his works. The reason for this was the demand of professors and doctors of the medical faculty of the University of Leipzig, who were indignant at the writings of Paracelsus. They could not accept the innovations of Paracelsus, because they were in the grip of the prevailing ideas, which were perceived as the truth. And then, in desperation, he abandoned everything and left Nuremberg, heading to Innsbruck, hoping to finally take up a permanent medical practice, which he pretty much yearned for. But the burgomaster did not believe that the man who appeared in Innsbruck in a tattered dress and with rough hands, like those of a simple peasant, was a doctor. He ordered the impostor to leave the city. Accidentally learning that there is an epidemic of plague in Sterzing, Paracelsus goes to this city. Going around the houses of the sick, preparing his medicines, he persistently tried to understand what were the causes of this terrible disease, how epidemics could be prevented, and by what means the patients should be treated. But when the epidemic ended, Paracelsus was not needed in Sterzing either. He was forced to wander along the roads again, changing city after city, hoping that in one of them the city authorities would nevertheless honor him with attention. But even where the authorities would not have been averse to inviting Paracelsus, the Catholic clergy strongly objected, and the Protestants always considered Paracelsus an undesirable person. And suddenly happiness smiled at him again. In Ulm, and then in Augsburg, his work "Great Surgery" was published. And this book did what Paracelsus had been striving for for many years. She made people talk about him as an outstanding physician. Like the alchemists, Paracelsus proceeded from the idea that all substances are composed of elements that can combine with each other. When substances decompose, the elements are separated. But unlike the alchemists, Paracelsus emphasized the material nature of the three principles: "sulphur" - the beginning of combustibility, "mercury" - the beginning of volatility, "salt" - the beginning of fire resistance. Considering that each of the four elements of Aristotle should consist of these beginnings, Paracelsus wrote: "Each element consists of three beginnings: mercury, sulfur and salt." Essentially new in the teachings of Paracelsus was that he considered the composition of all bodies in the same way, including the human body. Man, Paracelsus believed, is formed by the spirit, soul and body. Violation of the mutual balance of the main elements leads to disease. If there is an excess of sulfur in the body, then a person becomes ill with a fever or plague. With an excess of mercury, paralysis occurs. And too much salt causes indigestion and dropsy. The doctor's task is to find out the relationship between the main elements in the patient's body and restore their balance. Therefore, this disturbed balance can be restored with the help of certain chemicals. Therefore, the primary task of chemistry Paracelsus considered the search for substances that could be used as medicines. To this end, he tested the effect on people of various compounds of copper, lead, mercury, antimony, arsenic. Paracelsus acquired particular fame, very successfully using mercury preparations for the treatment of syphilis, which was widespread at that time. Paracelsus did a lot of chemical experiments. He composed medicines, experimented, and dictated the results to a secretary who wrote them down and translated them into Latin. Many of his thoughts were distorted in translation, and then again corrupted by enemies. Paracelsus was accused of "turning living bodies into chemical laboratories, where various organs, like stills, ovens, retorts, reagents, are dissolved, macerated (soaked - Today it would be said that Paracelsus modeled the processes of interest to him. His chemical model of the life of the organism was crude, but materialistic and progressive for its era. So, after the publication of the book, the position of Dr. Paracelsus happily changed. He is received in the best houses, noble nobles turn to him. He treats Marshal of the Kingdom of Bohemia Johann von Leipnik. In Vienna, King Ferdinand himself honors him with attention. The acclaimed eternal wanderer used this to make up for lost time. Again, he sits at the table for days and nights, writing down his thoughts, trying to have time to tell people about what he has learned in his life, to share his experience with them. He believes that the methods he developed for the treatment of certain diseases, the drugs introduced into medical practice for the first time, the technique of surgical operations that he developed, will provide considerable assistance to physicians. He seemed to feel that his life was coming to an end. Years of wandering, hard work, constant struggle with enemies undermined his body. His last refuge is Salzburg. Finally, he can take up medical practice and write works, not worrying that tomorrow, perhaps, he will have to move to another city. He has his own little house on the outskirts, has an office, his own laboratory. He now has everything, except for one thing - health. A fatal illness lies in wait for him on one of the September days of 1541. A large stone was placed on the grave of Paracelsus in Salzburg. The carver carved a simple inscription on it: "Philip-Theophrastus, an excellent doctor of medicine, is buried here, who healed severe wounds, leprosy, gout, dropsy and other incurable diseases of the body with ideal art and bequeathed his property to be divided and donated to the poor. In 1541, on the 24th day September he exchanged life for death. Author: Samin D.K.
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