PARACELSUS. 223 



coming and expanding from a centre outwards and at the 

 same time holding on to their centres.'' The front (north 

 pole) of the magnet attracts, and the back (south pole) re- 

 pels; and, in cases of nervous u epilepsy where there is a 

 great determination of nervous fluid towards the brain, the 

 repulsing (negative) pole of a magnet is applied to the 

 spine and to the head, and the attracting (positive) pole of 

 other magnets upon the abdominal region." 1 



All of this reads very like an extract from a "paper" 

 by some modern "hypnotist" or magnetizer. We shall 

 encounter more of it as we approach the period of Van 

 Helmont, and Charleton, and Digby, so that it is not 

 necessary, for present purposes, to dwell longer on the sub- 

 ject. The traces of Paracelsus' fancies, either original or 

 revamped, constantly appear in the scientific works of the 

 sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, like bar- 

 nacles fouling and delaying the ship. Even Norman 

 turns aside to contradict his statement, that a magnet, 

 when u made red-hot, and quenched in the oil of Crocus 

 Martis," will become so increased in strength as to be 

 competent to pull a nail out of the wall. u But I suppose 

 he meant not that the nail should be fast," adds Norman 

 drily, "for then it were a miraculous matter;" which be- 

 ing applied to a miracle-monger of singular flamboyancy, 

 savors of the sarcastic. 



1 The foregoing extracts are from the Paramirum of Paracelsus. See 

 his Life by Mr. Franz Hartmann ' v London, 1887, pp. 138-431). 





