20 PARACELSUS 



any memoranda or manuscripts. On taking an in- 

 ventory of his goods after his death, a Bible, a Biblical 

 Concordance, a Commentary to the Bible, and a written 

 book on Medicine were all the books that could be found 

 in his possession. Even earlier than Luther he had 

 publicly burned a Papal bull, and with it the writings 

 of Galen and Avicenna. He says : " Reading never made 

 a physician. Medicine is an art, and requires practice. 

 If it were sufficient to learn to talk Latin, Greek, and 

 Hebrew to become a good physician, it would also be 

 sufficient for one to read Livius to become a great com- 

 mander-in-chief. I began to study my art by imagining 

 that there was not a single teacher in the world capable 

 to teach it to me, but that I had to acquire it myself. 

 It was the book of Nature, written by the finger of God, 

 which I studied — not those of the scribblers, for each 

 scribbler writes down the rubbish that may be found in 

 his head ; and who can sift the true from the false ? My 

 accusers complain that I have not entered the temple of 

 knowledge through the ' legitimate door.' But which 

 one is the truly legitimate door ? Galenus and Avicenna 

 or Nature ? I have entered through the door of Nature : 

 her light, and not the lamp of an apothecary's shop, has 

 illuminated my way." 



Great stress was laid by his accusers upon the fact 

 that he wrote the greater part of his books and taught 

 his doctrines in the German language, and not, as was 

 then customary, in Latin. But this was one of his most 

 important acts ; because in so doing he produced a refor- 

 mation in science similar to the one that Luther produced 

 in the Church. He rejected the time-honoured use of the 

 Latin language, because he believed that the truth could 

 as well be expressed in the language of the country in 

 which he lived. This daring act was the beginning of 

 free thought in science, and the old belief in authorities 

 began to weaken. It is probable that Paracelsus would 

 never have attained his knowledge if he had permitted 



