230 PARACELSUS 



" 3. Character ales. — The physicians of this class have 

 the power to cure diseases by employing their will- 

 power " (Magnetism, Suggestion, Mind-Cure). 



" 4. Spirituales. — The followers of this system have 

 the power to employ spiritual forces, in the same sense 

 as a judge has power over a prisoner in the stocks, because 

 he is in possession of the keys. Such a physician was 

 Hippocrates" (Hypnotism, &c.). 



" 5. Fideles — i.e., those who cure by the power of Faith, 

 such as Christ and the apostles " (Magic). 



" Among these five classes, the first one is usually the 

 most orthodox and narrow-minded, and rejects the other 

 four for not being able to understand them." 



"From each of the five causes of diseases all kinds of 

 diseases may spring, and each kind of disease can there- 

 fore be divided into five classes, according to its cause. 

 There are consequently five kinds of plague and five 

 kinds of cholera, five kinds of dropsy or cancer, &c. If, 

 for instance, a plague appears, the Naturales will say it 

 is caused by a disorganisation of the bodily structures, 

 while the Astrologer will say it is caused by a certain 

 constellation of planetary influences ; but there may be 

 three more causes which produced that epidemic, and 

 which will determine its character. Moreover, each 

 disease may manifest itself in two ways, one of which 

 belongs to the department of Medicine, the other one 

 to the department of Surgery. That which radiates from 

 the centre (constitutional diseases) belongs to Medicine ; 

 that which is localised — i.e., circumscribed or confined 

 to a certain locality — belongs to Surgery.^ 



" Each physician, no matter to which sect he belongs, 

 should know the five causes of diseases and the five 

 methods of treatment ; but each method is in itself 

 sufficient to cure all diseases, no matter from what cause 

 they originate " (De Entihus Morhosom). 



1 The word "surgery" is here applied in a sense somewhat different 

 from its modem acceptation. 



