HISTORY OF THERAPEUTICS 15 



of philosophical and theosophical works he wrote numerous medical 

 books. Of the latter the most important are: "Commentary on 

 the Aphorisms of Hippocrates," the "Three Great Books on the 

 Treatment of Wounds," "The Hospital Book," the "Seven Books 

 on Open Wounds," "Lectures on Wounds," "Minor Surgery," 

 "The Bath of the Priests, " "Booklet on the Pestilence in the City 

 of Stertzingen, " "On the Gout," "On Syphilis." Opinion con- 

 cerning the influence of Paracelsus as a reformer of medicine was 

 formerly very much divided. Disregarding his personal short- 

 comings, with which his pupils especially reproached him, and his 

 inclination toward mysticism, there can be no doubt that Para- 

 celsus, by his thorough refutation of the crasia theory and humoral 

 pathology of Hippocrates and Galen, and through his own new, 

 chemiatric system, exerted a very great effect upon the develop- 

 ment of medicine. 



The Theory of Paracelsus. — The so-called chemiatric, chemical 

 or spagyrical system of Paracelsus was the first to associate the 

 chemical properties of medicines with their action upon the body. 

 He called these properties "virtue and force in medicines." In 

 opposition to the humors and elementary substances of Galen, he 

 attributed life and disease to organic processes within the body, and 

 spoke of a "vita propria " of the organs. Chemistry, in his opinion, 

 was the foundation of all therapeutics. We owe to him the intro- 

 duction into the materia medica of several important chemicals, 

 especially iron and its compounds, the preparations of antimony, 

 sulphur, copper, zinc, and sodium nitrate. He also gave exact 

 indications for the use of the mercurial preparations. His chief 

 remedy was opium in the form of a tincture, called after him Tinc- 

 tura Paracelsi. In place of the formerly exclusively used decoc- 

 tions, he used tinctures, extracts, and essences. He also called 

 attention to numerous chemical combinations that were incom- 

 patible, and was the first to discuss the composition and action of 

 mineral waters. His efforts in the domain of surgery were also con- 

 siderable. He was the first to declare that the surgeon should also 

 be a physician. Pus, he said, was a "natural balsam" which fav- 

 ored cicatrization, and its healing action should not be interfered 



