HE/

JOANNES

BAPTISTA
c,

HELMONT

VAN
ALCHEMIST,

AND

PHILOSOPHER

H. STANLEY

BY

REDGROVE,

B.Sc.(Lond.),F.c.s.

AND

M.

L.

REDGROVE

AUTHORS

"JOSEPH

GLANVILL

AND

RESEARCH

IN

"

SEVENTEENTH

WITH

OF

PSYCHICAL
CENTURY

PORTRAIT

FRONTISPIECE

LONDON
WILLIAM
8.n

.RIDER
PATERNOSTER

"

SON,
ROW,

1922

i:

"Aq.

PHYSICIAN

V^

LTD.
E.C.

THE

1FD1CAL

CENTEK

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I
PAGE

Paracelsian

The

Reformation

cine
Medi-

of

CHAPTER

Van

Helmont's
Early

own

Life

II

Account

of

Studies

and

.12
.

CHAPTER

Travels

III

Trials

and

.24
.

CHAPTER

Mysticism

37

(a) Epistemology

(6)

IV

Magic

and

his

37

Ontology

41
.

(c) Psychology

{d)

The

Power

43
of

Magnetism

46

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

PAGE

Alchemical

Achievements

.62
.

(a)

Researches

Gases

on

.52
.

(b)

Researches

Conservation

on

56
.

(c)

The

First

Matter

.57
.

{d)

The

Transmutation

Metals

of

59
.

VI

CHAPTER

The

Advancement

of

Art

Healing

the

65
.

(a)

Physiology

.65
.

(b)

Pathology

.73
.

(c)

{d)

Therapeutics
The

Elixir

.79

of

Life

.83

BAPTISTA

JOANNES

VAN

HELMONT

CHAPTER

In

the

began

to

be

of

in

taking

was

and

of

found

wit

to

man,

accomplished

Their

focal

point

Mddle

as

in

philosophy,

Galen
men

and

the

dared

none

and
were

their

majesty

works

the

past

of

of

work

too, did

so,

"

focus

those

medicine.
of

celsus
Parathe

throughout

"

so

dared

none

Avicenna
three

to

came

in

to

achieved

master-mind

the

not

based
been
on
^thought had
fettered
and, just
by tradition
;
question the teaching of Aristotle

Ages
and

authority

results
beneficial

reformation

In

which
domain

the

which

forces

the

was

that

with

Luther,

the

(1493-1541).
later

in

expression

Martin

which

time

Church

the

effectual

to

more)

the

as

of medicine

world

and

even

there

century

similar

same

theology,

reformation

one

the

at

Just

posterity.
and

in the

ways

perhaps

{nay,

the

many

place

reUgion

less

sixteenth

the

accompHshed

revolution

of

early part

MEDICINE

OF

REFORMATION

PARACELSIAN

THE

of
are

of man's

in

medicine.

the

world's

permanent

thought.
7

question

these

Truly,
master

minds,
to

monuments

But

not

of

that

by

bhnd

BAPTISTA

JOANNES

reliance

of the past was

to be achieved.

the work

on

HELMONT

VAN

of Nature

by man
had
stagnated into scholasticism
medicine
a
was
similar, and
necessary

if progress

was

the

conquest

Philosophythe

of

state

revolution

was

to be made.

ever

science
of
no
Strictly speaking, there was
chemistry in the modern
meaning of the term
Boyle (1626-1691),
prior to the time of Robert

first defined

who

chemical

element

as

it

is

But, in the wider meaning of

back
the
to
term, chemistry goes
preliistoric
with a fair degree of accuracy
times, and we may
four
its history into
divide
periods, the third
Paracelsus
initiated.
of which
Chemistry and
medicine
necessarilyhave always been and must
Paracelsus
in close association.
always remain
fused them
into a whole, to the benefit of both.
logical
In its earhest days chemistry was
purely technounderstood.

now

the

term

taken

to

cover

such

smelter, the dyer and the

period of its history
pharmacist. The second
that of alchemy,^ when, under
the impetus
was
of a
mystical theory of the Universe, which
the metals
likened
and accepted analogy
to man
sopher's
its guiding light,men
as
sought for the Philothem
endow
with
would
Stone, which
into gold,
all base metals
youth and transmute
minerathus achieving in the physiologicaland
logicalworlds a work
analogous to that of the
this
Under
spiritof Christ in the heart of man.
crafts

H.

For
S.

as

those

be

may

full

of the

account

Redgrove's

Edition, London,

of

Alchemy

1922), and

alchemy
:

in

all

its

bearings see
(Second
Bygone Beliefs(London, 1920).
Ancient

and

Modern

OF

REFORMATION

MEDICINE

experimental work of a chemical

impetus much
valuable
discoveries
natm^e
was
done, and many
the whole
the alchemical
were
made, but on
circumscribe
the
rather
to
hypothesis tended
look
sphere of chemical research and to hmit its outand

aims.
that

taught

the

primary object
the
of chemistry was
preparation of drugs
their purification
and the discovery of new
ones.
His theory of the three principles salt,sulphur
Paracelsus

"

"

and
in

mercury

all

their

"

he

beheved

things, good health in man

right proportion, disease
does

very

^which

not

from

different

Galen's

be

present

being

due

their

portion,
dispro-

to

the

to

seem

to

modern

doctrine

to

mind
of

four

corresponding to the four AristoteHan

elements, namely, blood, corresponding to air,
phlegm to water, choler to fire and black choler
sickness
to earth, which, according to him, cause
humours

health

and

difference
that

his

remedies.
minerals

much

in

the

same

But

way.

the

of vital and

theory

importance was
supreme
led Paracelsus
to seek for chemical

Galen
in their

purify them

was

crude

and

with

content
state

herbs

Paracelsus
their

and

sought

quintessence.
Both as a teacher and as a physician,Paracelsus,
ably
in spite of most
vigorous opposition, was remarkHis
successful.
followers, that is to say,
in the
those
believed
union
of chemistry
who
medicine
and approached the science in the
and
free Paracelsian
spirit,without necessarilyaccepting
all Paracelsus's
of
some
peculiar doctrines
which
as
are
are
usually known
very fantastic
to

to extract

"

"

10 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

VAN

HELMONT

constitutes
iatro-chemists,and their work
the
third
period in the history of chemistry.
But
it must
not, however, be supposed that,
because
a new
impetus had been given to chemical
of alchemy
carded.
disresearch, the doctrines
were
cluding
Practically all the iatro-chemists,inParacelsus
the
in
himself, believed
of them
possibility of transmutation.
Many
essayed to achieve it, and two or three claimed
been
successful.
to have
During the
century
the

and

half

which

separates

Paracelsus

from

medicine
made
chemistry and
Boyle, both
and
their
union
rapid progress,
strengthened
Thenceforward
it became
both of them.
possible
for each
science
to travel
along its own
path
individual
towards
its own
perfection.
there
Of the iatro-chemists
is none
greater
than
Joannes
Helmont, who
Baptista van
may
the
of his
justly be termed
greatest chemist
of any
or
preceding, age.
Writing of him,
own,
that he was
Professor E. von
Meyer remarks
"

"

One

of the

eminent

and

independent
Endowed
with rich acquirechemists
of his time.
ments
and experiences in medicine
and chemistry,
of his contemporaries who
he surpassed those
field
he fought against
in the same
laboured
the old medical
buted
system, and materially contriby his brilliant services in bringing about
iatro-chemisits fall. Without
van
Helmont,
have
attained
the
to
never
height
try would
it was
to which
subsequently raised by Sylvius
In addition, he enriched
and
Tachenius.
pure
most

...

REFORMATION

chemistry

by

observations."

to

B.

Helmont

van

in medicine

both

of

thinker."

But

modern

was

in the

sense

widest

claimed

conflict

reminds
Medicine

nor

of

us

never

profound

so

and
only a chemist
pliilosopherand mystic
not

"

of the

term,

interesting
alchemist, but

an

have

metal

so

He

observer

also

carried

hfe

the
because

of the

many

of

with

hght with
tradition, of truth

with

hate.

to

of

hfe

martyrs
darkness,

not

was

who

those

transmutation

of every
it shows

with

he

note,
the

His

of wisdom.

man

one

out

gold.

into

only because
interesting, but
of

greatest figure

Aristotle.

was

not

lives

the

it is

to

of base

him

times.

Helmont

physician, he

merely

valuable

van

Moreover,

of

equally competent

is

was

Hippocrates and
so
penetrating an

had

11

J. A.

"J.

MEDICINE

great number

very

who
Mandon,
judge, WT-ites concerning

Dr.

OP

interesting,
is
great man

is

us

"

do

as

of science
of

free

"

the
^the

enquiry

dogmatism,

of love

History of Chemistry from Earliest

Times
McGowan
the Present
Trans,
to
by George
Day.
80
and
81.
Edition,
London,
(Third
1906), pp.
1

Ernst

von

J.

Mandon

etc.,
par

A.

Memoires
VAcademie

Meyer

"

des

J.

Concours

Royale

(Bruxelles, 1866),

p.

555.

de

B.

Helmont,

van

et

des

Medecine

Savants
de

sa

Biographie,"

etrangers,

Belgique,

publies
tome

vi

II

CHAPTER
HELMONT'S

VAN

own

Brussels

in

of

his

de

Baptist

Stassart,

lifetime

death,

families

his

youngest

Enghsh
London

the

by

Or,

It

reissued

was

of

three

discovered
the

in

the

tome
"

first

Medicince

Ortus

translated

was

the

under

and

reissued

title

pubhshed

was

in

with

1664

Workes.

Helmonfs

the

It

Hippocrates.
published
chapter,

(Antwerp,
in

1853),

d'

are

Particulars
his

commentaries
of

will

12

be

were

published

one,

published

de

Belgique,
the

bears

title,

restitutam,"

Paracelso

works

be

and

Archeologie

on

the

lifetime

these,

327-92,

pp.

which

century
Of

medicam

artem

during

Broeckx.

here

may

Helmont,

van

last

V Academie

de

others

by
the

of

C.

Mention

times.

works

middle

by

time

Annales
X

several

early
the

in

Eisagoge

whilst

of

Refined,

Van

lished
pub-

was

Mercurius

Chandler,

of

name

his

upon

Franciscus

book

being

his^

Jan.

for

1662,

but

writings

title

This

John

Physic

or

in

new

made

the

1648)."^

of Oriatrike,
in

son,

under

(Amsterdam,

his

the

During

works,

of

of

one

Brabant.

few

Marie

mother,

from

of

body

main

Helmont,

into

descended

in

child

j^oungest

his

through

born

was

the

was

published

the

by
van

He

was

he

Helmont

van

and

illustrious

most

1577.

parents,

LIFE

STUDIES

AND

Joannes

EARLY

HIS

OF

ACCOUNT

of

two

of
found

the
van

in

books

of

Helmont
the

next

STUDIES
other

into several

also translated

was

AND

LIFE

EARLY

13

languages.
interesting

Chapter II the author gives an

led to
autobiographicalsketch of how he was
become
a
physician,which forms practicallythe
of the details of his early
sole authority for most
than
to us
life. Rather
paraphrase it, it seems
in
the
more
interesting to give the account
quaint EngHsh of the first translator,which is as
In

follows
"

the

In

year

1580, the

miserable

most

to

one

Father
Countries, my
Belgium, or the Low
I being the youngest, and of least esteem
died.
and
For I was
Brethren
Sisters.
of my
brought
aU

the

finished
was

to

had

onely

made

the

the

in

of

none

and

Gown,

Arts,

degrees

in

certain

kinde

whole

rash

behef

of

to

Professors

that
mock

of young

as

year
since I

Lovaine

for sometime
were

I did

to

take

admire

to

be

men.

in

I drew

my

past,
their
at

Professors,and
also the simphcity

dotage

World,

at

had

Right and Will.

admitted
to Examinations,
with
masked
a
Hood, as
did promise Learning ; I

men

young

expose

the

Therefore

Mother, I seemed
sole disposer of my
saw

1594

Philosophy, which

seventeenth.

though the Garment

began to know, that
did

year

I
a

the

in

course

me

Wherefore
but

But

Studies.

in

up

so

of

the
in

the

self into

reasoning, that at leastwise I

I
judgement, how much
might know by my own
I had
whether
a
was
Phylosopher, I examined
gotten truth, or knowledge.
for certainty,that I was
blown up
I found
account

an

"

or

BAPTISTA

14 JOANNES

VAN

HELMONT

the forbidden
Letter, and (as it were
Apple being eaten) to be plainly naked, save,
Then
that I had learned
to wrangle.
artificially
within
first I came
to know
self,that I knew
my
that which
of no
was
nothing, and that I knew
For
the Sphere in natural
worth.
Phylosophy,
did seem
to promise something of knowledge, to
I had joyned the Astrolobe, the
which therefore
the speculations
of the Ring or Circle, and
use
Also I was
of the Planets.
diligentin the Art
the
Science
of Logick, and
Mathematical, for
delights sake, as often as the reading of other
on
me.
things had brought a wearisomeness
I joyned the
Whereto
Elements, or first
Principlesof Euclide ; and this Learning, I had
Genius
natural
made
sociable to my
or
wit,
it contained
truth ; but by chance, the
because
art of knowing the Circle of Cornelius
Gemma, as
hand.
of another
to
Metaphysick, came
my
Nicholas
Which,
seeing it onely commended
the
Copernicus, I left not off, till I had made

with

the

"

familiar

same

unto

me.

Whence

I learned

the

or
excentricities,
things not having one and
of the
circular motion
the same
Center, another
Heavens
and
I presumed, that whatsoever
so
:
I had gotten concerning the Heavens, with great
not
worthy of the time bestowed
pains, was

vain

about
"

it.
Therefore

or
little,

no

the

Study
with

account

of
me,

of
Astronomy, was
because
it promised

vain
truth, but very many
Course,
having finished my
things. Therefore
when
I knew
as
nothing that was sound, nothing

little of

certainty

or

that

was

Arts

play

the

being unfiling

Master

me

Scholar.

knowledge,
from

seK

my

the

true, I refused
with

me,

of the

seven

fool

Therefore
but
the

not

STUDIES

AND

LIFE

EARLY

that

Title

15

of

of Master

Professors

should

they should declare

not
was
Ai^ts,who
yet
I
seeking truth, and

that

their

appearance,

withdrew

Schooles.

promised me, so
self free to Theology or
make
that I would
my
affrightedme from it,
Divinity ; But S. Bernard
eat the sins of the people. But
because
I should
safe
I begged of the Lord
Jesus, that he would vouchI might most
call me
to
thither, where
the year, wherein
the
it was
For
please him.
had
Jesuites
Philosophy at
begun to teach
Lovaine, the King, Nobles, and University,being
against it ; and that thing, together with them,
forbidden
was
by Cle^nent the Eighth. But their
Scholars
aspiring to their Degree, they had
"

wealthy Cannonship

assembled

them

to

the

was

School-houses

but

rich,they did allure with

others, and the more
of
the pleasant Study of Geography : and
one
first being
del Rio, who
the Professors, Marline
afterwards
in Spain, and
the Judge of Tur^na
of Brabant, being allured
in the Senate
wearied
to the
Society, and had resorted thither also,
tions
did expound the disquisitions,
or
dihgentexaminathe Readings I greedily
Both
of Magick.
of a Harvest,
And
at length, instead
received.
I gathered onely empty
stubbles,and most poor
patcheries,void of judgement.
hoiure
should
the
In
mean
time, least an
without
L.
vanish
fruit, I rub'd over
away
"

BAPTISTA

16 JOANNES

VAN

HELMONT

and
Seneca, who
greatly pleased me,
I
seemed, in
especially Epictetus. Therefore
the juyce of
moral
Philosophy, to have found
then
truth : and
presently I thought, this was
that for which Pythagoras might require the strict

AnncBUS

Silences of

so

years, an excellent judgement,

notable
At length, a
obedience.

many

therefore

and

Cajyuchin to be
Indeed
Christian Stoick.
a
Study for Eternity,
smiled on me
; but for so great austereness, my
hinder ance.
tender
health was
I prayed
a
more
the Prince
of life divers times, that he would
give strength, whereby I might contemplate of
the
naked
truth, and
immediately love it.
this desire in me,
of Kempis, increased
Thomas

few

being changed,

years

Taulerus.

afterwards

and

and

whose
Heaven

seemed
Diameter
:

And

when

sumed,
pre-

certainly believed, that through

did profitin Christian perfection,at

Stoicisme, I
length, after some
exercise, I fell into
"

saw

to

stay and
a

that

in

Dream.
made

be

reached

for above

weariness

from

hovered

empty

an

the
a

Earth

Bubble,
even

flesh-eater

to

but

below, in the place of the Earth, was a bottomless

I was
hugely agast, and also
pit of darkness.
self.
I fell out of all knowledge of things,and my
But
self,I understood
by one
returning to my
conception, that in Christ Jesus, we live, move,
call even
and have
can
our
being. That no man
the
of Jesus to Salvation, without
the name
on
That
must
we
continually
specialgrace of God.
deed,
Ininto temptation,d^c.
And
not
lead us
pray,
that
given unto
understanding was
me,

EARLY
without
but

LIFE

special grace,
attends

sin

empty

bottomless

and

to

STUDIES
any

Which

us.

favourily known, I
I knew,
; and
an

AND

actions, nothing

being

admired
that

my
Stoicisme

swoUen

and

seen,

former

Bubble,

pit of Hell, and

17

ances
ignor-

did retain
between

me

the

necessity of
I knew
death.
imminent
I say, that
by this
Study, under the shew of moderation, I was made
most
haughty : as if trustingin the freedom of
divine
will, I did renounce
as
my
grace, and
though, what we would, we might effect by our
Let God
forbid such wickedness, I said.
selves.
I judged, that
Wherefore
be
to
Blasphemy
indulged by Paganisme indeed ; but not to
become
Christian : and
I judged Stoical
a
so
Pliilosophy, with this Title, hateful. In the
I was
mean
time, when
tired,and wearied with
the too much
tion
reading of other things,for recreasake, I rouled over Matliiolus d,n"Diascorides,
self, nothing to be equally
thinking with my
for mortal
as
by admiring the
necessary
men,
in Vegetables,to minister
to their
grace of God
necessities,and to crop the fruit of the
proper
the

same.

Straightway after,I certainlyfound, the art

of Herbarisme
to have
nothing increased since
the dayes of Diascorides
at this day, the
; but
Images of Herbs being dehvered, with the names
and shapes of Plants, to be on
both sides onely
but
disputed :
nothing of their properties,
"

virtues

and

invention

uses, to have

and

Histories

after, have

came

been
:

added

to the former

except that

those

who

mutually feigned degrees of

BAPTISTA

18 JOANNES

qualities,to which

Elementary
of the

VAN

Her be

is to

be

HELMONT
the

attributed.

temperature
But

when

had

certainlyfound, happily two hundred

Herbes,
of one
quality and degree, to have divers properties,
and
of divers qualitiesand degrees,
some
to have
a
Sjrmphony or Harmony
(suppose it in
vulnerary or wound
potions) in producing of the
effect ; not indeed
the Herbs
same
(the various
selves
Pledges of divine Love) but the Herbarists themwith
me
:
began to be of little esteem
and

when

stableness

wondred

at

the

cause

of

the

im-

effects,and of so great darkness

in
applying and healing : I inquired whether
there were
the Maxims
Book, that dehvered
any
and
of
For
?
Rules
Medicine
I
supposed,
Medicine
might be taught, and dehvered
by
Discipline,like other Arts and Sciences, and so
but not that it was
to be by tradition
a
:
meer
"

At

of the

is a Science,
leastwise, seeing Medicine
the
Father
from
a
good gift coming down
of Lights, I did think, that
it might have
its
Theoremes
and
chief Authours, instructed
by an
infused
knowledge, into whom, as into Bazaleel,
had inspired
and Aholiah, the spiritof the Lord
the Causes
and
knowledge of all Diseases, and
also the knowledge of the properties of things.
Therefore
I thought these
to
enlightened men
be the Standarddefending Professors of healing.
I inquired I say, whether
there were
not another,
who
had
described
the Endowments,
Properties,
Applications and
proportions of Vegetables,
from the Hyssop, even
of Lihanus
?
to the Cedar

"

certain

Galen

Avicen.

or

of

Professor

of these

none

me,

STUDIES

AND

LIFE

EARLY

Medicine

things might
But

since

be

19

answered
for in

looked
not

was

apt to

Writers, the
believe, neither did I finde, among
certainty sought for, I suspected it according to
would
remain
truth, that the giver of Medicine
Therefore
the continual
dispenser of the same.
sion
ProfesI being careful! and
doubtfull, to what
I should
resign my seK, I had regard to the
of the People, and Lawes, and pleasures
manners
the Law
to be mens
of Princes ; I saw
Traditions,
void of
and
therefore
uncertain, unstable, and
truth : For
because
in humane
things there is
of knowledge, I
no
marrow
stabihty, and no
seemed
to passe
an
over
unprofitable life,if I
it to the pleasures of men.
should convert
Lastly, I knew, that the government of my
hard
seK, was
enough for me ; but the judgement
concerning good men, and the hfe of others,
vexatious
to be dark, and
subject to a thousand
difficulties : wherefore
I whoUy denied, the Study
of the Law, and government
of others.
On the
hfe
other
was
hand, the misery of humane
m-gent, and the will of God, whereby every one
himself
defend
so
long as he can ; but I
may
inchned
with
a
more
singular greediness, unto
the most
pleasing knowledge of natural things ;
"

and

as

even

the

Soul

became

Servant

to

its

own

unsensibly slid, altogether into

of natiu-al things. Therefore
I
of Fuchius, and
Institutions
Ferneliiis,

inchnations, I
the
knowledge
read

the

whereby
Science

I knew
of

that

Medicine,

I had
as

it

lookt
were

into

by

an

the

whole

Epitome,

20 JOANNES
I

and

smiled

BAPTISTA

VAN

myself. Is
delivered, without
to

the

HELMONT

knowledge

of

Theoreme
and
a
healing thus
the giftof healingfrom
Teacher, who hath drawn
Is the whole
the Adeptist ?
History of natural
properties,thus shut up in Elementary qualities?
of Galen
I read the works
Therefore
twice, once
learned
Hipocrates (whose Aphorismes I almost
by heart) and all Avicen, and as well the Greeks,
Arabians, as Moderns, happily six hundred, I
thorow, and
attentively read
seriously, and
places, of whatsoever
taking notice by common
singular to me in them, and worthy
might seem
of the
Quill. At
length, reading again my
collected stuffe,I knew
want, and it grieved
my
of my
as
me
pains bestowed, and years : When
tions,
I observed, that all Books, with instituindeed
Song, did promise nothing
singingthe same
of soundness, nothing that might promise the
knowledge of truth, or the truth of knowledge.
from the beginning I
In the mean
time, even
had gotten from
a
Merchant, all simples, that I
in my
possession,
might keep a little of my own
lector
of the Shops, or a ColClark
from
then
and
a
of
all the usual
Plants
of simples, I had
our
Countrey ; and so I learned the knowledge
And
also
of many
by the looks of the same.
I thorowly weighed with my
self,that indeed I
the face of Simples, and their names
knew
but,
:
their properties,nothing lesse.
than
I would
Therefore
a
practising
accompany
again,
Physitian, straightway it repented me
and
uncertainty, and
again, of the insufficiency,
indeed,
conjectures of healing. I had known
"

"

EARLY

LIFE

AND

STUDIES

21

of hard
problematically, or by way
question,
not
to dispute of any
how
Disease, but I knew
the very pain of the Teeth, or scabbedness,
to cure
radically.
that
Fevers
and
common
Lastly, I saw
neither
Diseases
were
certainly,nor
knowingly,
nor
safely cured ; but the more
grievous ones,
and
those which
of their own
not
cease
accord,
for the most
placed into the Catalogue
part were
"

of incurable

minde, that the art

of
deceit, without
five

happily,
Greeks

it

into

came

of

my
full

found
Medicine, was
Uved
which, the Romanes

hundred

I
years.
healing to be false

of

art

Then

Diseases.

reckoned
but

the

the

medies
Re-

themselves, as being some

experiments,
less to help without
that the
a Method
no
: than
same
Remedies, with a Method, did deceive most.
both
On
certainty
sides,I discerningthe deceit and unof the

Rules

of the founders
a

sorrowful

thou

he

hast

not

of

heart.

angry

with

disclosed

of Medicine

God

mortal

inen

sities
diver-

I said with

Complexions,

Good

the

in

how

who

long wilt
hitherto

truth, in heahng, to thy

Schooles ? how
long wilt thou deny truth to a
people confessing thee ? needful in these dayes,
more

than

in

times

one

past

Is

the

Sacrifice

of

pleasing to thee ? wilt thou have the

lives of the poor. Widows, and Fatherless
Children,
under
the most
consecrated
to thy self,
miserable
Diseases, and
despair ?
torture, of incurable
How
is it therefore, that
thou
ceasest
not
to
tainty
Families, through the uncerdestroy so many
and
ignorance of Physitians? I fell
Moloch

22 JOANNES

withall

on

BAPTISTA

VAN

HELMONT

face,and said,Oh Lord, pardon me,

my
towards
Neighbour, hath snatched me
my

if favour
bounds.
beyond my
Pardon, pardon. Oh
away
indiscreet Charity ; for thou art
the
Lord, my
radicall good of goodness it self. Thou
hast known
sighes, and that I confess,that I am, know,
my
able to do, and
have nothing, that
am^worth, am
I am
naked, empty, vain:
give 0 Lord,
poor,
give knowledge to thy Creature, that he may
very
know
other
affectionately
thy Creature, himselffirst,
things besides himself,for thy Command
of Charity,
than all things,to be ultimately
all things,and more
in thee.
"

from

Which
much

thing, when

tiresomness,

had

earnestly prayed

and

wearisomness

of

led into a Dream, and I

I was
minde, by chance
the whole
saw
Universe, in the sight or view of
confused
Chaos
truth, as it were
some
or
thing,
almost
without
was
meer
form, which
nothing.
And
thence
the conceiving of one
I drew
word
;
did signifie
which
what foUowes.
Behold
to me,
thou, and what
things thou seest, are nothing;
whatsoever
dost urge, is lesse than
thou
nothing
it self,in the sightof the most
high. He knowes
all the ends
of things to be done ;
bounds
or
at leastwise
thou
mayst apply thy self to thy
there
own
safety. Yea in that Conception, was
be made
inward
an
a
Precept, that I should
Physitian, and that at sometime, Raphael himseK
Forthwith
should
be given unto
me.
therefore,
and for thirty whole
years after,and their nights
following in order, I laboured, to my cost, and
of my
life,that I might obtain the
dammage

EARLY

LIFE

AND

of

Vegetables

and

Natures

lived

things,

of

knew

with

hitherto
be

perplexed

the

the

Sun

And

whom

He,

shall

the

shine
of
old

God,
1

top,

unless

little,

all

In

being

age,

use

preserved.

come

shall

be

quotations

become

of

capital

letters

Wisdom,

unto

he

hath

that

do

to

the

haue

and

now

very

Lord
waxed
also
to

Oriatrike,
and

under

unacceptable

and

Honour."

to

Curiosities.

of

man,

vain

are

favour
thus

part

and

able

be

Loe,

from

most

of

yea,

bountiful

all

call

yet

as

the

out

shall

unprofitable,

whom

the

shall

him.

upon

man,
to

and

been

the

Jesus

length,

At

which

searchings

daily

and

vain,

things,

all

the

Lord

other

no

to

ripe

are

the

and

come

an

vain

in

Spirit

my

of

knowledge

for

had

Salomon,

narrow

Errours,

together.

the

while,

mean

reading,

my

down

written

experiences

of

and

The

prayer,

sifting

23

Mineralls,

properties.

without

not

search

their

of

knowings

STUDIES

italics

spelling,

the

of

the

tion,
punctua-

original

have

CHAPTER

III

TRAVELS

the

In

chapter

previous

the

task

his

day,

the

by

authors
meet

to

achieve

of

study

the

then

in

satisfaction

had

broken

and

had

learned

destined

was

and

rely

the

only

he

teaching
his

upon

his

of

intuitions

not

until

resolve,

traditional

with

to

and

this

in

entirely

observations,

he

disappointments,

many

of

medical

the

and

But

repute.

for

sciences

various

especially botany

to

himself

prepared

more

with

to

had

he

how

and

medicine,

hfe

his

devote

to

how

learned

have

we

decided

Helmont

van

TRIALS

AND

own
own

original mind.
At
a

early

an

of

course

Medicine

in
had

at

the

this

"

fact

See

Dr.

Memoir

publies
tome
a

very

vi

par

own

when

he

improbable
him

by

"

that

he

his philosophical
just completed
M.
Rommelaere/
and, with

ch.

Rommelaere's
es

of

only

Pestis,"
W.

his

to

seems

stated

^as

"

this

but

deliver

College

dehvered

were

time

Tumulus

According

to

the

at

surgery

lectures

studies
1

on

seventeen

of

view

appointed

was

Louvain.

these

only

was

lectm^es

in

statement

he

age

des

VAcademie

(Brussels, 1866),
minute
biography

i, Oriatrike, p. 1078.
fitudes
J.
sur
"

Concours

et

Royale
pp.
of

287
van

24

de
et

des

Savants

Medecine
seq.

Helmont,

B.

This

van

mont,"
Hel-

etrangers,
de

work

which

BelgiquCf
contains
we

have

TRAVELS
we

are

at

some

TRIALS

25

inclined to put the giving of these lectures

after 1599, when
date soon
Helmont
van

that

says

AND

Doctor

graduated

he

of Medicine

of the

Van
Helmont, in his
University of Louvain.^
works, emphasised the importance of surgery
and
deplored the neglect of it by the physicians
that the genuine man
He reahsed
of his day.
of
his hands,
to use
science
ought not to be ashamed
and

later

in

devoted

years

considerable

time

to

dissections, not
carrying out
anatomy
many
(in the Galenical
style) of animals
only, but of
and women
the dead
bodies of men
whereby he
able to gain considerable
information
was
cerning
conthe nature
of disease.
Van
Helmont,
however, was
disappointed with his lectures,
because
his knowledge of surgery
at that
time
the information
based
was
merely upon
gained
by the reading of books, and he almost gave up
in despair.
the professionof medicine
"

"

It would
this

that

he

scabies

the

have

said

was
or

lady who

afflicted with

was

that

of the

Two

little while

some

to

as

after

contract

itch, through shaking hands

he

disease.

We

imfortunate, but, as the

bore goodly fruit both
event
the

and

famous

more

the

with

was

the

Helmont

van

be

unfortunate

so

sequel will show,

for

to

appear

science

of

medicine.

physiciansof

his

city

with
diagnosed the complaint in accordance
adust
Galen's
or
principles,as being due to
"

found

very

useful, and

although
with

"

which

it appears

we

to

greater degi-ee of precision

Helmont'
1

to

The

life than
Authours

the

evidence

Promises,"

us
some

would
col.

acknowledge
that

the

of the
seem

author
events
to

debtednes
in-

our

dates
in

van

warrant.

iii," 7, Oriatrike, p. 7.

BAPTISTA

26 JOANNES

burnt
and

the

judged

of the

seat

Naturally

appUed.
he

indeed

him

of

was

in

the
were

cured

not

the

considered

He

of the

months

in three

disease

only, and cured

by the apphcation of
skin

ointment.^

sulphur

be

to

remedies

Helmont

van

system of medicine.
in question to be one
it himself

disease

phlegm,"

result
excessively ill. The
Galenical
the falsity of the

became

convinced

salt

Galenical

orthodox

The

liver.

HELMONT

together with

choler
.

VAN

celsus,
reading of the works of Parawhom
he
to
freely acknowledges his
Helmont's
indebtedness,^ helped to liberate van
the fetters of orthodoxy in medicine
from
mind
;
but he can
only be called a follower of Paracelsus

No

in

the

doubt

limited

of

sense

that

Whilst

term.

his

shall refer
theory of the archeus, to which we
adapted from Paracelsus, and whilst
later, was
him
in beheving, for example,
he agreed with
of
in the
reality of sympathetic cures, msmy
Paracelsus's
leading doctrines he rejected. He
did

for

not,

doctrine

agree

of the
as

mercury,

instance, accept

made

as

the

in

"

The

it

the

Plague, one

he seemed

salt,sulphur and
principles,
did he
basis of all things ; nor

the

thinking

and

image

The

p. 802, and

seemly

to

of God.

Ulcers

Arcanums

elsewhere.

In

as

cosm,
micro-

envisage
his work

man
on

related,in which
the vaults of Nature, wherein

An
and
316-319,
V, "" 10-12, ibid., pp.
"

man

of bis dreams

"

pp.
ch.

of

view

more

to behold
Scab

Paracelsian

three

Paracelsus's

with

the

or

is

Schools," "" 2-10, Oriatrike,

of Fevers,"
Doctrine
Unheard-of
of the

958

and

Secrets

959.
of

Paracelsus,'' Oriatrike,

AND

TRAVELS
hidden

are

follows
"

her

TRIALS
truths.

inmost

27

read

We

as

hath

Galen

into the

seemed
with

Vaults

to

slender

Lamp

stumbled
presently affrighted,
at first almost

in

entred

who

the

the Threshold

fell over

have

to

me,

being

entry, and
:

Therefore,

his

to his
Oyl being lavishly spent, he returned
and
told many
ing
things confusedly, concernown,
the Sepulclires,
which
he had not perceived,
nor
beheved, although he had seen
known, nor
At length, Paracelsus
them.
having entred
with a great Torch, fastened
small cord to the
a
wall, about his first paces, which he might follow
of the wayes
as
a
Companion, and Reducer
; he
aspiringto pierce whither the footstepsof mortals
The
had
their journey.
of
rout
not
yet taken
Birds
[these being birds of night] is presently
that Prometheus
it thinks
amazed
at so great a light,
...

had

entred

it dares

extinguish the Torch, yet

not,

nor

able

was

to

secretlyattempts to
seeth very many
do it. This man
Monuments, he
is long and
freely enlarged, he fills the entries
with smoak, and while he is intentive, as a greedy
devourer
of truth, his strength fails,his Torch
of
falls,his fight is extinguished in the middle
his

and

course,

fumes.

entred

with

that

he

least

nothing might

might
refused

detain
a

girdle,but

hand

my

Rope,

as

it

miserable

poor

the

is

it

and

Crook

followed

Lanthorn

and

the

from

hung

have

man,

fight of
hinder,
my

with

choaked

were

that

length
;

and

nothing

work, I indeed

Lanthorn

at my

at

at

my

back, making

BAPTISTA

28 JOANNES

path the rule of my

only in my own
other
tilings than

return

had

Ancestors

century
the

first few

first to

England and
one
place in

of the

of

he undertook
and

seventeenth
ing
Accord-

in travel.

engaged

Switzerland

far

years

Rommelaere,

to M.

I insisting

footsteps,I there saw

the
foregoing company

Helmont

van

HELMONT

Therefore

described."

the

During

VAN

two

Italy,the

voyages,
second
to

other

In
parts of the Continent.
his works, he wrote
that he left the
with
of going far
Netherlands
intention
an
from
home, of forsakingmedicine, and of never
If he anticipated
returning into my Country."
hberal views abroad, he was
destined
findingmore
the
to disappointment.
Everjrvrherehe found
same
sluggishnessand ignorance," and in 1605
"

"

he

decided

to

return

to

his

native

land.

On

landing at Antwerp, he found that an epidemic of

of
malignant fever was
raging, in the com'se
which
developed, often proving
dropsy was
fatal.* If he had hesitated
previously regarding
his mission
in life,he hesitated
no
longer. His
too intense
sjonpathy with human
sufferingwas
himself
of its object. He
threw
to be balked
with the disease, and
vigorously into a contest
had the happiness of restoringto health a large
number
In

of the
his
the

draws
1

''

Tumulus

afflicted persons.

w^ork

on

the

portrait of

Helmont
Plague, van
true physician. Such

Pestis," ch. i, Oriatrike, pp.

Ibid., p. 1079.

'

"

The

Authours

"

The

Dropsie

Promises,"
is

Unknown,"

1074

and

1075.

iii," 6, Oriatrike, p. 7,
" 11, Oriatrike,p. 510.

col.

TRAVELS

according to him,

man,

He

writes

"

AND

He

TRIALS

must

be chosen

29

by

God.

shall

'prepare,

to

the

of God,
Neighbour ;

honour

his

and
free gifts,to the comfort of his
thereforecompassion shall he his Leader : For he
truth in his heart, and
shall possess
knowledge in
his understanding ; Charity shall be his Sister,and
the mercy
of the Lord shall enlighten his ways :
For he shall employ or bestow the grace or favour
of the Lord, and the hope of gain shall not he in his
aiid will
thoughts : for the Lord is rich and liberal,
give him an hundred-fold,in an heaped up measure.
his ivorJcs,
and annoint
his hands
He will fructifle
with consolaivith blessing: He will fill
his mouth
tions,
and with the Trumpet his word, from which
his lifewith length
diseases shall flee: He will fill
of daies, his house with riches,and his Children
shall bring
icith the fear of the Lord : His footsteps
and diseases shall be in his sight,as snoio
felicity,
in an
in the Noon-day of Summer,
Valley :
open
and health
Curse
and punishment shall fleeaway,
These
the promises
behind.
shall follow him
are
he hath chosen :
of the Lord, unto Physitians whom
the blessingsof those, who
These
ivalk in the
are
the Lord
loveth those that
path of mercy : Because
work mercy
thereforewill he enlightenthem
; and
by his Spirit,the Comforter. For who is liberal as
the Lord, who
things freely,and for
gives many
all things. Blessed
small
some
matter, bestoweth
and
is the Lord, who
saves
only the merciful man,
who saves
him that is to be saved, freely. But consolation
in the tvay
shall meet
the merciful man,

of hope

he

because

Master:'

VAN

BAPTISTA

30 JOANNES

HELMONT

chosen

hath

faithful

piece of rhetoric :
descriptionis no mere
himself.
Helmont
vious
Preit is a portrait of van
to his leaving the Netherlands, he gave
up
the whole
of his estates
by deed of gift to his
This

widowed

sister. ^

He

attended

the

and

poor

fee in
medicines, asking no
he was
and
return
only persuaded to accept
;
richer
from
patients by a confessor
payment
rich men
needed
who
who
urged that otherwise
them

freely gave

his

Both
the

too

ashamed

lucrative

and

appointments
offers,preferringto remain

these

his time
sick poor.

Similar offers made

or

with

met

successors

about

1609

no
van

Elizabeth

de

Halmale.

for

it.'

from

all

that

free

to

devote

healing the
by Rudolph's

to

married, his wife

who

v/as

Charel

can

he refused

response.

Helmont

As

but

later

other

being Margaret van Ranst,

and
daughter of William

and

scientific research

to

ask

to

of Bavaria, Elector of Cologne, and

him
able
honourRudolph II tendered

Ernest

Emperor

In

be

would

aid

M.
be

van

rich heiress
Ranst

and

Rommelaere

marks,^
re-

the

gathered,

Helmont's
most
a
happy one, van
marriage was
and
wife proving a true
help-meet
companion
in all his strugglesand trials. Shortly after his
and
spent the
marriage, he retired to Vilvorde
1

"

Tumiilus

"

Tumulus

"

Tumulus

the

Disease

of

"

Op. cit" p.

Tumulus

Pestis," ch. i, Oriatrike, p. 1076.

Pestis," ch. i, Oriatrike, p. 1079.
Pestis," ch. i, Oriatrike, p. 1079, and
the Stone," ch. vii, " 3, ibid., p. 873.
Pestis," ch. i, Oriatrike, p. 1079.
203.

"

Of

next

seven

entirelyin scientific
of chemistry,
in the
domain
heahng of the sick poor,^

free

the

in

allowing notliingto

distract

him

the

towards

attitude

His

31

of his life

years

research, mostly
and

TRIALS

AND

TRAVELS

therefrom.
orthodox

medical

day, and especiallythe success

the practicalapplication of his
which
attended
the
theories to the curing of disease,aroused
own
became
enmity of his fellow physicians, which
greatly intensified by the publicationby him, at
Leyden, in 1615, of a work entitled Dageraed, oft
Nieuive
Opkomst der Geneeskonst, in verborgen
he ruthlessly
grondt-regelender Natuere, in which
exposed the follies of the Galenists and criticised
the
To
in
most
their
views
scathing terms.
it is powerful and
criticise error, when
popular,
He
knew
is alwaj^s dangerous.
this, of course,
doctrines

but

of the

deter

it did not

of retahation

sought

for

was
one

No

him.

honourable

method

possibleto

liis enemies,

that

dishonourable.

was

so

they
No

opportimity for this, however, presented itself,

Helmont
published, at Paris,
until,in 1621, van
the Sympathetic or Magnetic Curing
on
a treatise
De
entitled
of Wounds,
Magnetica vulnerum
R. P. Johannaturali et legitima curatione, contra
Roherti
nem
Theologice doctorern Societatis Jesu,
in which
he undertook
to reply to two
writers,
had
Goclenius, a professor of philosophy, who
and
imsatisendeavoured
to explain,in a weak
in his judgment, sympathetic cures
factory manner
the
and
the result of purely natural
as
causes,
1

and

"

The
"

Promises," col. iii," 7, Oriatrike, p. 7,

Pestis," ch. i, ibid.,p. 1079.

Authours

Tumxilus

32 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

Jesuit, Joannes
reality of the
devil.

the

VAN

Roberti, who
but

cures,

appears
this work
some

written

them

to

in the

Helmcnt

van

of

be

had
the

previously,at
brother, but without
years

of J. Roberti's

instance

also believed

deemed
that

It

HELMONT

the

afterwards
publishing it. He was
himself,
persuaded to publish it by J. Roberti
received
the
he did, only after it had
which
approval of the ecclesiastical authorities. His
of
enemies
a
immediately found
large number

of

intention

of

passages

an

heretical nature

As

in the book.

who
Helmont
the last man
was
fact,van
of heresy. He
could
a
was
justly be accused
catholic, and from a modern
pious and devout
for
criticism
to
point of view is, indeed, open
with
having treated the dogmas of the Church
too
Thus, in one
place in liis
great deference.
works, for instance, he refused to speak of an
of the earth, because
earthquake as a movement
immobile.
the Church
taught that the earth was
It was
true, however, that in this treatise on the
wiU
as
Magnetic Curing of Wounds
appear
of

matter

"

when

we

deal

to

come

with

the

book

he

"

trod

far indiscreet
so
dangerous ground, and was
Let the
the very
to utter
as
just injunction :
Divine
enquire concerning God, but the NaturaHst
The
prosecutor for the
concerning Nature."
ever,
of Malines-Brussels, howecclesiastical tribunal
little moved
was
by the complaint
very
on

"

"

The

Trembling

Oriatrike, pp.
2

"

Of

the

92

and

of

Earth,

or

Earthquake,"

" 2,

93.

Magnetick

" 9, Oriatrike, p. 761.

the

or

Attractive

Cui-ing of Wounds,"

TRAVELS
that

was

took

no

AND

TRIALS

lodged against him

his enemies

But

did

rained

were

enemies, and

desist and

not

down

his

by

in the matter.

action

33

tions
denuncia-

him, without,
upon
in his determination
to

however, deterringhim
of traditionahsm
destroy the errors

in

medicine

and

of

chemical

build

to

and

medical

sounder

up

system

philosophy. In

he

pubhshed,
Supplementum

1624

at

de
Liege, a third work, entitled
Spadanis Fontibus, deahng with the properties
of Spa water
a previous writer
and, by criticising
this subject,Henri
de Heer, made
for himself
on
This year, also,saw
the publicaa fresh enemy.
tion
at Cologne of a second
edition of De Magnetica
seems

the

which

vulnerum,^
to suggest

"

says was
the Collectingof the
1625

the

was

he

book

M.

work
often

of his enemies

Broeckx

the

has

gone

of

into

succeeded

opponents
of the

Corneille

printed,only for

gettingfrom the examiners

of Spain a condemnation
1

Helmont

van

Stripesof Censurers."

Helmont's

van

F.

in

Holy Inquisition
number

In

of proof

matter

mont's
Hel-

van

"

le
Notice
sur
thoroughly, and his
persecution very
J. B.
Helmontii
Archives
deposee aux
Manuscript Causa
Annales
de
V
de
Academie
d'ArcheMalines,"
Archiepiscopales
ix
ologie de Belgique, tome
(Antwerp, 1852), pp. 341-67,
le MagHelmont
and
sur
Interrogntoiresdu Docteur J. B. van
contain
all
the
relevent
netisme
Animal
(Antwerp, 1856),

facts
*

les

that

According
les

temps

have

been

British

known.

Museum

has

Gmerale

(Paris, 1858),
of
verify the editions

to

1662) only.
Oriatrike, Preface

Biographie

recules

plus

vmable

Nouvelle

the

to

published during

vulnerum

are

copy

Helmont's

van

of

by F. M.

van

posthiimous
Helmont.

depiiis

xxiii.

tome

De

We

Magnetica

lifetime.
edition

The

lished
(pub-

VAN

BAPTISTA

34 JOANNES

HELMONT

in his book
heretical and
as
positions contained
of 1627
appertaining to magic. In the autumn
Helmont
van
was
interrogated by Leroy, the
official of Malines, and his secretary, concerning
heretical
the
presumably
propositions. He
the book
to the
replied that he had submitted
ecclesiastical
authorities
and
abide
would
by
the decision
of the Church
concerning it. At a
himself
later interrogation,in 1630, he declared
willingto burn the offending book if the tribunal
judged this to be necessary.
During the whole of this time his enemies were

incessant

their

in

traditionahsm

and

his

The

efforts.

bigotry

The

destruction.

theologicalfaculties
universities

united

were

compass
en-

and

nental
leading conti-

unanimous

were

to

medical

of the

of most

of

forces

entire

in

their

condemnation, and their verdict was

published
directed
at Leyden, in 1634, in a work
against
A further edition of the offending treatise
him.i
also appeared in this year at Liege, and the same
the triumph of his enemies.
Their
year witnessed
"

victim

was

His

arrested.
he

books

charts

and

were

vent
imprisoned in the ConFriars
of the
Minor, or Franciscans, of
He
did
there
Brussels.
not, however, remain
than
two
more
weeks, since a request that he
be allowed
his imprisonment at
should
to serve

confiscated, and

Joannis

Baptistce Helmontii

ignem propositiones
tione
sunt

de

magnetica

notatu

et

dignce, depromptoe

vulnerum

celeb

medici

imorum

curatione

Parisiis

philosophi
ex

per

ejus disputaedita.

Additce

Europa
theologorum et
ex
autographus optima fide descriptce.
2, p. 33.
According to Rommelaere,
op. cit. See footnote
censurce

medicorum
'

was

err

tota

TRAVELS

AND

TRIALS

35

home, backed
by an exceedingly large bail
up
offered by his father-in-law,was
finallygranted.
His
as
position became,
Ferguson remarks,
something resembhng a ticket-of -leave man
under
police supervision."
"

Helmont's

Van

of misfortune

cup

not

was

yet,

the

however, full. During

period of his imprisonment,
an
epidemic of the plague broke
out.
He was, apparently, allowed
to attend
certain of
the sick during this period, and
rescued
many.
others
be
afflicted
to
the
were
two
Amongst
elder of his three sons, who
might have escaped,
had they been wilhng to go into the country and
forsake

their father.

These

removed

were

to the

The
hospitalat Vilvorde in charge of the nuns.
nuns
attending them
promised to administer
Helmont's
van
remedies, but, after they had received
the two patients, they refused to give any

other
result
The

than
that

the

Galenical

orthodox

both

ones,

with

the

died.
of

conditions

Helmont's

van

ment
imprison-

been
relaxed
to have
after some
appear
that he regained his hberty
it seems
years, and
before he died,though the whole matter
is wrapped
in

obscurity ;

and

after his death

it

that

not

was

he

until

two

years
cleared

completely
of the charge of heresy. In 1642
he pubhshed,
his work
at Antwerp,
on
docFevers, Febrium
trina inaudita, which
followed by a further
was
edition,pubhshed at Cologne, in 1644, containing
1

and

John

381.

of Kelly

Catalogue of

Books

Pharmaceutical

Young
p.

Ferguson

and

was

in

Durris,

the

the

Alchemical, Chemical

Collection

of

the

late James

Esq. (Glasgow, 1906), vol. i,

BAPTISTA

36 JOANNES

three

addition

VAN

HELMONT

other

monographs, deahng
respectivelywith the Disease of the Stone, the
Plague, and the Errors of the Galenists, the
general title of the book being Opuscula Medica

in

iiiaudita.
the

In

intervening

happened

to

(1643),

year

which

Helmont

van

accident

an

nearly cost
in which,
room,

Writing in a closed
of the cold, he had caused
of
account
a
on
pan
overcome
by
burning coals to be placed, he was
the fumes
(carbon monoxide). Fortunately his
daughter, with a sound instinct,removed
young
his Hfe.

him

the
to

this

use

medical

He

in time.

brazier

recovered

experience

and

illustrate

to

able

was

of

one

his

theories.^
the end

Towards

and, weakened

he contracted

of 1644

his labours

by

and

pleurisy;
the

by

ment
treat-

him, he
hated
He
succumbed.
was
by those (and they
and folHes his sharp
not few) whose
errors
were
intellect had
pierced. Not only, however, was
he
loved
by his family, but he had earned
had

which

been

meted

out

to

and

devotion

the

nimiber

of

disease

and

men

gratitude

and

death.

he found

which

of its

some

himseK

an

the

had

his work

By

edifice of science

the

he

women

of

immense

rescued
he

had

stage higher than

it,he had

from
raised

that

in

rebuilt and

strengthened
thereby earned for
in the history of

foundations, and

imperishablename

thought.
1

"

The

Authority

or

Priviledge
"

" 20, Oriatrike, p. 300, and

ch. ix, " 54, ibid., pp. 909 and
?

Oriatrike, Preface

by F.

Of

the

of

the

Disease

910.
M.

van

Helmont,

Duumvirate,"
of the

Stone,"

CHAPTER

IV

MYSTICISM

AND

MAGIC

(a) Epistemology
Concerning
wrote

"

follows

as

Mysticism

is

peculiar

and

of

synthesis

The

in

of

scholastic

it

by

of

of

the

late

F.R.S.
:

(London,

The

on

Modern

of
tional
func-

nature.

C.

1915),

" 28,

of
pp.

and
37

synthesis

in
of

The

works

136.

Magic

of

criticism
word

by

of

is, of

the

wide
the

from

Professor

Cf.

futiHties

Selection

edited
p.

unity."

with

not

57.

tion
percep-

the

his

this

gives

the

The

Intuition,"
56

the

direct

opens

him,

1909),

exercised,

concrete

out

he

Massey,

is

'

and

Mystic

(London,
Natiire

is

reason.

by

C.

it

opponent

philosophy,

Thoughts

"

grove

keen

employed

Barrett,

and

brought

attack

an

Writings

their
and

man

intuition

organic

an

is well

point

course,

'

immediately,

Helmont.

van

of

consciousness

elements

truth

of

and

province

for

recover

related

its

Massey

apprehension

through

or

whatever

in

to

C.

analogous to that of sensible

usually designated
'intuitional.'

and

experience,

seeks

C.

certitude

Thought,

vital

energies,

in

operations
claims

late

spiritual principles
It

the

mysticism

H.

W.
S.

F,

Red-

of Experience,

38 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

denotation
the

of

dianoetic

HELMONT

VAN

but as
usage,
i.e. the discursive

modern
reason,

signifying
ratio-

or

the
to
faculties,in contradistinction
strations
Not
noetic.
by mere
argument or the demonof deductive
logicis a true understanding
of things to be attained.
He writes :
cinative

"

The

made

little

but

Because

follow

the

to passe,

comes

of the

contrary."

And
"

again

in

by

stration,
demon-

us, and

by a
before, joyned

as

onely is
Syllogisme :

with

ing
doubt-

doth

necessarily
part of the premises : hence
that it is composed with a doubt

every

weaker

have

distinct

more

yet it remains
:

it

knowledge which we
was
already before

conclusion

understanding is alway perfected,by

the
suffering and
imaginative
receiving. But
understanding, which was
knowledge or animal
beholdeth
known
to Aristotle,
things onely on the
nesses
liketo it self Images or
outside, and frameth
thereof, according to its own
thinking ;
about
of labours,runs
and with all wearisomness
The

them

into

Real

circle."

knowledge

in

its

nature,
very
involve intuition ; for it to be possiblethe knower
become
and the thing known
must, in some
way,
identified
1

"

"

must,

Logick is unprofitable," " 13, Oriatrihe, p. 39.

The
of Sciences,"
hunting, or searching out

Oriatrihe^ p. 26.

" 61,

AND

MYSTICISM
*'

The

nothing
of

but

coming to, and

unity of the

the

that

himself
thus

Helmont
truth

mystic

the

of

the

on

portico of the ancient

the command,
engraven

"

van

immediate

thing, is
approach

understanding, and

temple of Delphi was

thyself."
Man, know
know

thing understood."
It is recorded

39

standingness of

under

very

MAGIC

he

If

could

man

would

but

pletely
com-

all

know

gives expression to

things :
this great

understanding it self,doth after a

aU
all other
things, because
sort, understand
in
in an
intellectual manner
other things, are
Wherefore
in the Image of God.
the Soul, as
selves, is most
indeed, the understanding of our
ultimate
or
remote, excellent,
exceeding difficult,
beyond other things."
profitable,
Soul

Our

"

How

then

Van

Helmont

is this

indicates

less than

Not

he

does

Indeed,

any

modern

be attained

necessary
scientific

"

indicates, not
discourse, but

True

scientific research.

to

requisites.
philosopher
experiment.

of
need
the
upon
life affords a demonstration
his whole

of natiu-al

two

to

insist

his devotion

the

knowledge

of

ledge
know-

phenomena is to be gained, he
indeed
by a naked descriptionof
of
demonstration
by handicraft

fire."="
The

"

hunting,

or

searching

out

of

Sciences,"

" 55,

Oriatrike, p. 25.
Ibid., " 56, Oriatrike, p. 25.
The
ignorant Natural
Philosophy of
Galen," " 10, Oriatrike,p. 45.
2

'

"

Aristotle

and

BAPTISTA

40 JOANNES

HELMONT

VAN

No
is necessary.
something still more
philosopher,denying the realityof the spiritual,
able to explain how
it is possible for
has been
the
from
the
mind
to
particular to the
pass
gained
general,that is, from particularinstances
by experience,to induce a natural law or general
is something magical in it. It
theory. There
of the
indicates
Helmont
partakes ^as van
But

"

"

"

of

if

But
God

happy

in it

the

by

He

of revelation.

nature

same

God

know

writes

Soul shall sometimes

conceive

self,by the beatifical Vision, then

and
beam
of light,he shall behold
wardly.
all other
things inhimself, and

of his early
account
Helmont's
reading van
studies,already quoted in Chapter II, one cannot
but be impressed by the importance he attached
he
this attitude
his dream-experience. In
to
place in
persistedtliroughout his life. In one
In

his works

we

read

follows

as

knowledge of the Apple

of
the magical powers
obscures
that which
[i.e.,
also
sleep : Hence
pristineman] doth sometimes
sometimes
dreams
it is,that our
Prophetical,
are
and

God

Man

in

We
1

"

whole

sleep,the

In

"

himself

Dreams,

hunting,

through

or

the

therefore

perhaps, be

may,
The

is

that

effect."

inclined

searching

out

to
of

unto

nearer
^

criticise
Sciences,"

van

" 57,

Oriatrike, p. 25.
2

"

Of

the

Magnetick

" 98, Oriatrike, p. 781.

or

Attractive

Curing

of

Wounds,"

AND

MYSTICISM

MAGIC

41

put in dreams
; but we
remember
that it is especiallyin dreams
must
that the products of unconscious
thought the
strates
psychology demonimportance of which modern
manifest
become
though it would,
;
to require some
indeed, seem
specialdegree of
of mystic insight,shall we
intellectual acumen
the
^for consciousness
to
separate, from
say ?
dross, that which is of value in what remains
should
for it of such
certainly
products. We
for the faith he

Helmont

"

"

"

"

hesitate

to

recommend

Helmont

in the

But

do

It

they
was

dream

rehance

follow
to
van
anyone
he placed in his dreams.

to
appear
which caused

not

led

have
him

him

finallyto

astray.
devote

medicine, and it was another dream that

in
prevented him from following a resolve made
moment
of depression to destroy his medical
a
writings.
liislife to

(6) Ontology
Van
Helmont's
deeply rehgious attitude of
of his writings.
mind
is evident
in every
one
of
the source
His epistemology looks to God
as
the
all knowledge, his ontology finds in God
is
the
of all being. For
source
him. Nature
ComTYiand
of God, whereby a thing is that which
it is, arid doth that ivhich it is comtnanded
to do
he writes :
Created things
Elsewhere
act.''
or
do
alwayes respect the will of their Creator,
which
alone neglecteth."
man
he
Aristotle's
entirely
theory of causation
"

"

**

The

ignorant

Natural

Philosophy

of

Aristotle

Galen,"
2

"

" 3, Oriatrike, p. 42.

The
of the Water,"
Gas

" 41, Oriatrike, p. 77.

and

42 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

VAN

HELMONT

rejected. After God, there are, according to

of things,
him, strictlyspeaking, only two causes
the material, or cause
or
ex
qua, and the efficient,
The ends (or forms) reside in the
cause
per quam.
have

latter and
material

cause

as

"

following chapter
The

efficient

the

"

shall

we
"

"

see

"

or

and
"

its

rather

than

impressed

on

with
of

fermentation
he

saw

therein

of Nature's
It

must

the

successful

"

fermentation

quality determined
in

present

Van
Helmont
upon.
chemist
; he sought to found
facts and
theories
chemical

operated

water.

principle,
quasi-spiritual
whose
master
workman,"
as

"

be

to

the

"

activity is manifested
this activity is excited
ferments
by certain

The

it.

fullyin

more

^he considered
is

cause

archeus

apart from

existence

no

the

matter

essentiallya
his philosophy on
known
to him,
as
logic as Aristotle had done, and,
the phenomena
of the alcoholic
grape juice and malt, he thought
clue to the deepest mysteries
a
was

activities.

confessed, however, that, as

problem of causation, he was
be

as

critic

thinker.

than

of scholasticism
His

cerns
conmore
as

theory is at
The
obscure
and
fantastic.
following
once
Thomson's
History
epitome of it, quoted from
as
of Chemistry, is perhaps as clear an account
be hoped for :
can

constructive

own

a
Helmont,
particular
According to Van
of
dispositionof matter, or a particularmixture
"

that

of

matter
a

body.

is not

The

necessary

for

archeus, by

the

its

formation

sole

power,

MYSTICISM
all bodies

draws

This

exists.

not

from

formal

substance, nor
seed

which

and

it creates

the

being

MAGIC

its

the

quality
of

action
it

the

neither

can

It

accident.

an

43

water, when

ferment, in

determines

which

AND

of

ferment
a

mean

archeus, is
be

called

pre-exists in the

developed by it,and which contains

ferment
of the seed,the product
in itself a second
of the
ferment
exhales
first. The
an
odour,
which
the
attracts
generating spirit of the
This spirit consists in an
archeus.
aura
vitalis,
image,

is

after its

death
which

of

nature

in

idea.

It is the

true

tion
founda-

of all the

functions

of

organised

own

of life,and
bodies

bodies

the

its

own

it

disappears only at the instant of

creation
of the body,
to produce a new
enters
then, for the second
time, into
;

fermentation."

(c) Psychology

Turning
doctrines,

Helmont's

psychological
notice
in the
first place that,
we
opinion, he regarded the
contrary to current
stomach, and especiallyits upper mouth, as the
seat of the sensitive
soul,from whence, by means
to

now

van

of the

archeus, the soul's influence

throughout the body, as the rays

brought
chapters
several

being
1

from
of

the
his

Thomas

to

the

devoted

works

of

earth.
to

light are
^

this

In

the

subject,

given for this view, reference

be recogphenomena which can

reasons

made

sun

diffused

was

are

to
Thomson

The

History of Chemistry
(The
and
183
184.
Ill, London,
Library,
1830), pp.
a
A Mad
Foolish
Seat
of the Soul,"
or
Idea," and "The
Oriatrike, pp. 272-88.

National
"

No.

JOANNES

44

nised

in

BAPTISTA

some

system.

nervous

of

of

swallowing

remarkable

in the

of

course

due

as

cases

HELMONT

VAN
to

the

sympathetic

Very interestingis an account

experience he had as the result
small
quantity of monkshood,^
an
investigationof the effects of
after taking the
drug he most
of understanding and
powers

poisons. Soon
clearly felt his
The
in his stomach.
thought to be concentrated
of a couple of hours.
feelingpassed in the course
Attempts to reinduce it by repeating doses of the
drug proved unsuccessful.
The
brain,according to him, is the executive
of the conceipts of the soul, as it sits
member
the sinews
chief over
and
muscles, in respect of
in respect of sense
motion
or
feeling,it
; but
possesseth in it self, the faculties of memory,
the
whilst
minde
will, and
:
Imagination
it was
sitteth in the
sensitive
soul, whereto
after the fall."
Madness,
consequently bound
he regarded as a disease,not of the mind, but of
the
soul ; it only appears
affect
sensitive
to
"

"

"

the

mind

The

mind

this

because

immortal,
of the Divinity."
is

bound

is

and

"

is

the

to

the neerest

soul.

image

"

Mad

or

Foolish

{op. cit.yp.

6ane)," which
{Hyoscyamus

is

an

says
error,

aconitine,
a

"

The

"

The

or

due

"

was

aconitum

aconitum
is

not

writes

aconite
to
to

benzaconine.

Soul," " 32, Oriatrike, p. 288.

compleating or perfecting of the minde,"

Seat

Oriatrike^ p.

[hen-

henbane

Napellus,
{Aconitum Napellus^
the ancients
as
a poison.
three
alkaloids, aconine,

Helmont

known
are

herb

since

wolfsbane

well
L.). The plant was
Its physiological effects
and

the
Van

niger, L.).

is, monkshood,

that

186)

son
Thom-

Idea," " 12, Oriatrike,p. 274.

of the

312.

" 13,

AND

MYSTICISM

MAGIC

45

Van

Helmont, like Paracelsus,was rather fond

of coining new
words to express his ideas, though
he took care
he meant
to explain what
by them.
One
of these words
is
is sigbias," by which
nified
the
of activity peculiar to each
power
Thus
thing,impressed on it by the Creator.
a
naturall
Winde, is a floivingAir, moved
by the
To
this bias of the stars
Bias of the Stars.''
he attributed
the
and
changes in the seasons
other meteorologicalphenomena, but the doctrines
of astrology he
repudiated. Heredity, rather
than
astral influence,he regarded as supplying
the
diversities of
explanation of the manifold
human
less than
that
of brute
character, no
The
beasts.
stars, for him, are indeed, as the
or
Scripture says, for
Seasons,
Signs, Times
dayes and years
they are destitute of
; but
"

"

"

"

influence

upon

man,
is to

tions, rather,
from
In

he

him

has

be

of whose

source

found

Man
sprung.
is a " twofold

there

which

the

in the

inchna-

seed

possesses
Bias : To

where-

free

will.

wit. One

existeth

but
the
motion
by a natural
;
other is voluntary, which
existeth as a mover
to
internal
it self by an
To
this "internal
wilhng."
bias
Helmont
attributed
or
will, van
in which
potent powers,
respect he seems
very
to be in agreement
with modern
deed,
thought. Inare
we
only just beginning to reahse
^

"

how

potent these powers

may

open

the

at
*

"A

"

to

up

present
Vacuum

The

Bias

or

of

us

are, and

further

possibihtieshardly

moment.

In

this

research
reahsed

connection

it

emptiness of Nature," " 1, OriatrikCfp. 81,

Man," " 9, Oriatrike, p. 177.

BAPTISTA

46 JOANNES

will be

of interest
the

work

on

which

the

Magnetic

In

Curing

is treated

matter

Power

(d) The

with

deal

to

with

HELMONT

VAN

in

op

van

of

Helmont's

Wounds,

in

detail.

some

Magnetism

of his

contemporaries,
Helmont
markable
van
was
impressed by the reproperties of the lodestone, and he
grouped along with such phenomena, under the
of
general name
magnetism," such other cases
of (apparent) action at a
known
to him
as
were
of
distance, as, for example, the attraction
for pieces of chaff,etc., the hehorubbed
amber
of consonance
tropism of plants and the phenomenon
exhibited
as
by a couple of viohn strings,
of sjonpaof instances
together with a number
in his
w^ell accredited
thetic magic which
were
surprisingthat a
day, but in which it may seem
himself
should have
of so great acumen
as
man
of
Of
believed.
these, the behef in the cure
wounds
by Paracelsus's
sympathetic ointment,^
which
itself,but
was
applied not to the wound
been
it had
wherewith
to the
bloody weapon
as
a
serve
typical sample. Van
inflicted,
may
the
Helmont
on
Magnetic
strove, in his work
Curing of Wounds, to show the rationale of this
marvel
can
one
only reflect on the difficulty
; and
the
which
even
experience in
greatest minds
from
the errors
of their age.
freeingthemselves
of
he writes concerning the magnetism
When
common

many
much

"

See

curious

1920),

H.

S.

Medical
for

Redgrove

"

The

Powder

Superstition," Bygone

full details

as

to

this.

a
:
Sympathy
Beliefs (London,

of

MAGIC

AND

MYSTICISM

47

however, his work is on a higher level. He

in the image
be truly made
its out that, if man
he ought to be able to act,
then like God
'jrod,
effort of
some
things at any rate, by a mere
This
alone.
is to say, by his word
s will,that
obscure,
man,
ver, he says, hes in the hidden
it were
as
asleep, in his present corrupted
restricted
Its activity is, for this reason,
e.
own
body, but the
operating within a man's
by van
(and is not doubted
Abilityremains
and
elmont) of its becoming fully awakened
external
)erative on
objects.^
calls "magical,"
Helmont
rhis power,
van
'ning his readers not to be afraid of the name,
the
which
'btless,he says, it is this power
n,

for his

"1 uses
their

.a

11 in itself.

awakened

"

of witches

is

less may
for evil purposes,
no
He
for good.
suggests that in

mysteries of the Kahalah

eving this is contained.
"ws

case

certainly not
God-given, and, if it

power

It is indeed

awakened

be

the

But

like.

in the

ends

own

one

He

method
writes

for
as

There

doth

inhabit

in

the

Soul, a certain
of God, naturally
as
we
her, inasmuch

Virtue, given her

and
)er
belonging unto
his Image and
Engravment ; that in this
ect
also, she acts after a peculiar manner,
J
Object at a distance,
is, spirituallyon an
much
.ci that
more
powerfully,than by any
ical

"

*"

Of

the

Magnetick
90-97, Oriatrike,pp.

or

780

Attractive
and

781,

Curing

of

Wounds,"

48 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

VAN

HELMONT

corporeal helps ; because, seeing the Soul is the

more
principalpart of the Body ; therefore the
Action
belonging unto her, is spiritual,
magical,
and
of the
the
Soul
greatest Validity : That
Virtue
which
doth
rendred
was
as
by the same
drowsie
it were
through the knowledge gotten
by eating of the Apple, govern and stir her own
Body : but that the same
magical Faculty being
somewhat
awakened, is able to act also out of
another
distant
her Prison, on
Object, only by
her Beck, conveighed thereunto
:
by Mediums
is placed the whole
Foundation
for therein indeed
of natural
Magick ; but in no wise, in Blessings,
vain
Superstitions; but that
Ceremonies, and
observances
all these wicked
were
brought in by
endeavour
it hath
him, whose
alwayes been,
his
where
to defile all good things with
every
Tares.
"

but
sense

But

we

do not
the

with

tremble

at the

name

Scripture,interpret it

of
in

Magick,
a
good

granted that it may be indiffer'

ently employed to a good or evil Intent, to wit,
by the use or abuse of that Power.
"

"

Yet

And

we

so

have

that, under

that

we

understand

knowledge of things,
for acting, being
and
the
most
potent Power
alike natural
with Adam,
to us
not
extinguished
become
by Sin, not obliterated, but as it were
drowsie, therefore wanting an Excitement.
is
Therefore
we
shew, that
Magnetism
exercised, not indeed
by Satan ; but by that
which
belongs not to Satan ; and therefore that
the

"

most

profound

inbred

Word

MYSTICISM
Power

this
stood
the

which

doth

as

that

it hath

it

MAGIC

is co-natural

abusively dedicated

49

unto

us,

hath

Satan, as if he were
thereof : that
the Magical Power
sleepin us since Sin, and therefore

Patron
were

need

of

that

Whether

"

AND

to

stirrer up.

Exciter

be

the

holy Spiritby

mentions
to have
Illumination, as the Church
of
happened in the Eastern Magi or Wise Men
the
which
at
this day sometimes
East, and
happens in others : or Satan doth also for some
foregoing submissive
Engagement, stir up the
in Witches
And
in such
same
:
as
these, the
Excitation
is as it were
by a waking sleepiness,
by a Catochus, and therefore is imperfect in
Evil in regard of the end,
regard of the manner.
Obscure
in regard of the Meanes, and Wicked
in
regard of the Author : Nor doth the Turn-coatthis
impostor suffer that the Witch should know
Power
to be natural
her self,whereby he
unto
hold her the more
fast bound
to himseK,
may
least the exercise of so noble a Power
or
being

stirred

should

up,

Wickedness,
himself

therefore

neither

at her

to stir it up

prostratedher
"

the

Also

Man

Cabal, to

incHne

hath

he

otherwise
commands

the

Witch

Rains

known

how

hath

wholly
Tj^ant.

self to the Will of another

himself

is able

to

the

pleasure,who

own

than

through

the

Art

of

himself, of
so
at his own
great a Power
Pleasure, and these
called
are
Adeptists ; or
Obtainers, whose
Governour
also,is the Spiritof God."
cause

an

excitement

in

"Of

the

Magnetick

or

"" 121-7, Oriatrike,p. 784.

4

Attractive

Curing

of

Wounds,"

BAPTISTA

JOANNES

50

tliink,are

ideas, we

These

the

of

HELMONT

VAN
of

much

interest

of modern

results

experimental
of abnormal
research in the domain
psychology,
the phenomena of telepathy,
as concerns
especially
hypnotism, telekinensis,and the voluntary production
of phantasms of the living.
view

in

Helmont

Van

further

goes even
of man's

in his estimate

and
magical power,
potency
suggests that something of this power resides in

of

the

the

outward

more

that

so

man,

his flesh and

blood

magical efficacy; on which grounds he

attempts to justifythe fantastic ingredients in
Paracelsus's
sympathetic ointment, which include
a

possess

the

mummy,
dead
Thus

does

sublime

the

these

of

fat

the skull of a
upon
of a boar
and
bear.
a

Helmont

van

oscillate from

which

the

and

man

found

moss

seem,
to the

it were,

to

ridiculous.

In

as

be
may
that " Nature

categories,it

asked,

is on
put his assertion
acts
side a Magitianess, and
by her own
every
Almost
Phantasie
? ^
identically the same
in the Occult Philosophy of Corwords
appear
Novalis
recent
in more
nehus
Agrippa, and
old
of these
the opinion of both
voiced
years

ought

to

we

"

"

All
that
he declared
when
philosophers,
able,"
experience is magic and only magically explicthereby returning, perhaps, the only
that is ultimatelypossibleto the eternal
answer
Why ? of things.
of
several
devotes
Joseph Ennemoser
pages
his History of Magic
to quotations from
van
occult

"

" 150,

Of

the

Magnetick

Oriatrike, p. 789

or

Attractive

(wrongly

Curing of Wounds,"
779).

numbered

Helmont's

work

are

so

clear

in

He

refers

Helmont's

by

views

Deleuze,

in

he

whilst

the

found

writings
in

agree.

van

which
found

of

who

Helmont's

animal

van

take

with

that,
ideas,
things
has

he

truths.

works

"

illusory

Helmont,

the

van

magnetism

incomprehensible

great

ment.
com-

intimates

many
and

they

need

to

latter

the

many

all

judgment,
study

them

"

of

that

deahng

essay

concerning

notions

not

as

an

Curing

adding

writings,

to

51

Magnetic

themselves

has

superstitious
in

the

on

other

and

Wounds

MAGIC

AND

MYSTICISM

care

will,

also
this

With

seriously
we

to

think,

CHAPTER

ALCHEMICAL

Researches

(a)
have

We
of

already

Professor

E.

considerable
chemical

which

Brown

the

the

first

The

of

anhydride,

calls

concerning

enough,
chemists,

until

"

it
1

Op.

James

the

Earliest

Joseph

His

gas.

substance

Black,

rediscovered

has

strangely

by

the

carbonic
tions
observa-

were,

in

in

succeeding
of the

middle

the

gas,

naming
been

sometimes

186.
Brown

Campbell
Times

from

discovery

dioxide,

acid

Black

air."

cit., p.

carbon

as

this

century,

fixed

quoted

is his

attention

entirely neglected

almost

eighteenth

for

carbonic

or

ability

achievements

Helmont's

known

now

gas

be

And

authorities.

van

that

chemistry
of the

other

the

Helmont's

van

could

investigator
of

works

to

of

Lavoisier."

to

his

Campbell
doubtedly
chemist, un-

great

testimony

chemical

James

"

prior

that

to

at

far

how

"

as

greatest

similar
a

as

lived."

his

in

Helmont

van

superior

was

him

of

writes

with

indicates

he

who,

Thomson,

deals

length,

high opinion
expressed
by

very

chemist

Meyer.

knowledge

in

the

of Chemistry,

History

much

as

von

Gases

on

quoted

Helmont

van

age

ACHIEVEMENTS

to

the

Present

History
Day

52

of Chemistry

(London,

1913),

from
p.

202.

ALCHEMICAL

ACHIEVEMENTS

53

the honour
of the discovery,
erroneously awarded
not
graciously
though he himself refers
very
of van
Helmont.
to the
previous observations
the
It is to van
owe
Helmont, indeed, that we
word
itself ;
natural
philosophers
gas
very
that
some
came
after,
previous to him, and
substances
as
being mere
regarded all gaseous
of
varieties
Van
Helmont
air.
distinguishes
be condensed,
between
which
could
a
vapour,
"

could not ; and the

gas, which
proved a useful one, though it is

and

distinction

has
not

to
"

"

gas

the
*'

"

be
he

tells

Auntients

is

mist,

"

subtile

more

or

distilled

"

had
"

designation
the

Gas,"

thing than
Oylinesses,although
or

thicker

times

he

mind.

in

the

choosing

that

us

far

be many

In

valid.

fine

than

Air

"

known

now

Chaos
he

of

writes,

vapour,

yet, it

as

and

again,
hitherto, by the
;

Spirit,unknown
of Gas, which
neither
be concan
name
new
strained
reduced
into a visible
by Vessels, nor
body, unless the seed being first extinguished."
is of interest,
The
origin of the word
gas
the fact that
the concept
and
dated
spirit anteof years
that of
is
by thousands
gas
of
significant,because judging by the remarks
of the more
extreme
some
sophic
opponents of philoit might be gathered that the
spiritualism,
than
idea of
an
justifiable
unspirit is nothing more
of that of
extension
gas." In point
"

this

call

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

Ibid., " 29.

'

"

The

The

Essay of
Fiction

tui-es,"" U,

of

Meteor," " 28, Oriatrike, p.

Elementary

Oriatrike, p.

106.

Complexions

69.

and

Mix-

54 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

VAN

HELMONT

that the relation between

of fact, we
see
ideas
the
is almost
opposite of this.

of the

thought

distinction
drawn

old

alchemical

between

matter

the two
In

the

philosophers,the
and
not
spirit was

sharply as has been the case since the

days of Descartes, and their view of the genesis
of inorganic bodies
was
essentially vitalistic.
"All
"do
after
Helmont,
Beings," writes van
sort partake of life," confirming his views
some
the
by quoting from
Scriptures the passage :
Come
let us
all
worship the King by whom
things live." Many other of the concepts, it
be noted, upon
which
materialistic
sophy
philomay
much
be shown
to have
can
prides itself,
so

"

their

roots

in

animism.

Helmont

Van

called

dioxide

carbon

gas, gas
of its

the
wild
account
on
sylvestre,or
gas,
that it
apparent incondensability. He observed
acid
is produced when
acetic
calcium
acts
on
carbonate
distilled vinegar acts
on
{i.e.when
crab
of wood, coal
stones), by the combustion
and tallow and in the production by fermentation
of wine

and

mineral

He

beer.^
and

waters,

of its presence
Naples. He observed
aware

the

burning

of

in his

apparatus
1

"

The

"

The

Gas

of

Fiction

noticed

in the

that

candle

the

Body,"

elsewhere.

but

stomach,

he

and

del Cane

Grotto
the

of

Water,"

"" 67

68;

near

was

of suitable

bodies

" 37, Oriatrike, p. 75.

Elementary
and

was

extinguished
capped
sadly handi-

gas

of gases by the lack

for the collection of such

the

in

occiu'rence

study

" 14, Oriatrike, p. 106,

in

the

in

its

"

Of

Complexions
Flatus's

ibid., pp.

or

426

and

Windie
and

tures,"
MixBlasts

427, and

ALCHEMICAL

ACHIEVEMENTS
failed to

and

in consequence
this gas and others

which, Hke

carbon

distinguishbetween

he obtained.

dioxide, are

and

combustion

which

55

Of gases

non-supporters

of

themselves

incombustible, he
made
to have
sulphur dioxide (formed
appears
when
sulphur burns in air),nitrous oxide (laughing
by
gas), nitrogen peroxide (a red gas, obtained
the dissolution,in the presence
of air, of many
metals
in strong nitric acid or aqua
fortis)and
to recording the
probably others. In addition
in the human
of gas sylvestre
occurrence
stomach,
his works

make

further

his studies
and
was

being

sometimes

as

to

the

voided

hindrance
the

was

which

of

mention

we

first matter

to

inflammable

an

by

the

the

gas
large intestine.

real

progress

of

notion, which he firmly held,

shaU
refer again, that
water
of aU

material

things.

This

idea, entering into his descriptionof the nature

of gas, makes
it confused, since gas had somehow
of water.
to be explained as being formed
In
A Vacuum,
or
emptiness of Nature," van
Hehnont
described
an
interesting experiment,
which
elementary
nowadays
figures in every
of practicalchemistry, mth
textbook
a
burning
candle which is placed in a trough partlyfilled with
and covered
with a jar.^ He reahsed
water
that,
in this experiment, gas was
formed, and observed
that the bulk of the air decreased, but failed to
from
draw
his experiment,
conclusions
correct
because
he was
not
aware
(i)that this gas was
soluble in water, and
(ii)that air played a part
in its formation.
He
however, the first
was,
"

Oriatrike,pp,

82 ^t seq.

BAPTISTA

56 JOANNES

HELMONT

VAN

rightlyto explainthe explosiveforce of gunpowder

due to the production of gas.^
as
(6) Eesearches
Helmont

Van

by

to

in which

some

an

enriched

the science

of

chemistry
other valuable
observations
and experiments,
besides those dealing with gases.
ally
Especihis credit and indicative
of his originality

many

are

Conservation

on

of

ace

he

realising,not

chemical
but

element

as

also the

law

have

to

seems

the

only
later

it

within

come

nature

of

defined

by

true
was

persistence,which
for Lavoisier clearlyto formulate
in
it remained
the early part of the nineteenth
He
century.
clearlyreahsed, in certain instances at any rate,
that
exist
to
metals, for example, continue
throughout a series of chemical
metamorphoses.
rather
This was
novel
It
notion
in his day.
a
for example, commonly
believed
by the
was,

Boyle,

that

alchemists
solution

of

copper.
of the

In

Spa,

blue

this

idea

and

the

notion

the

work

on

into

and

he

lition,
else to its demo-

one

copper

the Waters

is controverted

any
substitution

in

transmuted

was

than

that

immersed

was

for

it of

which

is

the

more

deposited

formerly present in the solution.

In this work
he also pointed out that silver is
acid
dissolved
not
in nitric
destroyed when
that it is present in the resulting
{aqua jortis),
be reobtained
therefrom, in its
liquid and can
on

"

iron

vitriol it
Helmont'

more

the

iron

van

contributed
rational

when

of its

The

was

Fiction

of

Elementary

"" 22-24, Oriatrike, p. X07.

Complesions

and

tures,"
Mix-

ALCHEMICAL

ACHIEVEMENTS

originalform, by
he

studied

reactions

as

the
well

of copper.^
quantitative side of
means

as

the

quahtative
credit,seeing how

especiallyto his
was
paid to the

is

how

much

the

balance
of

science

in

Moreover,
chemical

fact which

"

of his most

One

use.

57

little attention

his

day,
chemistry owes

remarkable

and

and

yet

to

its

valuable

the discovery that from

was
pieces of work
a
given weight of glass,the exact
weight of sand
be obtained
used in the precan
as
was
(silica)
paration
of it.2

(c) The
The
this

conclusion

First

that

Matter

Helmcnt

van

drew

from

last-mentioned

experiment may,
however,
rather surprisingand, perhaps, disappointseem
ing
of science, whose
to the modern
m.an
views,
unhke
those of this seventeenth
century thinker,
rather
than
mechanistic
are
vitahstic, and who
regards combination, rather than development, as
the essential factor in the evolution of the complex
from the simple. In silica,
Helmont
van
thought
he had discovered
He
named
elementary earth.
it
quellem," and the fact that the same
weight
be obtained
of quellem could
from
of its
one
"

"A

Third

Modern
2

The

method

precipitate

Earth,"
ch. XV,
on

Pharmacapolion

" 16, Oriatrike, p.

and

695.

Dispensatory,"

Cf. "A
ibid.,

"

55,

alkali

and

467.

p.
to

Paradox,"

is to
the

fuse

silica

the

by

glass with

mercury

is described.

to

of

means

52, and
Cf. "A

Oriatrike, pp.
" 37, ibid., p. 478.
" 20 ; ibid.,p. 1001, where
50

an

an
"

The

acid.

See

Power

Treatise

of
of

then
"

The

cines,"
Medi-

Fevers,"

quantitative experiment

BAPTISTA

58 JOANNES

VAN

HELMONT

used
in preparing this, led
compounds as was
him
to deny to quellem, or earth, any
or
power
The sand,
potency in the generation of things.
read
of the earth," we
in his
the Element
or
and
doth
natural
to
never
concur
works,
seminal
rightly
generations." Fire he very
element
denied
to be an
or
anything material at
of air, as we
have
all.^ His treatment
already
suggested,is, on the other hand, neither clear
nor
satisfactory. He regarded air as being an
for no
element
good reason, it was
very
; but
excluded from his theory of the genesisof material
denied
to possess
bodies, and was
weight.
any
have
Water, as we
already said, he regarded as
of
first matter," or material
being the
cause,
of this theory, he
all things. In substantiation
described
experiments he carried out, one
many
"

"

"

it is

"

follows

as

much

is of

of which

took

an

interest.

His

account

of

Earthen

Vessel, in which

put

dried in a
that had
been
pounds of Earth
I moystened
with
Rain-water,
Furnace, which
of a
Stem
and I implanted therein the Trunk
or
at
Willow
Tree, weighing five pounds ; and
length,five years being finished,the Tree sprung
from
thence, did weigh 169 pounds, and about
the
Earthen
But
I moystened
three
ounces
:
distilled
water
with
Vessel
or
Rain-water,
large,
need) and it was
(alwayes when there was
200

1
2

"

"The
"

The

Earth," " 14, Oriatrike, p. 52.

Elements," " 8, Oriatrike, p. 48, and

1, ibid.,p. 50.

*'

The

Earth,"

ACHIEVEMENTS

ALCHEMICAL

59

the

Earth, and least the

should
be co-mingled with
dust that flew about
the lip or
the Earth, I covered
mouth
of the
with Tin, and
Vessel, with a Iron- Plate covered
I computed
holes.
easily passable with many
the weight of the leaves that fell off in the
not
foxu- Autumnes.
At
length, I again dried the
Earth
of the Vessel, and
there were
found
the
200
two
same
ounces.
pounds, wanting about
164 pounds of Wood, Barks, and Roots,
Therefore
out of water
arose
onely."
and

implanted

into

It is curious

that

he

should

increased

possibiHty of
weight being due

from

air.

consider

the

the

(d) The

have

neglected to
proportion of the

to

Transmutation

derived

material

of

Metals

chemistry, if such it
be called,with which
van
Helmont, it seems,
may
be credited, is of a most
must
surprising nature.
He
claims
that he accomplished the transmutation
of base metal into gold,though imacquainted
with
the composition of the agent he used
to
effect this marvel, which
was
given to him by a
of this extraordinary
stranger. Let the account
The

final achievement

be related

occurrence

"

that

"

is the

makes
The

in his

own

constrained," he

am

there

which

in

Fiction

Silver
of

which

Stone
;

because

Elementary

" 30, Oriatrike, p. 109.

words

writes,

"

to

makes
I have

believe

Gold, and
at

Complexions

distinct
and

tures,"
Mix-

60 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

HELMONT

VAN

turns, made

hand, of one
projection with my
thousand
grain of the Powder, upon some
grains
of hot Quick-silver ; and the buisiness succeeded
Books
do promise ; a Circle
in the Fire, even
as
of many
People standing by, together with a
He
first
of us all.
who
ticklingAdmiration
the Gold-making Powder, had
likewise
me
gave
of it,as might be sufficient
also, at least as much
hundred
thousand
for changing two
Pounds
of
Gold :
For he gave me
perhaps half a grain of
and three quarters
that Powder, and nine omices
of Quick-silver were
thereby transchanged : But
of one
that Gold, a strange Man, being a Friend
evenings acquaintance, gave me."
.

In

other

two

alchemical

places in

transmutation

his works
as

he

refers

illustrative

of

to

the

Regeneration of those that are

of the participationof Life in
to be saved, and
of the
tells
the
Communion
Eucharist," and
he accomplished it :
how
of

manner

"

For

[which
seen

"

the

I have
makes

divers

gold]

times
with

real transmutation

handled

that

stone

hands, and have

my
of saleable Argen-tvive

Quicksilver with my eyes, which in proportion

made
the gold in
the powder which
did exceed
thousand
some
degrees.
it was
of the colour, such
is in
Indeed
as
Saffron, being weighty in its powder, and shining
But
there was
like bruised
Glass.
once
given
unto
part of one grain. I call also
me, the fourth
a
part of an ounce.
grain the six hundredth
or

"

"

The

Tree

of

Life," Oriatrike, p.

807.

ACHIEVEMENTS

ALCHEMICAL

61

powder therefore I involved in Wax,

be
least in casting it into the Crucible,it should
of the coals :
dispersed through the smoakinesses
cast
into the
which
pellet of wax, I afterwards
Vessel of a Crucible,upon
three-corner'd
a pound
of Quicksilver, hot, and
newly bought ; and
little
presently,the whole Quicksilver with some
flowing,and resided like
noise, stood still from
a
Lump : But the heat of the Argent- vive, was
lead from
much
reas
as
might forbid melted
coagulating : The Fire being straightway after
Mettal
under
the Bellows, the
increased
was
the
Vessel
of fusion
being
melted, the which
of the
to weigh eight ounces
broken, I found
most
gold.
pure
Therefore a computation being made, a grain
thousand
nineteen
of that powder doth
convert
hundred
two
grainsof impm^e and volatile Mettal,
which is obliterable by the fire,into true gold.
said
For that powder, by uniting with the aforeQuicksilver unto it self,preserved the same
at one
instant, from an eternal rust, putrefaction,
most
of the fire,howsoever
death, and torture
This

"

"

"

it

violent

and

was,

made

it

as

Immortal

an

thing, against any vigour and industry of Art

and
Fire, and transchanged it into the Virgin
purity of Gold." ^
have

We

alchemical
1

Cf.

"

The

"

Life

account

the

same

the

here

transmutation
Position

is

Eternal,"

of

man

Oriatrike, pp.
almost

the

the

realityof

w^ho

was

no

" 58, Oriatrike, p. 674.

Demonstrated,"

repeated in
motive.
religiovis

is

to

testimony

751
same

and

752, where
words

and

the
with

BAPTISTA

62 JOANNES

VAN

HELMONT

impostor claiming to have discovered the great

of the Philosopher's Stone
and desirous
secret
of
gaining credit for his claims, but one whose whole
life was
animated
by philanthropic motives, and
ledge
whose
good faith is above question. His knowof chemical
no
doubt,
phenomena
was,
defective
judged by the light of modern
very
science, and
fantastic

his

that

much

contain

is

least,regard him as
good chemist to have
having been a sufficiently
been able to distinguishreal gold from
a spurious
of it. In any
imitation
case, however, modern
science is acquainted with no
reagent which, in
the proportions stated, would
convert
mercury
into any substance
resembling gold in the least.
There
is nothing more
extraordinary in the
works of van
Helmont, or in the whole literature
the words
have
of alchemy, than
we
quoted
in other
two
or
though there are one
passages
scientific
Modern
which
writers
parallelthem.
;

but

theories

we

must,

at

"

research
thus

Not
this
van

elements

Helmont's

of the

science

with

acquainted
manipulated
"

The
name

elusive

is indicated

transmutations

remotely possible. Dare we

that there
are
phenomena

the

tion
evolu-

inorganic world, and

indicates
the possibilityof transmutation.
of achieving
only, however, is the method
but nothing even
unknown,
approximating
of the

to

fact of the

the

demonstrated

has

which

the

forces

unknown

the

draw
unknown

old-time

as

conclusion
to

modern

alchemists

were

to-day which

they

alchemical

of Eirenseus

adept who
Philalethes

under

wrote

had

high

ACHIEVEMENTS

ALCHEMICAL
of

opinion
from

Helmont

van

works

his

relative

63

with

and

quotation
the subject of our
to
this
arising therefrom
a

study and a few remarks

PhilaEirenaeus
weU
close.
chapter may
of van
's
Helmont
lethes,"after stating that of none
experiments is he ignorant, wrote :
"

in that

honour

I most

What

"

noble

Naturalist

is, that he did search out the Occulta Naturce,

more
accurately than ever
any did in the World.
So that (settingaside the skill of this Mastery
sopher's
[namely, that of the preparation of the Philosteps
find any footStone], of which I cannot
he
confident
of his is extant) I am
in what
without
was
flatteryNature's Privy-Counsellor,
and
for Philosophical verity might have
manded
comthis

Secret

all to

all men,
yet who
of in this
to be Master
This

"

speak

what

is evident

have

no

not

God

but

other

character

live

may

too.

to flatter

him, who

World

to the whole

reveal

not

he

what

knows

point

doth

in his

of him, and

(besides
Writings)
him

to

am

perpetual Stranger ; yet could

as
heartilydesire his acquaintance, as any man's
I know
if the Fates
in the World, and
prevent
his death, I
not
mine
or
intentions, by mine
shall endeavour
familiaritywith him."^

like to

remain

When

these

words

the

saw

the

subject of them was

pleasing to speculate,if
1

"

Eirenseus

1677),pp.

279

Philalethes"
and

280.

lightof publication,
already dead, but it is

we

may
Ripley

be

allowed

Revived

to

(London,

JOANNES

64

but

adeptship,
early
met

is

He

details

Redgrove's
authorities

gift

the

the

of

stranger's

to

concerning
Alchemy
there

have
this
:

referred

Philalethes's

of

of

the

it

at

he

meantime

have

stranger
Stone.
whole

the

and
is

very

may

philosophic

identity

"

the

been

however,

shrouded

in

darkness.

impenetrable

appears

Eirenseus

have

and

evidence,

no

seemingly
1

the

in

for

responsible

HELMONT

attainment

Helmont

van

question

his

that

age/

There

"

only

not

assume,

VAN

BAPTISTA

been

born

extraordinary
Ancient
to.

and

in

1623.

H.

see

personage

Modern,

further

For

"

60,

and

S.
the

VI

CHAPTER
ADVANCEMENT

THE

OF

THE

HEALING

ART

(a) Physiology
For

that

to

prefers

to

for

end

its

call
the

which

mankind

of

hmnan

life.

understanding
to

other

science

it

to

order

all

Helmont,

van

sciences

is, indeed,

it

healing of the
is heir, and
To
of

(whichever

art

or

the

understand

both)
the

the

one

has

diseases

prolongation

necessitates

of

nature

which

manifold

disease

cure

servient
sub-

were

an

disease, and
of

nature

in

disease,

is essential
of the
of the
structure
knowledge
human
functions
and
the
of
its
body
parts.
During the early part of the seventeenth
century
there
considerable
of interest
was
a
awakening
in
anatomical
physiological and
investigation,
researches
being undertaken
important
many
and
discoveries
important
being thereby
many
On
Helmont
does
made.
the
not
whole, van
to have
seem
as
one
profited as much
might have
of the
in physiology
more
expected by the work
of
his
progressive
Harvey's
contemporaries.
book
the discovery of the circulation
announcing
of the blood, for example, was
published in 1628,

but

either

van

alternatively,
With

the

heart
5

did

Galenists

(of different
the

Helmont

to

did

not

accept

not

its

read

it,

or,

conclusions.

thought that blood

degrees of purity) was
conveyed from
the various
by both arteries
organs
he

still

65

BAPTISTA

66 JOANNES

and

veins

of the

he

function

did

not

VAN
realise

HELMONT
the

true

nature

of

respiration,though he rightly
which
view
rejected the current
supposed the
of the inspired air to be chieflythat of
function
heat
of the
heart ; and,
cooHng the extreme
with his orthodox
brethren, he beheved, in spite
of its evident
of
impossibility,in the passage
the right to the
blood through the septum from
of the heart, going so far, indeed,
left ventricle
mechanism
to
to invent
a
as
explain why the
could
blood
only pass through the septum in
whereas
direction
the
this
hypothetical vital
also
On
the
contrariwise.
spirits could
pass
Helmont's
contribution
other
to
hand, van
of no
little importance.
It is
physiology was
tended
to
true, perhaps, that the iatrochemists
over-emphasise the purely chemical
aspect of the
of hving organisms, but it was
functions
certainly
better that this aspect should be over-emphasised
than that it should be neglected. Moreover, whilst
Paracelsus
postulated hypothetical chemical
^in the
principles ^his salt,sulphur and mercury
human
Helmont
body, van
sought, by such
his disposal,to identify the
at
as
were
means
chemical
of the
actual
various
nature
juices.
In the chapter on
his
Mysticism and Magic
have
physiologicalviews
already been touched
he adopted
upon, and the doctrine of archei,which
been
from
Paracelsus, has
briefly described.
the
whole
of the
Helmont,
According to van
of the human
body is controlled by a
economy
quasi-spiritual principles,
hierarchy of these
aU being the archeus
chief of them
of the stomach.
"

"

"

"

THE
stomach

The

HEALING

ART

67

he

regarded as the most

important
of the body, or
rather
the stomach
and
organ
in the spleen
spleen taken
together, for it was
Helmont
that
van
thought that the digestive
The
formed.
was
juice of the stomach
stomach,
act without
the spleen,
according to liim, cannot
and

these

to

two

"

he

organs
indicate

the
gave
therefrom

name

that
is the
duumvirate," to
of the whole
body.
government
van
Against the doctrine of the four humours
Helmont
fulminated, though, as we have already
not possible for him
to free himself
seen, it was
all the
of the
orthodox
errors
entirely from
medical
teaching of his day, from which his notion
of the passage
of a secretion
from the spleen to the
stomach
In particular
was
presumably borrowed.
he accused
the Galenists of treatingthe bile as an
Van

excrement.

Hehnont

as

"

shall

we

see

in

grasped something of the true nature of

this fluid and
the
important part it plays in
digestion,and his arguments against the view that
it is excrementous
both ingenious and
are
vincing.
conHe
in
regarded the bile as being made
the gaU-bladder (which he called "a noble bowel "),
materially of the pure blood of the Liver, and
of the Gaul."
efficiently
by the proper Archeus
Van
Hehnont
to physiology
s great contribution
is the theory he
the
puts forward
concernuig
of digestion,which, in spite of many
nature
fects,
demoment

"

"

is in

that
^

the

held
"A

of

some

to-day.

Passive

Humourists,"

its

features

According

Deceiving

and

to

identical
the

Ignorance

ch. iii," 14, Oriatrike, p.

curxcnt
of

the

1048.

with
view

Schooles,

BAPTISTA

68 JOANNES

of

his

thought
as

the

time

of

process

of foodstuffs

in

housewife

the

vegetables.

HELMONT
in

digestion was
heat : digestion was
envisaged
coction, achieving the solution
prime

be

to

VAN

agent

similar

manner

Helmont

Van

of this.

He

points

indicates

of

that

from

soup

prepares

to

in which

and

meat

out

that

the

different

in

into

blood.

He

Authour

of

the

possibil
im-

powers

different
not
digestion are
only
in different individual
members
animals, but even
of the same
species,which would hardly be the
the
sole agent effecting it.
if heat
were
case
Certain
stances
animals, at any
rate, can
digest subwhich
by no mere
process of cooking can
be reduced
to a solution.
Moreover, in fevers,
when
the
heat
of the
body is increased, the
of digestionare
not
improved, but rather
powers
likens
Helmont
impaired. With true insight,van
of digestion to that whereby wine
the process
is
made
from grapes or beer from barley. By means
of fermentations
the archei of foods are conquered
of man,
and
ment
nourishby the digestive archeus
is

Heat

transmuted
the

writes

digestion, but
there is a certain other vitail faculty which
doth
:
truly, and formally transchange nourishments
And
that I have
ments,"
of Ferdesigned by the name
but
there
are
wisely adding,
many
Ferments
in
Previous
Sir
us."
writers, as
Llichael Foster
indicates
in his lucid exposition
of van
Helmont's
physiologicaldoctrines, had
caught hold of the phenomena of the fermenting
"

is

not

"

"

or

"

by

Heat
way

but only excitatively

digest efficiently,
and
29
30, Oriatrike, p. 202.
stirringup," ""

doth
of

not

HEALING

THE
wine- vat,

ART

being, though mysterious

as

illustrative

of

of the

phenomena

the

still

mysterious

more
"

living body

attempt

Helmont

van

The

system, and "was

exposition of these

connected

of fermentation

nature

understood.

under

matters."

is still very

to
appear
substances
which

suitable

alcoholic

malt,

fermentation
well

as

be
are

little

highly
capable,

causing certain
take
to
place in
quite disproportionately
of the ferment.

of

and
grape-sugar
various
complicated

the

as

that

constitutingdigestion,are known
of such
substances.
by means
ferments
various
have, in many
cases,
under
isolated, and the precise conditions
they act and the changes they effect have
processes
achieved

discovered.

But

much

wiser

as

action

than

modern

science

the

concerns

was

Sir Michael

Foster

Lectures

Sixteenth, Seventeenth
"Camb., 1901), p. 135.
2
The
following very brief account
an

man

of

the

in

occurs

into

be

may

pepsin

The

the

stomach

pepsin

proteid

of

pancreatic

of the

the

juice
as

peptone,

juice,

other
whilst
secreted

The
been
which
been

of

their

especially

digestiveferments

The
first
general reader.
is
which
operation
ptyalin,

causes

hydrochloric

converts

called

into

be

History of Physiology
Eighteenth Centuries

and

gastric juice
This

of

the

to

comes

and

rennin.

cent,

per

acid,
The

saliva

malt-sugar.
and

interest

which

the

anembranes

0'2

of

ferments

to

really

not

It is

the

on

is

rationale

Helmont.

van

the

during

conditions, of

reactions
specific chemical
quantities of other substances
largein comparison with
The

the first to

Ferments
chemical

complex

selves,
them-

in

it the basis of his

made

of

69

is

conversion
contains

secreted

acid.

the

proteids

into

rennin

causes

by

the

the

by

starch

ferments,

two

required and
In

of

mucous

contains
presence
a

very

milk

pancreas

about
of

this

soluble
to

clot.

and

dis-

JOANNES

70
to

his

to

that

BAPTISTA

credit

that

HELMONT

VAN

he

mentatio
clearly realised that feris a process
far more
complex and
than
subtle
reactions.
are
ordinary chemical
will act, according to him, only under
A ferment
peculiar to itself ; thus, the
special conditions
in the
ferment
stomach, for example, will act
acid solution, whilst the bile,
or
only in a sour
the other hand, is salt,or, as we
should
on
now
for
alkaline, which
alkahnity is necessary
say,
the operation of its own
ferment, but is inimical
of the

is in close agreement
teachings of modern

however,
with

the

never

functions

into

All this

in every

of the

pancreas.
to
van

Digestion, according
of
accomplished by means
first digestion takes place in
charged into
respectively

stomach.

particularwith the
physiology. Van Helmont,
of a ferment
suspected the presence
he was
saliva, and
unacquainted

the

in

of the

ferment

the

duodenum,
starch

convert

and

effect

is

The

six

processes.

the

stomach, where

contains
into

Helmont,

three

sugar,

ferments,

change

other

which

proteids

the

The
saponification of fats.
is
the
of
to
in
it
alkaline, owing
pancreatic juice
presence
sodium
are
carbonate, and its ferments
only effective in an

peptone,

medium.

Bile

liver, stored
when
duodenum,

in

alkaline
the

by
the

juice. Along
salts

with

is

alkaline.

gall-bladder
required, together

other

facilitate

which

also
the

This
and

the

it

saponification

secreted

discharged

with

constituents,

is

the

pancreatic

contains
of

into

certain

fats.

Dviring
malt-sugar undergoes
further
a
fermentation,
being changed into glucose, whilst
is converted
into
the
the
special proteids of the
peptone
The
blood.
tation
undergoes a final fermenundigested foodstuff

absorption

in
fseces
The
course,

from

by

in

the
the

the

the

van

intestine, the

large intestine,
of

agency

ferments
as

small

certain

producing
Helmont

ferments

where

it

is

converted

into

micro-organisms.

alcoholic

fermentation

realised, quite different

effecting digestion.

are,

substances

of

HEALING

THE
the

food

which
and

71

by the pecuhar ferment

spleen discharges into the stomach,

is acted

the
which

digestion

ART

in

acts

is

upon

an

acid

completed,

passage

of

chyme)

into

the

into

arterial

the

soiu*

solution.

the

pylorus
(or,

cream

duodenum,

When

as

where

we

allows
now

this
the
say,

its

acidity is
neutralised
by the bile and a further digestionis
of the bihary ferment.
accomplished by means
The
third digestion is accomplished by means
of
ferment
a
supplied by the liver,and, beginning
in the
mesenteric
veins, is completed in that
of this digestion,the archeus
By means
organ.
of the food is finallysubdued, and
the alkaline
into
blood.
venous
chyle is converted
Aselli,
his discovery
we
already announced
note, had
may
of the lacteals,but van
Helmont
makes
of it ; and
his theory of digestion as
use
no
the
and
fifth stages is
concerns
third, fourth
largely hjrpothetical. It is interestingto note,
however, that he says that the faeces are formed
from
the refuse of the food incapable of absorption
veins by means
of a further
by the mesenteric
fermentation
in the large intestines.
of the fourth
and
fifth digestions,
By means
blood
of
Helmont, the venous
according to van
the liver is successivelypurified,being first converted
He

does

the

two

this

not

very

processes.

blood

and

then

vitalised.

clearly distinguish between

His

view

appears
whilst

to

be

that

the
venous
purificationcommences
blood
is passing from
the liver to the heart, and
The
is completed in the latter organ.
agent is
the vital spiritwhich, always present in the left

72 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

the septum

own

nature.

the

blood

As
to

as

of the
His

from

and

into

to
breathing,he assumes
this purificatory
tion
fermenta-

to

last
and

contains

the

air taken

The

of

act

its

the nourishment

which

its

mentioned, he supposes
the right to the left
from

pass
not otherwise.

members

of them

into

blood.

sixth

various

blood

have

we

incentive

an

the

transmutes

ventricle,but
the lungs by the
act

percolatethrough
right ventricle,where, acting

into the

ferment, it

HELMONT

of the heart, is able to

ventricle

as

VAN

blood.

He

in the
digestion occurs
of the body.
Each
organs
ferment
of
own
by means
proper to each is prepared

writes

At

length the sixth and last Digestion is

of the
perfected in all the particular Kitchins
Members
And
there are
:
as
stomacks, as
many
there are
members
nourishable.
Indeed, in this
Digestion,the in-bred spiritin every place, doth
"

Cook

its

which

Digestion,as

nourishment

own

there

incident, so also divers

do happen : And
Schools

do

for

attribute

and

"

sixfold

under

dispositions
those
tions
disposi-

the diseases
their

which

the

four

feigned
rather
be
things
owing imto
But
I call things transchanged,

Michael

digestion as

of

errors

unto

humom's, should
transchanged :
which
afterwards
dispositions,
blood, consequently succeed
of the solid parts."
Sir

divers

are

so

seKe

it

well

Foster
"a

remarkable

digestion

68, Oriatrike, p. 219.

of

humane

do
into

in the
the

Arterial

true

ishment
nour-

describes

this

sixth

generalisation,by
nourishment,"

"" 67

HEALING

THE

which

Helmont

van

long

after

year

The

watery

terminology
"

calls the
"

latex."

Bloud, and

Sweat."

to

as

the

"

It is

the

made

Helmont

van

one

"

weU

as

common

views

own

in the

serum

only humour."
writes, have made
of the Whey
of the

name

it

His

indeed," he

have

anticipates

until many

part of the blood, or

of modern
science,

of it under

mention

reached

not

were

him."

Schools

The

73

leaps ahead, and

which

conclusions

ART

to Urine

concerning

this

of the
those
on
great advance
cluded
be inGalenists.
Latex, he points out, must
Excrements, but profitable
amongst, not
it has
undergone a
juices." It is only when
in the
specificfermentation
kidneys that latex

substance

mark

"

becomes

urine

washed

from

out

Altogether,
ranks

whilst
the

body

"

Helmont's

van

that

is latex

sweat

that

has

superfluous salt."

work

on

the

latex

digestion as a contribution
science
of the greatest value.
physiological

to

with

on

{b) Pathology
On
have

the

basis

sketched

of the

physiologicaldoctrines

above

van

theory concerning
He
clearly realised
of

symptoms
mastery,

that

a
was
was

erected
cure

his

of disease.

study merely of
not
adequate to
necessary

to

the
its

trace

beginnings and to lay bare

their roots.
Disease, he held, is not merely a
negative thing, not merely a defect of structure
diseases

to

their

it

and

cause

that

disease

and

the

Hehnont

we

Op. cif.,p. 140.

"

The

Humour

first

Latex, neglected," " 2, Oriatrike,p. 373.

74 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

function

or

of

humours

any

man,

correctlybe said to suffer

is something that attacks
have

in the

its roots

HELMONT

disproportion in the
theory be assigned as its
in
his opinion, cannot

can

Galenical
dead

cause.

nor

VAN

from

disease.

life ; and must

of life,that
seat

Disease
fore
there-

is,the

archeus.

Diseases, according to him, fall into

two categories,namely, (i)those that are produced
inherent
defect
in the archeus
through some
such
all hereditary diseases
^and (ii)those
as
"

"

which

arise

as

result

which, stirringup

of

some

morbid

idea

external

agent,

in the

archeus,
it to deviate
from
its normal
causes
activityand
behave
in
harmful
such
a
manner.
Amongst
external
are
agents, the operations of witchcraft
assigned a place of importance.
All
van
diseases, therefore, according to
their seat
He
in the archeus.
Helmont, have
writes

"

after

as

follows

Disease
that

therefore

is

hurtful

certain

Being, bred,

hath
strange power
violated the vital Beginning, and hath pierced the
faculty hereof, and by piercing hath stirred up
the Archeus
unto
Indignation, Fury, Fear, d^c.
To wit, the anguish, and
troubles
of which
turbation
perdo
Idea
by imagining, stir up an
co-like
due
unto
themselves, and
a
Image :
Indeed
that Image is readily stamped, expressed,
and
sealed
in the Archeus, and
being cloathed
doth
with him, a Disease
presently enter on the
stage, being indeed composed of an Archeal Body,
and an efficient Idea : For the Archeus
produceth
a

certain

ART

HEALING

THE

75

when
he
himseK, the which
hath
wards
once
admitted, he straightway also afteryields,flees,or is alienated, or dethroned,
defiled through the importunity thereof, and
or
to undergo a strange government,
is constrained
and
civil War
raised
a
domestically to sustain
such a strange Image, is
himself ; indeed
up on
of the
materially imprinted, and
arising out
Archeus
A true
Diseasie
:
Being I say, which is

dammage

caUed

Disease."

Van

rightly teaches that

useless merely to alleviate

Helmont

disease

it is

what

shaU

be

is necessary
will act
as

used
He

archeus.
"

unto

wTites

Disease

is that

cure

its symptoms

such

remedies

influence

or

upon

to

the

is

3. From

tinguishing
primitively overcome,
by exof the
of the
Idea, or a removal
matter
thereof.
2. Originally,
by allaying
And
pacifjdngof the disturbed Archeus.
a latter
thing ; to wit, if the occasional

matter

be

essential
and

and

taken

Bias

alterative

Idea

Disease,

or

Such

views

fantastic

to

which

away,

of

as

these

modern

made."
efficiently

thought,

but

the

somewhat

seem

may

motive

that

entertainment,

be

may

stirs up

they

mark

those of the ancients, and

great advance
upon
certain
respects approximate to those of modern
science.
1

The

birth

or

T.

originalof

Withington
Diseasie

well

in

points

Image," " 2, Oriatrike,

552,

p.
2

p.

"

]\Ir. E.

As

"

500.

Disease

is

an

unknown

Guest,"

"

77

(5), Oriatrike,

76 JOANNES

out,

"

BAPTISTA

there

much

is

VAN

HELMONT

valuable

"

truth

in

van

Helmont's

pathologicaldoctrines when
they are
divested
of the fantastic
in which
language
their author
and
mont's
Helvan
expressed them
;
detailed
application of these doctrines to
the various diseases which
he investigatedcontains
much
that is interestingand even
illuminating.
As we
have
specialtreatises on
seen, he wrote
Fevers, the Disease of the Stone, and the Plague ;
and there are interestingchapters in his collected
works
deaUng with other diseases,such as dropsy,
"

"

gout, and

what

Concerning
"

the

the

Galenists

dropsy, he

"

called

writes

catarrh."

follows

as

The

Dropsie therefore, is a Disease

sionally
occaarisen from
a
bloody depraved matter,
it were
from a fermental
as
Beginning : at whose
incitements,the Archeus of the Reins formeth an
Idea of indignation ; through the power
whereof,
he shuts up the Urine-pipes,and Veins, corrupts
and
diverts
the abounding Latex
[serum], and
transmits

this

Abdomen
time
of

or

he
the

so

Latex

nether

all thorow

them

of

compass

part of the Belly

straitens

Abdomen,

the

into

; in

the

mean

the pores of these Membranes

that they can
let nothing

even

until

Death."

the

of

Gout, according to him, arises through anger

of the archeus
of the stomach, causing it to disperse
the acid digestive fluid into remote
places
of the body, thereby producing a
siclmess
of
"

the

Edward

(London,
*

Theodore

Earliest
"

The

Times

Withington : Medical
Pojfnilar History of

1904), p. 307.
Dropsie is Unknown,"

the

History from
Healing Art

" 42, Oriatrike, p. 520

HEALING

THE

ART

77

joints." Pleurisy has a similar origin:

*'for as sharpness [acidity]in the stomack, is an
of the
out
acceptable, and ordinary savour
; so
all sharpness is besides
Btomack
nature, and
hath
been
Hehnont,
hostile,which," adds van

the

"

unknown

hitherto
His

views

Schools."

in the

concerning

Helmont

Van

mucus
theory. The
according to him,
its object being

of

"

catarrhs

"

interest.
complaints are of much
regarded various forms of catarrh
of phlegm distilhngto the head and

condensed.

the

and

The
as

allied

Galenists
the

there

result
ing
becom-

ridicules
nose

is

this

and

throat,
local archeus,

produced by a
the
protecting of the tissues
Excessive
from
irritation.
irritation,however,
this archeus
behave
to
causes
recklessly. He
Helmont's
becomes, in van
quaint language, an
or
wandering keeper," and
erring watchman
or
phlegm in too great abundance
produces mucus
and
of bad
quality,the voiding of which entails
coughing, spitting and other impleasant effects.
"

Van

Helmont's

it that

of fevers

treatment

has

much

The

is commendable.

currently held
undergoes
opinion that, in fevers, the blood
cates,
putrefaction he rightly rejects. Heat, he indiof a fever, but one
is not the cause
of its
symptoms, due to the disordered activity of the

in

"

Short

reckoned
and

"

pp.
A

"

"

The

pp.

Life,"

that
386

of

and

"

The

Disease

that

was

dehghtful Livers," Oriatrike, pp.

antiently
747

et seq.,

e/ seq.

Pleura," " 14, Oriatrike, p. 395.

Raging or Mad
An
a
or
wandering
keeper," and
erring watchman,
or
Oriatrike^
Rheume,"
Toyes or Dotages of a Catarrhe

254

et seq.,

and

pp.

429

et seq.

JOANNES

78

BAPTISTA

VAN

HELMONT

archeus

The

attempts to throw off the

that is attacking it by rigours and trembling,
enemy
but, not being successful,becomes
enraged
As Mr. Withingand thus produces feverish heat.
ton has ably put it,well bringing out the essential
Helmont's
truth
in van
Fever
is the
theory,
effort of the chief Archeus
to get rid of some
is the reaction
irritant,just as local inflammation
local Archeus
The
of the
to
some
injury."
character
of certain fevers,according
intermittent
is due
the
to the fact that
to van
Helmont,
archeus, like a wrestler,pauses to take breath, in
archeus.

"

order

that

Fever

his

the

the

of

the

is not

stone

"

The

attributed

as

the

on

the

parsistsof

teeth

Paracelsian

He

dissolved

chemical

in

causation

the

O'p. ciL, p. 306.

"

Treatise

the

of

which

remnant

and

Helmont

This

of wine

tartar

at

which

drink

still

theory
and

as

true

is not

could
true

substance

be
of

He

sought by
understanding

Fevers,"

ch. ix, "" 1-6, Oriatrike, pp.

is crude

potassium hydrogen

974.
The

hotly contested.

bladder.

to arrive

means

doctrine.

by boiling water,
formed

stones

is

present in all food

of disease, van
pointed out that

cause

the

thereto

drink

"

"

forms

of tartar

and

diseases, especiallythat of the stone.

tartar
as
applied to the incrustation

term

which

in food

of allied substances

or

many

disease

"

generally,and

and

off

mation
interesting. Paracelsus, observing the forof a hard
in wine-barrels
deposit from
assumed
the presence
wine
^tartar,or argol

of this

of

shake

"

the

on

better

the

may

enemy."

work

His
less

he

tartrate.

973

THE
of

the

and

nature

was

which

in

direction

inventor
The
caused

of

as

stones

and

research

was

the

mention,

an

the

in

the

archeus.

Helmont,
stirs up

But

it may,
of foreboding and

product
alone,

infection

of

should

w^e

was,

improved catheter.
Plague, according to van
by a poisonous gas, which

of terror
result

successful

more

He

proceed.

to

these

seventeenth
chemistry of the
not
for him
sufficientlyadvanced
he
certainly pointed the
success,

achieve

to

of

cause

79

the

although
century

ART

HEALING

for

an

he

is

idea
says,

the terror

the

imagination is of
exceeding potency, as is evident, to use
an
illustration
he employs on
numerous
occasions,
in the case
of a pregnant woman,
who, through
her imagination,imprints on her offspringa mark,
such as that of a cherry. His work
the Plague is
on
marred
by many
superstitiousnotions, such as the
belief that a useful
zenexton
or
prophylactic
be made
from
dried
can
toads, and
cannot,
perhaps, be regarded as so useful a contribution
science as his other medical
to medical
writings.
"

"

(c) Therapeutics
In

of

view

stomach

and

the
the

physiology

of

expect him

to have

van

not
however, was
others, he laid down

that
"

of moderation
Let

the

(although it

function

to

the

of

digestion in the
Helmont, we might naturally
been a keen dietetist. Such,
the
case.
Scoffing at all
rule of diet only, namely,
one
:

Supream
be

attached

importance

cruel

defence

of

thing

those

to

Long
that

Life
are

80 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

HELMONT

VAN

unaccustomed) be Sobriety : Otherwise, those

favour, do noiurish best ; and a
things which
will easily concoct
those
Foods
hungry Man
do

which

him

favour

If, however,

as

failed

most."

to

seems

the

be

case,

van

appreciate the importance of

not
was
dietetics,which
unrecognised by other
than compensated
physicians of his day, he more
in his work
Fevers
for this by his exposure,
on
and
letting
elsewhere, of the gross folly of the bloodfor long had been, and
and purging which
Helmont

the

still were,
treatment

On

heir.
that

"

to

for
one

unless

two

most

favoured

means

flesh is
ill to which
every
he wrote
that he feared
occasion

almost

the

Lord

shall avert

the Life

it
.

of Mortals

will

of

dayly

be

shortned,

and

length
the Grave
in its green eare, through
to pass unto
the Offence of Cutting of a Vein, andPurgings,"
of the physicians
of his denunciations
and in one
that
of his day, he declared
a
bloody Moloch
sits
president in the Chairs of Medicine."
ment
His fear was
not an
exaggerated one ; his indictnot
of the Galenists
mijust. Blood-letting
and
excessive
purging, those fetishes of old-time
innumerable
have claimed
medical
practice,must
of whom,
perhaps, might have
victims, many
their illnesses by means
from
recovered
merely
the
of Nature's
recuperative powers unaided
; and
is under a deep debt of gratitude
science of medicine
at

"

"

"

"

"

CJ.

"

"'

'

Paradox,"
" 6, Oriatrike, p. 702.
A Preface," Oriatrike, p. 631.
A
Mad
Pleura,"
or
Raging
" 34, Oriatrike, p. 399.
Catarrhe
of
The
Rheume,"
or
a
" 35, ibid.,p. 439.
Toyes
A

Sixth

THE

ART

HEALING

81

pointing out how brutal and

and for indicating
perniciousthese practiceswere
for the combatting of disease.
better means
differed from Paracelsus
Although van Helmont
in so many
points, both in his views concerning
in his
of disease, and
the
origin and nature
lowed
folto have
chemical
theories, yet he appears
him
closelyin his therapeutics. It
very
first
was
Paracelsus, in all probabihty, who
in medicine,
of laudanum
the use
introduced
of
and to him especiallyis due the employment
and antimonial
mercurial
preparations as internal
by the
remedies, a practice violentlycondemned
Galenists,who indeed hardly dared to use such
made
able
considerdrugs externally. Van Helmont
to

Helmont

van

of these

use

for

valuable

wine, also, he
according to him,
functions

to

potent medicines

highly commended.

and

pacify and

and

are

appease
and, above

These,

such

to
agents as serve
the archeus, to regulateits
coming
all, to assist it in over-

He also
of disease.
the powers
of
diverse
medicines
other

employed
character,
many
including herbal preparations, concerning which
and
much
curious
interesting (if not always
is to
be
found
entirely reliable)information
But he cordially
detested
scattered in his works.
of the apothecaries of his day,
the concoctions
nauseating to the taste and composed, in many
of innumerable
ingredients,compounded
cases,
together in the hope that if one did not effect a
would
another
cure
and, like Paracelsus, he
;
the
apothecaries (altogether
roundly accused
their drugs.
justly)of adulterating
6

82 JOANNES

BAPTISTA

VAN

medicines, such

Some

HELMONT

Helmont
spices,van
tells us, act on
the archeus
of their
by means
odours
Certain
sweet
or
pleasant tastes.
drugs
remove
impurities; others, he writes, do move
the
much
Archeus, not
so
by cleansing and
by appeasing his
sequestring Impurities, as
Griefs,Disturbances, and a continual and successive
It is
substitutingof Nourishing Idea's."
especiallyinterestingto note that he suggests
as

"

the

of alkaline

use

those maladies
of

acid, such
of

case

such

as

Van

substances

he considers
as

fevers

in the

of

treatment

to be due

to

an

excess

gout and pleurisy; whilst in the

he
sudorifics,
wisely advocates

mercurials.
Helmont

is

somewhat

reticent

his

in

writings concerning the preparation of the more

he used.
He
important of the remedies
praises
highlythe Arcana or secret remedies of Paracelsus,
three
of which, namely, the Liquor Alkahest,
the Tincture
of Lile (an antimonial
preparation)
and Diaphoretic Mercury, he says are
capable of
The
disease.
curing every
preparation and
properties of the last mentioned, which he also
described
"Horizontal
calls
in
are
Gold,"
chapter xiv of his treatise on Fevers, and some
further particulars
are
given in chapter viii of the
^

'*

In

Words,

Herbs,

Stones, there

and

is great

Virtue,"

Oriatrike, p. 583.
'

many

boHc

commentators
have, in
regretted that modern
the
somewhat
far
instances, so
misinterpreted
hyperto assign properties to
as
language of the alchemists

It is to

be

preparation which
like van
practical men

this

show
was

it could

possibly

not
a

Helmont,

possess.

strong

not

were

and
Helmont'

Van

solution

really claimed

of

for

which
s

it

by

it is easy
to
Liquor Alkahest

potassium carbonate.

HEALING

THE
work

the

on

Disease

ART

of the

83

The

Stone.

account

particularlyclear,but apparently the drug

chloride or calomel.
mercurous
Concerning
was
and
the manner
of making the Liquor Alkahest
Helmont
is silent.
the Tincture
of Lile, van
Others, he says, must learn philosophy as he has
done, namely, by experiment. He writes:
is not

For

"

sels Arts

God

to

For

Sweats.

nothing

intent
to that
Alchymical things is written
that they may
be promiscuously understood
by
not be understood
:
all,but onely, that they may
And
that thing,Chymistry hath alwayes observed
singular to it, before other Disciplines,by the
be spread
Command
of God ; least Roses should
before
Men, and Swine : For our
Writings are
in stead of Exhortations, that
one
may
every
shall be
as
Labours, as much
profitby his own
indulged him from above."

in

Another

remedy

he favoured

(red oxide of mercury), which

corallinum," no doubt because
Elixir

(d) The
In

believed in that marvel

of Life.

majority of them
substance

"A

he called

"

he

Arcanum

of its colour.
Life

of

of old-time

Hehnont

medical

theory,

in contradistinction

denied

it to

be

to the

the

same

Philosopher's Stone or a preparation

It is distinguishedby him
thereof.
of Paracelsus, as being, not a
Arcana
as

the

from

But

oxide

mercuric

with other alchemists, van

common

the EUxir

was

Childish

Oriatrike, p. 623.

the

Vindication

of

the

Humorists,"

" 5,

VAN

BAPTISTA

84 JOANNES

HELMONT

of
drug for the curing of disease, but a means
preserving life and its faculties unimpaired by
of age.
ravages
Van
Helmont
says

the

that

Elixir

this

can

be

of
by extracting the essential essence
the wood
of the imperishable cedar of Lebanon
of Paracelsus.
of the Liquor Alkahest
by means
is
Another
preservative of life that he mentions
the distilled liquor of sulphur, i.e. a solution of
sulphurous acid. He says that, in the year 1600,
then fifty-eight
a man,
years old (concerningwhom
and
the name
some
particularsare mentioned),
of life." He
defence
some
begged of him
scribed
preof two drops of this liquor,and
a daily dose
obtained

"

records that

as

result of its

use

the

man

was

alive

good health forty-one years later,without

having experienced any illness in the meantime.^

and

in

To

and

disease

cure

life :

to

preserve
medicine
;

such

are

but
the philosopher
great objects of
is continually haunted
by the question,
is this mysterious something which
What
we
it to light.
Helmont
Van
call Life ?
compares
is a formall
he says,
The life of man,"
light,"
pointing out, however, that this is an analogy
only, and not altogether satisfactory. Of life

the

"

"

itself he writes
"

Although

as

follows

God

had

of life in

essence

give

never

his

own

she

wen

"

The

Tree

"

The

Bias

any

one

honour

Life," Oriatrike, pp. 813 and 814.

of Man,"
" 22, Oriatrike, p. 179.
of

the

Body ; yet he will

of teaching it, unto
in the abstract, is the

composed

Seeing life
incomprehensible God himseK."
Creature

any

to

HEALING

THE

ART

85

possible to
Perhaps this is the only answer
and
is life ?
What
the great question
haps
perwhich
this is the answer
biologicalscience
somewhat
seem
although its present mien may
materialistic
ultimately achieve.
may
"

"

"

"

that

We

suppose
rarely if ever

the works

of

van

Helmont

are

perhaps by
nowadays, save
the history of science their
have made
those who
be confessed
Indeed, it must
especial concern.
tedious
of his chapters are
that many
reading,
dealing as they do with forgotten controversies
does the
lost their significance. Nor
that have
of FranciscusMercurius's
editing(orrather
manner
The
lack of editing)add to their attractiveness.
latter seems,
indeed, to have flung together the
various
chapters, both of previously published
and

books
any

those

regard
as

to

read

which

were

their contents, and

to

order

the

in which

patient reader of these

certainlynot be unrewarded.
great scientific interest, the
The

of

new,

noble

character

"

with

with

no

little if
tion
indica-

written.
they were
works, however, wiU
Apart from their
revelation
they provide

remarkable

for

ness
lofti-

of a
sincerity of purpose
man
by the desire to do
altogether animated
good to his fellow-men, a true and impassioned
lover of God
is of great and
permanent value.
Helmont's
and
van
anon
genius
Moreover, ever
but
be asthe reader
flashes out, and
cannot
tounded
less
at his originality. Never
man
was
to
afraid
less anxious
of unorthodoxy, never
show
between
his own
thought and
agreement
of

motive

"

and

"

BAPTISTA

VAN

contemporaries.
of
by the name

He

86 JOANNES

of his

that

his ideas
refer

to

his

"

dehghted
paradoxes,"

to call

and

to

of."

This,
gain acceptance

unheard

"

doctrines

HELMONT

as

to
not the best way
doubt, was
of
storm
learnt what
have
for them, and
a
we
be an
Yet it would
error
opposition he aroused.
that all his scientific contemporaries
to suppose
not to appreciate something of
dense
as
so
were
no

his

alone

of

in his encomium

Lefevre, for example,

who

enriched

Philalethes

Eirenseus

"

greatness.

Helmont.
and

alchemist

an

chemical

van

with

science

whose

"

was

not

Nicolas

physician
number

of

Compendious
published in London
Body of Chymistry was
in the
Helmont
died, wrote
shortly after van
should
We
thereto :
Preface
ungrateful!
prove
of a most
worthy
to our
Age, and the memory
should
if we
charitable Physician
and
passe
Helmont
the subtil Van
lately
by unmentioned
that of
with
deceased," and, coupling his name
as
men
the illustrious Glauber, spoke of the two
to follow in the
and Lights which
are
Beacons
we
^
Theory of Chymistry and the best practiceof it."
after
A lightfor the guidance of those that came
him : no
higher word of praise is possible,and
truer word
Helmont
no
of Joannes
Baptista van
valuable

observations, and

"

...

"

has
1

been

written.

Nicolas

(Nicasius

Lefevre

Body of Chymistry
(London, 1664), pp.
.

Printed

in

Great

Rendred
.

3 and

Britain

London

Febure) : A Compendious
into English, by P. D. C, Esq.
le

4.

hy Hazell,
and

Watson

Aylesbury.

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