Dedication, 1578-01-06, Thomas Erastus to Michael von Conarsin
| Author: | Thomas Erastus |
| Recipient: | Michael von Conarsin |
| Type: | Dedication |
| Date: | no date [6 January 1578] |
| Place: | no place [Heidelberg] |
| Pages: | 1 |
| Language: | Greek |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=2989 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | Thomas Erastus, Disputatio de auro potabili, Basel: Pietro Perna 1578, sig. ):(2r–):(4v [BP.Erastus.1578-01]
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| Reprinted in: | BP.Erastus.1584-02 |
| Translation: | Raw translation see below |
| Abstract: | Erastus warns of the dangers posed by pharmacists who, either through ignorance or deceit, administer harmful medicines. These remedies, especially those prepared from metals using certain processes, pose a significant risk to health. Erastus laments that even when the ill effects of such medicines are evident, the culprits often evade accountability. These concoctions, touted as elite treatments and often sold to the affluent, are at best ineffective and at worst lethal. Erastus notes that such practices not only exploit the sick financially but also jeopardize their health and lives. While he anticipates criticism from both the uninformed and the knowledgeable, he asserts his duty to protect those who can be safeguarded from these harms. The motivation for his writings came from observing a wise man being duped into purchasing such remedies, revealing how pervasive the deceit has become. Erastus dedicates his argument to the noble Conarsine, emphasizing his respect for him and his pursuit of truth. He lauds Conarsine's virtues and commitment to enhancing his intellect, hoping Conarsine can leverage his influence to combat these medical deceptions. (generated by Chat-GPT) |
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[sig. ):(2r] Virtvte tvm maiorvm tvm vero propria nobilissimo iuveni, Michaeli à Conarsin Borusso, Felicis à Conarsin Capitanei in Hamerstein & Baldenburg &c. Filio[c1], S[alutem] P[lurimam] D[icit] Thomas Erastus Medicus.
Cum superioribus annis medici quidam elegantes & prudentes de ratione ac via cogitassent, qua partes medicamentorum puriores & præstantiores ab impurioribus & ignobilioribus secernerent, ac conatui euentus pulchrè respondisset, meritò ab omnibus opera eorum prædicata fuit. Quis enim non laudet rem publicè utilem ac salutarem? Non est opus multis rationibus ostendere velle ingrata nobis medicamina pleraque esse: cum sine ratione quotidie ferè experiamur. Causæ quoque explanationem, cur aliquid fiat, perpauci cupiunt scire, quoties vel sine huius cognitione fieri sciunt. Vtilem porrò esse partium subtiliorum à craßioribus, puriorum ab impurioribus utilium ab inutilibus, gratarum ab ingratis separationem, ne dubitari quidem potest. Hanc in plantis earumque partibus (et similibus) [sig. ):(2v] alijs) discretionem arte Chemica factam, cum ab omnibus ferè commendari animadvertissent rudes & imperiti quidam Chemici, arte sua aurifactrice (à qua se ad mendicitatem redactos viderant) relicta, ad Medicinam artem castißimam sordes suas inauspicatò transtulerunt. Quippe non solum partes nobiliores pharmacorum, qua intra corpus tutò sumuntur, ab ignobilioribus segregare illorum, de quibus supra dixi, imitatione studuerunt, sed ut amplius aliquid scire putarentur, metalla[c2] & gemmas (quæ nativus calor conficere nullo pacto potest) in olea, aquas, liquores pulveres dißoluere tentarunt: eaq́ue agris maximè prodeße dictitarunt. Nec difficile fuit idiotis in re Medica, præsertim ditioribus & delicatioribus (imò ipsis quoque rudioribus Medicis) persuadere, tanto in his rebus maiores inesse vires, quanto rebus alijs preciosiores existimantur. Audaciores eos fecit, quod ab arte Chemica ad fallendum instructi facilè se latere posse prospexerunt. Etenim paucißimi sunt, quibus non poßis pro auro poculento quemlibet humorem obtrudere, & precium de[c3] nomine quoduis extorquere. Scio ego ho- [sig. ):(3r] mines (si modo rectè homines nominantur eiuscemodi impostores) qui ex rebus vilißimis concinnatos succos rubros, albos, faluescentes, oleosos, incredibilem argenti & auri summam emunxerunt, dum se coraliorum tincturam, Margaritarum succum, aurum poculentum, aliáue talia exhibuisse aut exhibituros[c4] mentiti fuissent. Plures cum ad curationem certorum morborum purißimo auro se indigere dixissent, Vngaricosq́ue vetustiores aureos, Hispanicos, Anglicos, &c. extorsissent, pro ijs antimonij, & hydrargyri puluerem reddiderunt: auroq́ue accepto mortem ægris procurauerunt. Credo similes imposturas apud veteres quoque obseruatas (quod antiquiores nonnulli Chemicorum libri significare videntur) quæ magistraus de remedio cogitare coegerint. Hinc certè natum videtur, quod magno et prudentißimo consilio pharmacopolia publica instituerunt, & ne ulli Medici domi suæ composita pharmaca ægris offerrent, prohibuerunt, sed ut pharmacopœo Reip[ublicae] iurato scripta exhiberent præceperunt, quo liqueret bonis an malis pharmacis in curando usi fuissent. Incredibile est, quantum hoc institutum mortalibus commodarit: nec saluti publicæ rectè unquam [sig. ):(3v] consuletur, nisi hoc ipsum revocetur. Quod dico, ipsa re et facto quorundam edoctus dico. Vidi enim non unum tantum sceleratè pharmacis per imprudentiam et ignorantiam. (nolo credere consilio factum) necatum, quorum effectus etsi oculis pateret, contra negantes tamen, quia domi parauerant, nihil demonstrari potuit. Cæterum quia his malis mederi nostrum non est, nec aliud possumus, quam monere, in præsentia hoc solum ostendere voluimus, pharmac ex metallis vi ignium parata (quæ Chemici utilitatis suæ causa cum certa hominum pernicie ex fornacibus suis ad Medicorum officinam transportarunt) deglutiri non debere ab eo, qui salutis propriæ est amans. Quoniam nullum est hoc pacto præparatum, quod non plurimum noceat, aut saltem non sit inutile. Quæ nec iuvant, vel nocent, hoc solo obsunt, quòd magno frustrà emta sunt. Quæ præterquam quod nihil commodant, ægris perniciem insuper adferunt, pecundia & vita ægros simul spoliant. Sunt enim omnia, non re sed æstimatione & mendacijs artificum preciosa. Pacua certè sunt, quæ utilitatem in præsens attulisse videantur: quæ tamen omnia qualitatem mortiferam visceribus imprimunt latentem, nullis, [sig. ):(4r] postquam sese deinde prodidit, medicaminibus curabilem. Etsi verò non defuturos scio tum rudes quosdam, qui rationum momenta non intelligunt, tum peritiores aliquot paucos, qui vel propter pudorem non audent, vel propter ambitionem sunt resuri, non tamen ob id non debui ego sanabiles curare. Qui insanabiles sunt, iusto Dei iudicio ære suo proprio mortem sibi ultrò ement. Occasionem scribendi hac de re dedit vir prudentia & virtute præstantissimus, qui uxoris morositate inductus remedia talia magno quidem emit, sed dolum mox olfacere cœpit. Solent isti Tenebriones ad primarias fœminas se adiungere, eisq́ue callidè insusurrare, minimè convenire, ut quæ dignitate atque obibus plebeis præstent, eisdem remedijs curentur. Esse enim suauiora & nobiliora illis parata, qui persoluere poßint. Tibi verò, nobilißime Conarsine, disputationem hanc nuncupare placuit, ut sub nomine tuo prodiens tuæ erga me obseruantiæ et meæ in te beneuolentæ argumentum exstaret. Non possum enim non vehementer amare, pietatem, virtutem, modestiam tuam, quibus te donis deus præ multis alijs ornauit, quæque augere tu industria, studio, & diligentia sedulo conaris. Nec dubitauisti hac de[c5] causa patriam, parentes & [sig. ):(4v] commoditates alias relinquere[c6] ad exteros venire, & inter hos incommode potius, quam domi delicate viuere: quo insitas ingenij animiq́ue dotes bonarum artium perceptione, et multarum rerum inspectione meliores & perfectiores redderes. Quod si, ut benè cœpisti, pergere voles, facilè tuorum de te exspectationem omnem superabis, spero, et cum summa patriæ utilitate tuaq́ue sempiterna gloria paternæ virtutis successor & hæres verus prædicaberis.
Deinde cum intelligam has imposturas apud vos quoque irrepere, popteris authoritate tua à multorum ceruicibus periculum certum auertere. Accedit huc, quod talibus disputationibus quibus proprietates rerum naturalium inuestigantur ex explicantur, mirificè delectaris: nec ulla re alia magis afficeris, quàm veritatis indagatione & cognitione. Accipe igitur jilari fronte strenam, quam pro noui huius anni felici auspicio dare potui, et mei erga te amoris testimonium esse patere. Si quis ad alios ex præsente disputatione fructus redibit, quem ego auguror maximum fore. (quid enim maius est, quàm vitam et santiatem conservavisse?) gratias tibi non minores debebunt, quam mihi, qui tua causa præcipuè publicam facere volui. Vale. Die VI. Ian[uarii] anno 1578.
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Generated by ChatGPT-4 on 16 August 2023. Attention: This translation is a machine translation by artificial intelligence. The translation has not been checked and should not be cited without additional human verification.
By both the virtue of your ancestors and by your own true nobility, to the most distinguished young man, Michael à Conarsin of Borussia, son of Felix à Conarsin, Captain of Hamerstein & Baldenburg etc., Thomas Erastus, physician, sends his warmest greetings.
In previous years, certain discerning and prudent physicians pondered over the method and means to separate the purer and more excellent parts of medicines from those that are impure and base. When their endeavors were beautifully successful, their work was rightly praised by all. For who wouldn't praise something publicly beneficial and healthful? There's no need for extensive arguments to show that many medicines are unpleasant to us; we experience this almost daily without any explanation. Moreover, few desire to know the explanation for why something happens, especially when they know it happens even without understanding it. That there is benefit in separating the finer parts from the coarse, the pure from the impure, the useful from the useless, the pleasant from the unpleasant, is beyond doubt. When the separation of these parts in plants (and similar substances) by chemical means was almost universally praised, certain inexperienced and unskilled alchemists, having abandoned their gold-making art (by which they saw themselves reduced to poverty), unfortunately transferred their impurities to the most chaste art of medicine. Indeed, not only did they strive to separate the noble parts of drugs, which can be safely taken into the body, from the base parts in imitation of those mentioned earlier, but in order to seem more knowledgeable, they tried to dissolve metals and gems (which natural heat cannot in any way process) into oils, waters, and powders, claiming these to be highly beneficial. It wasn't hard to convince the medically ignorant, especially the wealthy and delicate (even some inexperienced doctors), that these substances contained greater power just because they were considered more valuable than other things. Their audacity was fueled by their chemical expertise in deception, allowing them to easily hide their true intentions. Indeed, there are very few to whom one can't sell any potion as if it were gold, and then extort any price based on its name. I know of men (if such deceivers can even be rightly called men) who, from the most worthless materials, have concocted red, white, yellowish, oily juices, and have squeezed out an unbelievable amount of silver and gold, while they lied about having or planning to provide coral tinctures, pearl essences, drinkable gold, and other such things. Many, having claimed they needed pure gold to treat certain diseases, and having extorted old Hungarian, Spanish, English gold coins, etc., gave in return powders of antimony and mercury, and having taken the gold, brought death to the patients. I believe similar deceptions were also observed among the ancients (as some older alchemical texts seem to suggest), which must have forced the authorities to consider remedies. From this, it seems, arose the great and very wise policy of establishing public apothecaries, and they prohibited any doctor from offering patients medicines prepared at home, but ordered them to present their prescriptions to a sworn state apothecary, so it would be clear whether they had used good or bad medicines in treatment. It's incredible how much this institution has benefited humanity. And the public health will never be properly looked after unless this practice is reinstated. I speak from experience and based on the deeds of some. For I have seen not just one, but many, wickedly poisoned by pharmacists due to imprudence and ignorance. (I do not wish to believe it was done intentionally.) Even though the effects were evident to the eyes, those who denied it, having prepared the medicines at home, could demonstrate nothing. However, as it's not in our power to remedy these evils, and we can do nothing else but warn, I wanted to show currently that medicines prepared from metals by the force of fires (which chemists, for their own gain and with certain harm to people, transferred from their furnaces to the apothecaries) should not be ingested by anyone who values their own health. For there is no substance prepared in this way that doesn't cause significant harm or, at the very least, is not useless. Those that neither help nor harm are detrimental solely because they were bought needlessly at great cost. Those that, in addition to being of no benefit, bring harm to the sick, simultaneously rob the patient of money, life, and health. They are all precious not in reality, but by estimation and the lies of craftsmen. Very few seem to bring any immediate benefit: yet all of them instill a deadly quality into the organs, hidden and, once it later reveals itself, incurable by any medicines.
Even though I know that there will not be a shortage of both the uninformed who do not understand the weight of reasoning, and a few more knowledgeable who either out of shame do not dare, or due to ambition will oppose, I should not, for that reason, neglect to care for those who can be healed. Those who are incurable, by God's just judgment, will willingly buy their own deaths with their own money. The occasion to write on this topic was given by a man of exceptional prudence and virtue, who, influenced by his wife's whims, purchased such remedies at great cost but soon began to suspect deceit. These charlatans tend to associate themselves with high-ranking women and cunningly whisper to them that it's unsuitable for them, who excel in status and wealth above the common folk, to be treated with the same remedies. They have more pleasant and noble treatments prepared for those who can afford them.
Yet, most noble Conarsine, I've chosen to dedicate this argument to you, so that, coming forth under your name, it might stand as evidence of your respect towards me and my goodwill towards you. I cannot help but deeply cherish your piety, virtue, and modesty – gifts that God has bestowed upon you above many others and which you diligently strive to enhance with hard work, study, and diligence. You did not hesitate to leave your homeland, parents, and other comforts to come among foreigners and live more modestly abroad than comfortably at home, so that you could improve and perfect the innate talents of your intellect and spirit through the acquisition of the liberal arts and the observation of many things. If you continue, as you've begun, you will easily surpass all expectations others have of you. I hope, and with the utmost benefit to your country and your everlasting glory, you will be hailed as a true successor and heir to your father's virtue.
Moreover, understanding that these deceptions are also creeping into your lands, I hope your authority can ward off this certain danger from many. Add to this, you delight greatly in such discussions where the properties of natural things are investigated and explained; nothing affects you more than the pursuit and knowledge of truth. Therefore, receive with a cheerful countenance this gift which I can offer for the fortunate beginning of this new year, and let it stand as a testament to my affection for you. If anyone benefits from this discussion, which I believe will be to a great extent (for what is greater than preserving life and health?), they will owe no less gratitude to you than to me, since I mainly wanted to make it public for your sake. Farewell. January 6th, 1578.
