Dedication, 1577-01-01, Michael Toxites to Philipp Truchsess von Rheinfelden

From Theatrum Paracelsicum
Author: Michael Toxites
Recipient: Philipp Truchsess von Rheinfelden
Type: Dedication
Date: 1 January 1577
Place: Hagenau
Pages: 5
Language: German
Quote as: https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=2021
Editor: Edited by Julian Paulus
Source:
Paracelsus, Von den Ofnen schäden vnd geschweren, ed. Michael Toxites, Straßburg: Christian Müller 1577, sig. A2r–A4r [BP174]
CP: Not in Kühlmann/Telle, Corpus Paracelsisticum
Translation: Raw translation see below
Abstract: The letter discusses the usefulness of surgery and how the ancients did not understand it fully, leading to Theophrastus writing about it. The letter mentions a surgical book on open wounds that is useful for anyone wanting to cure them, and that it was printed with Latin glosses that were left out in a previous edition. The author encourages readers to compare this booklet with another book on open wounds. The author wants to publish this book under the name of a lover of Theophrastus to have a patron and defender against critics who oppose his teachings. (generated by Chat-GPT)
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[sig. A2r] Dem Edlen vnnd vesten Philips Truchsessen von Reinfelden/ wünscht Michael Toxites der Artzney Doctor/ ein new glückhafftig Jar vnd alles gůts.

Von der ankunfft/ nutz/ lob/ preiß/ vnd würde/ der Chirurgj/ hie vil zůreden ist vnnöttig: dann dauon haben alte/ vnd newe scriptores in teutsch vnd lateinischer sprach vil geschriben. Zů dem weißt ein jeder verstendiger/ wie notwendig dise kunst sey/ dieweil kein hauß/ dorff/ statt/ oder fürstenthumb ist/ darinnen sich nit vil wunden/ stich/ schäden vnd geschwer zůtragen/ da dann niemand dann der Chyrurgus oder wundartzet helffen kan.

[sig. A2v] Aber das mag einer fragen/ ob es die alten alles volkommen tractiert haben: Ob Theophrastus on vrsach nach souil glerten mennern von der Chyrurgj geschriben: Darauff ich kurtzlich antwort gib: das die alten vil notwendiger sachen in der wundartzney außgelassen/ vil ding aber nit recht verstanden haben/ welches Theophrastum zůschreiben bewegt/ darinnen jm auch seine eigne feindt den preiß geben müssen.

Vnder andern Chyrurgischen büchern/ so er hinder jm verlassen/ ist dises von den offnen schäden menigklichen/ so damit behafft/ oder die zů curieren sich vndernemen vast nutzlich dann darinn zeigt er[c1] an/ was ein jeder schaden sei/ waher er kumm/ [sig. A3r] wie er sich ende/ was seine zeichen vnd cura sey. Wiewol nun dises vor etlichen jarn zů Basel getruckt worden/ jedoch seind die lateinischen glossæ, welche zů verstand dises büchleins gar dienstlich seindt/ alle außgelassen: Derhalben hab ich das exemplar wie es Theophrastus beschriben/ mit den lateinischen vnnd teutschen glossis, welche seine auditores von jm inter docendum excipiert haben/ in truck gefertiget/ damit die Zoili sehen das er auch/ wann er gewölt/ lateinisch hette könden schreiben vnnd reden/ wie dazůmal der brauch gewesen/ da man mehr vff die res, dann vff die verba gesehen/ vnd achtung geben hat.

Es meinen etlich/ dises büchlin [sig. A3v] gehör zů dem dritten büchlein in der kleinen wundartzney von den offenen schäden/ auß der vrsach/ das bey disem/ wider des Theophrasti brauch/ kein vorredt ist/ vnnd eins das ander erklert. Ob nun dem also sey/ oder nit/ will ich nit disputieren/ Allein die so dises büchlein lesen werden/ ermanet haben/ das sie oben gemelt büchlein von offnen schäden fleissig mit disem/ zů besserem verstand conferieren wöllen.

Dieweil Jr dann ein liebhaber[c2] Theophrasti seind/ auch neben vilen ewren geschefften/ seine schrifften gern vnd fleissig lesen/ vnd in gůten künsten vnnd spraachen für andere vom Adel euch von jugendt vff geübt haben/ vnd erfaren seindt: So hab ich vnder ewerm namen dises [sig. A4r] fürnemblich darumb publicieren wöllen/ vff das es einen trewen/ verstendigen patronum vnd defensorem wider die Zoilos habe/ wider welcher willen/ vnd gedancken/ die leer Theophrasti teglich je lenger je reiner/ vnd heller durch Gottes segen an tag kumpt/ welchen ich euch mit allem fleiß befelhen thů. Datum Hagenaw am newen jar tag. Anno 1577.

Ewer dienstwilliger

Michael Toxites D[octor].

Apparatus

Corrections

  1. zeigt er] corrected from: zeigte r
  2. liebhaber] corrected from: liehaber


English Raw Translation

Generated by ChatGPT on 30 March 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.

To the noble and esteemed Philip Truchsess of Reinfield, Michael Toxites, a doctor of medicine, wishes a happy new year and all the best.

It is unnecessary to say much about the arrival, usefulness, praise, and dignity of surgery, as old and new writers have written much about it in German and Latin. Any intelligent person knows how necessary this art is, as there is no house, village, town, or principality where people do not suffer wounds, punctures, injuries, and illnesses that only a surgeon or doctor can help with.

One might ask whether the ancients had mastered everything perfectly, or whether Theophrastus had written about surgery for no reason, despite being such an educated man. To this, I give a brief answer: the ancients left out many necessary things in surgery and did not understand many things correctly, which led Theophrastus to write about it and even praise his own enemy.

Among other surgical books that he left behind, this one on open wounds is very useful for anyone who suffers from them or wants to cure them. In it, he shows what each injury is, where it comes from, how it ends, and what its signs and treatments are. Although this was printed in Basel some years ago, the Latin glosses, which are very useful for understanding this booklet, were all left out. Therefore, I have made a copy of the edition as Theophrastus described it, with the Latin and German glosses that his students received from him during his teaching. This is to show the critics that, when he wanted to, Theophrastus could also write and speak Latin, as was the custom in those days when people paid more attention to the substance than to the words.

Some people think that this booklet belongs to the third booklet in the little surgery book on open wounds, because there is no preface to it, and one thing explains the other. Whether this is true or not, I will not dispute. However, those who read this booklet are encouraged to carefully compare it with the above-mentioned book on open wounds for better understanding.

Since you are a lover of Theophrastus and have, alongside your many occupations, diligently read his writings and practiced good arts and languages from your youth, I wanted to publish this book under your name in particular, so that it may have a loyal and intelligent patron and defender against the Zoilos who oppose Theophrastus' teachings. These teachings become clearer and brighter day by day through God's blessing, against their will and thoughts. I commend this to you with all my diligence. Given in Hagenau on New Year's Day, 1577.

Your obedient servant,

Michael Toxites, Doctor.