Wurstisen 1580 Chronik

Texts on Paracelsus

Christian Wurstisen, Basler Chronik 1580

• Text
• Bibliography

Text

[p. 555] Cornelius von Liechtenfels ermanet mich hie einer Geschichte/ welche sich nicht sehr lang nach dieser zeit mit Theophrasto Paracelso/ von Einsiedlen auß dem Schwitzerlandt bürtig/ zůgetragen. Der selbige lehret zů Basel im acht vnd zwentzigsten jar der minderen zal/ als der Religion zweytracht/ der Hohen Schůl wesen schon zerstöret hat/ in Teutscher spraach/ auff sein Manier offentlich die Artzney/ jhrer gründen/ harführung vnd verrichtung halb der Galenischen gantz widersinnig/ darumb er auch den Auicennam ein alten Scribenten in der Vniuersitet verbrennet haben soll. Von

[p. 556] den Zůhörern/ seind nachmalen jhrer Schrifften vnd Kunst halben verrhümpt worden/ Doctor Alban Thorer vnd Johannes Oporinus.  Als nun bemelter von Liechtenfelß/ so des Magenwehthumbs halb/ von anderen Medicis kein sondere hilff kriegen köndten/ vor D. Theophrasto gesagt/ er wölt einem hundert Guldin schencken/ der jhn hierinn curieren köndte/ erwüschet Theophrastus diese Rede/ gab jhm drey Pillulen/ die er Laudani nennet/ zůniessen. Der Thůmbherr/ welcher auff die Artzney zimlich geschlaffen/ vnd sich besser entpfunden/ schicket jhm hernach sechs Guldin zur verehrung/ vnd ließ jhm sehr dancken. Theophrastus wolt sich deß nicht ersettigen lassen/ sonder die vermeldten hundert Guldin haben/ die jhm jhener nicht geben wolte. Die sach gerieht für die Richter/ welche jhm für seine Gäng vnd die vberreicht Artzney/ nach jhrem gůtbeduncken/ Belohnung erkannten. Dorab ward Theophrastus vnwillig/ das jhm Leyen die gegeben Artzney seines erachtens also gering schetzen wölten/ Warff böß Karten auß/ vnnd bochet mit etlichen worten wider die Vrtheil/ deß er vor der Oberkeit beklagt ward. Als jhn nun seiner Freunden einer warnet/ wie man jhn dieser Vnuernunfft halb mit gefangengeschafft straffen wölte/ verließ er Basel/ enthielt sich ein weil im Elsaß/ zoge demnach gehn Nürnberg/ in Beyern/ vnd das Saltzburger landt/ da er auch letstlich soll gestorben sein.

Bibliography

First edition:

Wurstisen, Christian: Baßler Chronick/ Darinn alles/ was sich in Oberen Teutschen Landen/ nicht nur in der Statt vnd Bistumbe Basel/ [...] biß in das gegenwirtige M. D. LXXX Jar/ gedenckwirdigs zůgetragen, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1580, pp. dlv/dlvj [pp. 555/556] (7. Buch, Kap. 18).
  — USTC 615291. — VD16 W 4671.
  — View at Google Books here or here
 In this edition the last page is counted ›dclv‹ (printer’s error).

Variant:

Wurstisen, Christian: Baßler Chronick, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1580, pp. dlv/dlvj [pp. 555/556].
  — USTC 615292. — VD16 W 4670.
  — View at Google Books here or here
 In this edition the last page is counted ›dclxv‹.

Other editions:

Wurstisen, Christian: Baßler-Chronick, new ed. in 2 vols., Basel: Emanuel Thurneysen, 1765, vol. 1, p. 593.
  — View at Google Books here or here or here

Wurstisen, Christian: Baßler-Chronick, Basel: Emil Birkhäuser, 1883, p. 394.
  — View at Google Books here

English Raw Translation

Generated by ChatGPT on 1 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.

Cornelius von Liechtenfels reminds me here of a story that took place not long after this time with Theophrastus Paracelsus, originally from Einsiedeln in Switzerland. He was teaching medicine in German at the University of Basel in the twenty-eighth year of the lesser count, when religious discord and the destruction of the high school had already occurred. He publicly taught medicine in his own way, contradicting the Galenic system, regarding its principles, practices, and procedures, and he is said to have burned the works of Avicenna, an old scholar, in the university. Some of his listeners, including Doctor Alban Thorer and Johannes Oporinus, were later ridiculed for their writings and art.

Now, the aforementioned Liechtenfels, who could not get any special help from other physicians for his stomach ache, offered to give one hundred guilders to anyone who could cure him of it. Theophrastus gave him three pills, which he called Laudani, to take. The patient, who had slept fairly well after taking the medicine, sent him six guilders as a gift and thanked him very much. Theophrastus refused to be satisfied and demanded the aforementioned one hundred guilders, which the patient refused to give him. The matter was brought before the judges, who awarded him a reward for his services and the medicine he had provided at their discretion. This made Theophrastus angry that laypeople would underestimate the medicine he had given them, and he spoke out against the judgment, for which he was accused before the authorities. When one of his friends warned him that he would be punished with imprisonment for this folly, he left Basel, stayed for a while in Alsace, then went to Nuremberg, Bavaria, and the Salzburg region, where he eventually died.