Chapter Jan Baptist Van Helmont and the Medical-Alchemical Perspectives of Poison

This chapter discusses Jan Baptist Van Helmont’s (1579-1644) views on poison in light of his medical alchemy. First, it argues that his approach was fundamentally influenced by the theories of ‘universal poison’ and ‘potent poison’ developed by Theophrastus von Hohenheim, called Paracelsus (1493-154...

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מחבר ראשי: Hedesan, Delia Georgiana
פורמט: Online
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יצא לאור: Elsevier/Academic Press 2021
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גישה מקוונת:https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49398
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author Hedesan, Delia Georgiana
author_browse Hedesan, Delia Georgiana
author_facet Hedesan, Delia Georgiana
author_sort Hedesan, Delia Georgiana
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description This chapter discusses Jan Baptist Van Helmont’s (1579-1644) views on poison in light of his medical alchemy. First, it argues that his approach was fundamentally influenced by the theories of ‘universal poison’ and ‘potent poison’ developed by Theophrastus von Hohenheim, called Paracelsus (1493-1541). Paracelsus’s ideas supported Van Helmont’s own views that medical alchemy was the only key to curing all diseases and poisons. At the same time, Van Helmont sought to set these concepts more clearly in a Christian framework, and also used them to launch a scathing attack on Galenic medicine and practices. Moreover, Van Helmont used poison theory to advance his belief in the existence of a universal solvent Alkahest that could extract medical essences out of any being. The Alkahest could then be used to construct an all-powerful universal medicine that proved God’s special providence to mankind.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-705142025-08-13T14:11:58Z Chapter Jan Baptist Van Helmont and the Medical-Alchemical Perspectives of Poison Hedesan, Delia Georgiana Van Helmont, medical alchemy, Paracelsianism, Paracelsus, poison theories, universal solvent, Alkahest, universal medicine thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRY Alternative belief systems::QRYX Occult studies::QRYX2 Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSB Biochemistry thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRY Alternative belief systems::QRYX Occult studies::QRYX2 Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSB Biochemistry This chapter discusses Jan Baptist Van Helmont’s (1579-1644) views on poison in light of his medical alchemy. First, it argues that his approach was fundamentally influenced by the theories of ‘universal poison’ and ‘potent poison’ developed by Theophrastus von Hohenheim, called Paracelsus (1493-1541). Paracelsus’s ideas supported Van Helmont’s own views that medical alchemy was the only key to curing all diseases and poisons. At the same time, Van Helmont sought to set these concepts more clearly in a Christian framework, and also used them to launch a scathing attack on Galenic medicine and practices. Moreover, Van Helmont used poison theory to advance his belief in the existence of a universal solvent Alkahest that could extract medical essences out of any being. The Alkahest could then be used to construct an all-powerful universal medicine that proved God’s special providence to mankind. 2021-06-03T02:07:50Z 2021-06-03T02:07:50Z 2021-06-02T11:23:07Z 2017 chapter https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49398 9780128095546 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/70514 eng open access image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/49398/1/Bookshelf_NBK513408.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/49398/1/Bookshelf_NBK513408.pdf Elsevier/Academic Press c5910638-727d-46df-8a16-4e1fc5a040f9 Toxicology in the Middle Ages and Renaissance Wellcome Trust d859fbd3-d884-4090-a0ec-baf821c9abfd 9780128095546 Wellcome 6 open access
spellingShingle Van Helmont, medical alchemy, Paracelsianism, Paracelsus, poison theories, universal solvent, Alkahest, universal medicine
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRY Alternative belief systems::QRYX Occult studies::QRYX2 Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSB Biochemistry
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRY Alternative belief systems::QRYX Occult studies::QRYX2 Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSB Biochemistry
Hedesan, Delia Georgiana
Chapter Jan Baptist Van Helmont and the Medical-Alchemical Perspectives of Poison
title Chapter Jan Baptist Van Helmont and the Medical-Alchemical Perspectives of Poison
title_full Chapter Jan Baptist Van Helmont and the Medical-Alchemical Perspectives of Poison
title_fullStr Chapter Jan Baptist Van Helmont and the Medical-Alchemical Perspectives of Poison
title_full_unstemmed Chapter Jan Baptist Van Helmont and the Medical-Alchemical Perspectives of Poison
title_short Chapter Jan Baptist Van Helmont and the Medical-Alchemical Perspectives of Poison
title_sort chapter jan baptist van helmont and the medical alchemical perspectives of poison
topic Van Helmont, medical alchemy, Paracelsianism, Paracelsus, poison theories, universal solvent, Alkahest, universal medicine
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRY Alternative belief systems::QRYX Occult studies::QRYX2 Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSB Biochemistry
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRY Alternative belief systems::QRYX Occult studies::QRYX2 Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSB Biochemistry
topic_facet Van Helmont, medical alchemy, Paracelsianism, Paracelsus, poison theories, universal solvent, Alkahest, universal medicine
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRY Alternative belief systems::QRYX Occult studies::QRYX2 Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSB Biochemistry
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRY Alternative belief systems::QRYX Occult studies::QRYX2 Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSB Biochemistry
url https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49398
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