The Devil’s Doctor: Paracelsus and the World of Renaissance Magic and Science by Philip Ball (PDF)

Description

Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, who called himself Paracelsus, stands at the cusp of medieval and modern times. A contemporary of Luther, an enemy of the medical establishment, a scourge of the universities, an alchemist, an army surgeon, and a radical theologian, he attracted myths even before he died. His fantastic journeys across Europe and beyond were said to be made on a magical white horse, and he was rumored to carry the elixir of life in the pommel of his great broadsword. His name was linked with Faust, who bargained with the devil.Who was the man behind these stories? Some have accused him of being a charlatan, a windbag who filled his books with wild speculations and invented words. Others claim him as the father of modern medicine. Philip Ball exposes a more complex truth in The Devil’s Doctor—one that emerges only by entering into Paracelsus’s time. He explores the intellectual, political, and religious undercurrents of the sixteenth century and looks at how doctors really practiced, at how people traveled, and at how wars were fought. For Paracelsus was a product of an age of change and strife, of renaissance and reformation. And yet by uniting the diverse disciplines of medicine, biology, and alchemy, he assisted, almost in spite of himself, in the birth of science and the emergence of the age of rationalism. “Ball produces a vibrant, original portrait of a man of contradictions:” – Publishers Weekly

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I find the history of science to be a fascinating topic, especially the transition from attempting to explain (and control) the world through “magic” to “science” as it is mainly understood today. In this context, I did find this book quite interesting as it provides a vivid illustration of the life of proto-scientist that sough to fight dogma with, like many of his contemporaries, one foot in the past and one in the future. With this said, even thought the historical narrative is compelling, Ball does not completely succeed in presenting Paracelsus cosmology… that is, what he actually believed. This may not be completely his fault as the “doctor” seemed to change his mind frequently and often describe his thoughts in quite vague terms (at least this is the impression I get from the book). Of course it is completely plausible that Ball didn’t get it also.To some extent the book resembles Frances Yates’ “Giordano Bruno…” and I think that’s what Ball was aiming for. I didn’t think the life and legacy of Paracelsus was a controversial issue until I read some of the reviews here. In this regard the book is written in a mostly neutral tone, although I feel Ball has some sympathy for the maverick. After reading the book I do to! This is not the ultimate scholarly resource on Paracelsus (actually I wouldn’t even consider it a scholarly book) but all in all it was an interesting read.

⭐I think some of the other reviews, especially those by Haines and Hardy, describe very well what is contained in the book. So I’ll review the book more than the actual material in it.I came to this topic not knowing anything about the Renaissance and the movement at that time from “magic” to science. So, on the one hand, the book was incredibly interesting. However, on the other hand, while Ball is a good researcher he is not a great author. Thus it is really tough for a novice, such as me, to gain a good general grasp of Paracelsus from this book. For instance, Ball never presents a general guide to help put everything in perspective. If you already have some knowledge of Paracelsus and/or his world, such a guide isn’t necessary. But if you are a neophyte, such as me, this omission makes the book very hard to follow, especially because of two traits of Ball’s writing. First, on virtually every page Ball introduces 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or … more people, most of whom show up for a paragraph or two and then wonder off stage, never to be seen again. A few, however, emerge as more important. But without any general guide, it’s impossible to know in advance who will be important and who will be a flash in the pan. Second, this fact combines with the point that Ball frequently goes off on a tangents. But, once again, without any general guide it is impossible to determine if the topic is a tangent that will, indeed, be tangential or if the topic is a tangent that will be a major factor in Paracelsus’ life and/or importance. As a result, if you are a novice to the Renaissance it is a constant struggle to see and to grasp the “big picture” about Paracelsus’ life and importance. Instead, you will read many very fascinating small points about Paracelsus, the Renaissance, medicine and doctors in the 16th century, and alchemy. But the big picture is, at best, elusive. It takes literally until the last chapter, where Ball writes about Paracelsus’ followers and the eventual replacement of Paracelsus’ beliefs with modern science, for the general picture to start to emerge. And even then, it’s a struggle to put together the pieces that are being presented.If the key material in last chapter had been presented and expanded upon in the first chapter, I’d happily give the book 5 stars. Alas, however, it was not. And so the book gets 3 stars. If you want a source of really neat trivia about Paracelsus or the Renaissance, this is your book. If you want an understanding of the importance of Paracelsus and do not already have a good foundation on this topic, prepare to work.

⭐The Devil’s Doctor is a remarkably well written biography of Paracelsus as well as social history of his life time, that period in European History when the Scholastic mindset of the Medieval was being challenged by the coming Enlightenment. Ball, who writes with great clarity and skillful organization shows Paracelsus as a unique individual in the middle of this social revolution, not seeing the whole picture, but living on both sides of the split.An alchemist who grew up in a mining region of Switzerland where the manipulation of metals was prevelant he received a scolastic education in medicine. He left early because he realized that the medicine of the Greeks no longer served. He sought out the best teachers and herbalists to educate himself and was recognized as one of the best doctors of his time. He grew up in the Roman church, but thought, wrote, and preached independently his own brand of spirituality barely escaping condemnation for heresy.I had read bits and pieces about Paracelsus over the years, but gathered almost nothing about the man. By putting Paracelsus in his time and many places (the man traveled a get deal for the times), Ball has made him real and his significance to European, and so world, history understandable.I can’t say I disliked anything about this book. Except, maybe, the fact that Paracelsus was associated with so many interesting characters who deserved books of their own, which I’ll probably never find. I highly recommend this book to those interested in this period of history even if they scoff at alchemy. If they scoff, Ball will give them a better understanding of its significance to the period.

⭐Paracelsus was a pioneering teacher and practitioner. The book is a lively recounting of his achievements and the sentiments that swirled around him due to the prevailing beliefs at the time of witchcraft.Highly recommended for medical students and anybody interested in medieval life in Europe.

⭐Thanks for the deal.

⭐This is an intelligent and insightful book that embeds research into a wider philosophical and scientific background. The author has written the best text on Paracelsus I’ve read.

⭐This book gives a very good overview of the life and work of Paracelsus, and his legacy to the future. It is written in layman’s terms, avoiding the jargon of alchemy, and is careful to place Paracelsus within the cultural, scientific, political, and religious environment of his era.

⭐Great book which I enjoyed and excellent service.

⭐Already had it in hardback and wanted it in kindle form to save space

⭐good book

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