帕拉塞尔苏斯及其在近代医学革命中的地位和意义

The status and significance of Paracelsus in the Modern Medical Revolution

帕拉塞尔苏斯是近代西方医学史上,第一位明确提出要彻底打破传统盖伦医学体系的桎梏,完成对古典医学体系革命的人物。他将传统的炼金术引入医学,并将炼金术的由制取黄金改为制造能够给人带来健康的药品;认为上帝用硫磺、盐和水银这“三要素”创造了自然和人,人体就是一个不断发生着各种化学反应的“化学系统”。这为长期处在“四体液”思想下的医学带来了新的世界观——化学世界观。化学世界观的提出,不仅为 “医疗化学”奠定了基础,也为后来医学发展开辟出了新的世界。虽然帕拉塞尔苏斯的“三要素论(three principles)” 并没有在强调人体健康平衡这一点上完全超越盖伦的“四体液”学说,但“三要素论”中包含了自然中矿物质也可作为药物帮助人体恢复健康平衡这一观点却极大地突破了传统盖伦医学的医药思想体系,为后世药物的扩充和发展提供了宝贵的思想资源和经验借鉴。

Paracelsus,the first person in the history of modern Western medicine,specified to break the shackles of the traditional medical system thoroughly and revolutionise the classical medical system completely.He introduced traditional alchemy into medicine,and changed it from making gold into producing drugs which were helpful to human health.He believed that nature and human were made by God with"three principles"-sulphur,salt and hydrargyrum.He also believed that human body,as a"chemical system",was full of a variety of chemical reactions.His ideas brought a new worldview,a chemical one,to the medical field influenced by the concept of"Humorism"for ages.The chemical worldview laid the foundation for"iatrochemistry"and channelled a path for the following medical development.The"three principles"of Paracelsus did not surpass the"Humorism"proposed by Galen in terms of underlining the balance of human health.However,the idea,that the mineral substances in nature in the"three principles"could be taken as medicines to help the recovery of human body,broke through the traditional medical system proposed by Galen,offered valuable ideological resources and experience for the following expansion and development of medicines.