Roger Bacon and the Incorruptible Human, 1220-1292

Alchemy, Pharmacology and the Desire to Prolong Life

Meagan S. Allen (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

XIII, 296 Seiten

2023
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-031-12897-4 (ISBN)

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This book examines the Franciscan alchemist Roger Bacon's (1220-1292) interest in the role of alchemy in medicine, and how this interest connected with the thirteenth-century milieu in which he was writing. Though twelfth-century Latin alchemy had largely been concerned with transmuting base metals into noble ones, Bacon believed that the natural principles taught in alchemy would be better used in medicine. In an age where many physicians were theorizing about ways to prevent the effects of aging, Bacon held that combining alchemy and humoral medicine would allow one to extend their life by decades, even centuries. By examining Bacon's alchemical, medical, and mathematical works, this book argues that Bacon combined a number of sources to create a unique plan for prolonging human life. His understanding of disease and aging was ultimately Galenic in nature, and his understanding of how pharmaceuticals work can be traced back to his mathematical theories, especially that of the multiplication of species. The book provides a new system for organizing Bacon's alchemically-produced medicines, and explains what Bacon saw as the difference between each, and how they could have different physiological effects. Bacon is situated within the thirteenth-century contexts in which he was writing - that of the university-educated and newly professionalized medical practitioners, who were invested in finding ways to extend human life; and the Franciscan order, with their understanding of the innate goodness of the physical body, the resurrection, and corporeal union with God. Filling a major lacuna in scholarship on the history of medieval medical writings, this book provides vital reading for historians of medicine, pre- and early modern European science, and medieval philosophy and religion.

Meagan S. Allen is the 2021-2023 Cain Postdoctoral Fellow at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia, PA. She has previously held a visiting fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin and a Huntington Exchange Fellowship at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

1. Introduction.- 2. Roger Bacon and the Unnatural State of Man.- 3. Learning to Prolong Life.- 4. The Corpus Equale.- 5. Medicines and their Effects on the Body.- 6. Debate and Authority in the Reshaping of Medicine.- 7. Franciscan Understanding of the Ideal Human Body.- 8. Conclusion.

Those interested in medical astrology, the medieval mind or alchemy s connection with the cosmos should enjoy reading Roger Bacon and the Incorruptible Human, a well-researched and abundantly annotated work. Since Meagan S. Allen is a college professor, her book is another example of how ancient and medieval world views that support astrology continue to be legitimately explored today.(karenchristino.com, May 26, 2025)

Erscheinungsdatum	05.01.2023
Reihe/Serie	Palgrave Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Medicine
Zusatzinfo	XIII, 296 p. 2 illus.
Verlagsort	Cham
Sprache	englisch
Maße	148 x 210 mm
Gewicht	492 g
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
	Studium ► Querschnittsbereiche ► Geschichte / Ethik der Medizin
	Naturwissenschaften
Schlagworte	Alchemy • Franciscan • History of ageing • history of alchemy • History of Disease • History of Religion • Humoral medicine • Incorruptible human • Medieval medical writings • Natural Philosophy • Prolonging life • Roger Bacon • Thirteenth century
ISBN-10	3-031-12897-4 / 3031128974
ISBN-13	978-3-031-12897-4 / 9783031128974
Zustand	Neuware