Talisman Vs Ficino

1. Introduction

The topic of this essay is on Forman and his approach to medicine. To start, I will explain Ficino’s approaches to medicine. Following Ficino, I will explain Galen and Paracelsus’ views on medicine. Finally, before concluding the essay, I will explain Forman’s approach to medicine before comparing him to Ficino, Galen and Paracelsus’ approaches.

2. Ficino

Ficino, starts his approach to medicine with explaining how the heavenly powers affect human health. Like Saturn, that relates to students that study too much. Along with that it is “against life and youth,” and attributes to “melancholy, temperament.” (source). Saturn, according to Ficino is bad for health, thus advices people to avoid any objects that are associated with

The basis includes a distinction between the observable “manifest” and hidden, “occult” properties (source). Occult properties of objects are either natural or supernatural properties of that object’s substantial form where a substantial form of the object is a unique part of an individual form in Ficino’s metaphysics. Still, there is a prohibition Ficino gets around to fully achieve his views on medicine with talisman that links to Augustinian and Thomistic prohibition (source). According to Ficino, a talisman must have all three properties that include, a manifest property of materials, an occult property of substantial forms and an occult property of an image that must be of planets. Only then can a natural talisman’s magic with no appeals to intelligence establish correspondence

Per the Paracelsian influence, it contained the tria prima (source). In Forman’s views, it is the “ore of antimony” crucial, in the world of alchemists and contained “all medicins potential” (source). Furthermore, Forman goes on to criticize those in favor of Galen when regarding “virtue of purity” as he was not a believer of it (Kassel p.180). Forman would then go on to influence those writers who admire Paracelsus when releasing “Of appoticarie druges” based on the alchemy of drugs. This led Forman’s views on disease, which he believed started with Adam and Eve after they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. Believing they suffered from a “lack of food” due to the temptation that got to them with the apple tree of knowledge, why need food when you are immortal? Forman thought there were two types of immortalities, “One that cannot die but ever live, an other that may live for ever, a condition being observed,” Adam being the type to need food (source). Again, Forman furthers his “calling of spirit” views with more influence from Paracelsus with the use of Firey, Airey, Watery and Earthy spirits where these spirits are coming from a “celestial substance” (source). Throughout his practice of medicine, Forman gets influence from all those that came before such as Galen, Ficino and especially Paracelsus. Still, he had his critiques of the others, especially when it came to