BOOK ONE

OF THE ARCHIDOXA BY THE GREAT THEOPHRASTUS PARACELSUS.

As we should and must consider our misery and abandonment, dear sons original: filij; Paracelsus frequently addresses his students or readers as his "sons," following the tradition of alchemical transmission., how we have had such heavy burdens and hunger, with many quite contemptible conditions that had so completely surrounded us that we could neither thrive nor rise up: so long as we were followers of medicine as the ancients Referring to the classical authorities like Galen and Avicenna, whose theories dominated medical thought for over a millennium. had described it. Instead, we were caught in much poverty and misery, and bound by bitter chains, and all of that turned out poorly for us.

The same applies to others besides, who also stood on the same path as we did, whom the ancients with their little books original: libellen; a dismissive reference to the classical medical treatises. could not come to help, and who were unfortunate. For this, there are many reasons which we shall not indicate here.

And although there are many doctors to whom the ancients have brought great wealth—and continue to do so—they have attained it with little praise, but rather with much lying. As we call this to mind, through which we might come to a more certain end and practice, we are confronted by the great mysteries original: mysteria; in Paracelsian thought, these are the hidden spiritual forces within nature that a true physician must understand., which are so wonderful that more will never be experienced. There original: Da; this is the catchword "rumb" (from darumb) intended to lead the reader to the next page.