the evolution of modern medicine(现代医药的演变)-第25章
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practice astrology。 l。c。； Vol。 II； p。 458。
Roger Bacon himself was a warm believer in judicial astrology and in
the influence of the planets； stars and comets on generation； disease and
death。
Many of the stronger minds of the Renaissance broke away from the
follies of the subject。 Thus Cornelius Agrippa in reply to the request of a
friar to consult the stars on his behalf says：＇29＇ 〃Judicial astrology is
nothing more than the fallacious guess of superstitious men； who have
founded a science on uncertain things and are deceived by it： so think
nearly all the wise； as such it is ridiculed by some most noble philosophers；
Christian theologians reject it； and it is condemned by sacred councils of
the Church。 Yet you； whose office it is to dissuade others from these
vanities； oppressed； or rather blinded by I know not what distress of mind；
flee to this as to a sacred augur； and as if there were no God in Israel； that
you send to inquire of the god of Ekron。〃
＇29＇ H。 Morley： The Life of Henry Cornelius Agrippa； London； 1856；
Vol。 II； p。 138。
In spite of the opposition of the Church astrology held its own； many
of the universities at the end of the fifteenth century published almanacs；
usually known as 〃Prognosticons；〃 and the practice was continued far into
the sixteenth century。 I show you here an illustration。 Rabelais； you may
remember； when physician to the Hotel Dieu in Lyons； published
almanacs for the years 1533； 1535； 1541； 1546。 In the title…page he called
himself 〃Doctor of Medicine and Professor of Astrology；〃 and they
continued to be printed under his name until 1556。 In the preparation of
these he must have had his tongue in his cheek； as in his famous
〃Pantagrueline Prognostication；〃 in which； to satisfy the curiosity of all
good companions； he had turned over all the archives of the heavens；
calculated the quadratures of the moon； hooked out all that has ever been
thought by all the Astrophils； Hypernephilists； Anemophylakes； Uranopets
and Ombrophori； and felt on every point with Empedocles。＇30＇
＇30＇ Pantagrueline Prognostication； Rabelais； W。 F。 Smith's translation；
1893； Vol。 II； p。 460。
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Even physicians of the most distinguished reputation practised
judicial astrology。 Jerome Cardan was not above earning money by casting
horoscopes； and on this subject he wrote one of his most popular books
（De Supplemento Almanach； etc。； 1543）； in which astronomy and
astrology are mixed in the truly mediaeval fashion。 He gives in it some
sixty…seven nativities； remarkable for the events they foretell； with an
exposition。 One of the accusations brought against him was that he had
〃attempted to subject to the stars the Lord of the stars and cast our
Saviour's horoscope。〃＇31＇ Cardan professed to have abandoned a practice
looked upon with disfavor both by the Church and by the universities； but
he returned to it again and again。 I show here his own horoscope。 That
remarkable character； Michael Servetus； the discoverer of the lesser
circulation； when a fellow student with Vesalius at Paris； gave lectures
upon judicial astrology； which brought him into conflict with the faculty；
and the rarest of the Servetus works； rarer even than the 〃Christianismi
Restitutio；〃 is the 〃Apologetica disceptatio pro astrologia；〃 one copy of
which is in the Bibliotheque Nationale。 Nor could the new astronomy and
the acceptance of the heliocentric views dislocate the popular belief。 The
literature of the seventeenth century is rich in astrological treatises dealing
with medicine。
＇31＇ De Thou； Lib。 LXII； quoted by Morley in Life of Jerome Cardan；
Vol。 II； p。 294。
No one has ever poured such satire upon the mantic arts as did
Rabelais in chapter twenty…five of the third book of 〃Pantagruel。〃 Panurge
goes to consult Her Trippathe famous Cornelius Agrippa； whose opinion
of astrology has already been quoted； but who nevertheless； as court
astrologer to Louise of Savoy； had a great contemporary reputation。 After
looking Panurge in the face and making conclusions by metoposcopy and
physiognomy； he casts his horoscope secundum artem； then； taking a
branch of tamarisk； a favorite tree from which to get the divining rod； he
names some twenty…nine or thirty mantic arts； from pyromancy to
necromancy； by which he offers to predict his future。 While full of rare
humor； this chapter throws an interesting light on the extraordinary
number of modes of divination that have been employed。 Small wonder
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that Panurge repented of his visit！ I show here the title…page of a popular
book by one of the most famous of the English astrological physicians；
Nicholas Culpeper。
Never was the opinion of sensible men on this subject better expressed
than by Sir Thomas Browne：＇32＇ 〃Nor do we hereby reject or condemn a
sober and regulated Astrology； we hold there is more truth therein than in
ASTROLOGERS； in some more than many allow； yet in none so much as
some pretend。 We deny not the influence of the Starres； but often suspect
the due application thereof； for though we should affirm that all things
were in all things； that Heaven were but Earth Celestified； and earth but
Heaven terrestrified； or that each part above had an influence upon its
divided affinity below； yet how to single out these relations； and duly to
apply their actions； is a work ofttimes to be effected by some revelation；
and Cabala from above； rather than any Philosophy； or speculation here
below。〃
＇32＇ Sir Thomas Browne： Pseudodoxia Epidemica； Bk。 IV； Chap。 XIII。
（Wilkin's ed。； Vol。 III； p。 84。）
As late as 1699； a thesis was discussed at the Paris Faculty； 〃Whether
comets were harbingers of disease；〃 and in 1707 the Faculty negatived the
question propounded in a thesis； 〃Whether the moon had any sway on the
human body。〃
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw； among intelligent men； a
progressive weakening of the belief in the subject； but not even the satire
of Swift； with his practical joke in predicting and announcing the death of
the famous almanac maker； nor contemptuous neglect of the subject of late
years sufficed to dispel the belief from the minds of the public。 Garth in
the Dispensary （1699） satirizes the astrological practitioners of his day：
The Sage in Velvet Chair； here lolls at Ease To promise future Health
for present Fees Then as from Tripod solemn Sham reveals And what the
Stars know nothing of foretell。 （Canto ii。）
The almanacs of Moore and Zadkiel continue to be published； and
remain popular。 In London； sandwich men are to be met with carrying
advertisements of Chaldeans and Egyptians who offer to tell your fortune
by the stars。 Even in this country； astrology is still practiced to a surprising
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extent if one may judge from advertisements in certain papers； and from
publications which must have a considerable sale。 Many years ago； I had
as a patient an estimable astrologer； whose lucrative income was derived
from giving people astral information as to the rise and fall of stocks。 It is
a chapter in the vagaries of the human mind that is worth careful study。＇33＇
Let me commend to your reading the sympathetic story called 〃A Doctor
of Medicine〃 in the 〃Rewards and Fairies〃 of Kipling。 The hero is
Nicholas Culpeper； Gent。； whose picture is here given。 One stanza of the
poem at the end of the story； 〃Our Fathers of Old；〃 may be quoted：
Wonderful tales had our fathers of old Wonderful tales of the herbs
and the stars The Sun was Lord of the Marigold； Basil and Rocket
belonged to Mars。 Pat as a sum in division it goes （Every plant had a star
bespoke） Who but Venus should govern the Rose？ Who but Jupiter own
the Oak？ Simply and gravely the facts are told In the wonderful books of
our fathers of old。
＇33＇ It is not generally known that Stonewall Jackson practiced
astrology。 Col。 J。 W。 Revere in 〃Keel and Saddle〃 （Boston； 1872） tells of
meeting Jackson in 1852 on a Mississippi steamer and talking with him on
the subject。 Some months later； Revere received a letter from Jackson
enclosing his （Revere's） horoscope。 There was a 〃culmination of the
malign aspect during the first days of May； 1863both will be exposed to
a common danger at the time indicated。〃 At the battle of Chancellorsville；
May 9； 1863； Revere saw Jackson mortally wounded！
James J。 Walsh of New York has written a book of extraordinary
interest called 〃The Thirteenth； Greatest of Centuries。〃 I have not the
necessary knowledge to say whether he has made out his case or not for
art and for literature。 There was certainly a great awakening and； inspired
by high ideals； men turned with a true instinct to the belief that there was
more in life than could be got out of barren scholastic studies。 With many
of the strong men of the period one feels the keenest mental sympathy。
Grosseteste； the great Clerk of Lincoln； as a scholar； a teacher and a
reformer； represents a type of mind that could grow only in fruitful soil。
Roger Bacon may be called the first of the modernscertainly the first to
appreciate the extraordinary possibilities which lay in a free and
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untrammelled study of nature。 A century which could produce men
capable of building the Gothic
