Galeno-pale, or, A chymical trial of the Galenists, that their dross in physick may be discovered with the grand abuses and disrepute they have brought upon the whole art of physick and chirurgery ... To which is added an appendix De litho-colo ... / by Geo. Thomson ...

CHAP. II. An account of that true Chymical Philosopher, and learned Physican, Helmont, whom we Own for our Patron.

HElmont a German, was without all que∣stion, ordained in these last times by especial providence of God, for the comfort and relief of distressed Man; to be an instru∣ment to discover those gross Errours and no∣torious abuses in Physick, that have relation to the Life and Soul of Man, committed by those that rested themselves contented to be ignorant with Antiquity, and enjoy profit, honour, and ease, rather then question any thing delivered to them (how false soever) by

making a severe scrutiny into the bottom of Nature, by difficult labours with their own hands, and great expence of their purses. This Worthy Man who (we confess) hath in∣structed us in the Principles of Philosophy, was omnifariam doctus; one that was very knowing in the Doctrine of the Ancients, ha∣ving made a wonderful speedy progress in the Learning of the Schools, as well versed in the Languages as the best Galenist; who, after that he had rolled every stone in the old Phi∣losophy, and ran through that Cyclopeodie, or universal Learning, yet could finde no so∣lid satisfaction in the natural Causes of things, till he came to Pyrotechnie, wherein he la∣boured fifty years compleat, leaving those lying Sophisms that he had imbibed, con∣templating things as they were in themselves. Hereby he learnt the genuine beginnings of all Concretes, making separation of them into their fundamental parts; dissolving and co∣agulating, fixing and volatilizing Bodies; looking narrowly into the defects, alteration, life, and death of things; extracting, divi∣ding, conjoyning several bodies, bringing what was crude to maturation; and promoting natural Causes, by removing those impedi∣ments that they could not arrive at their just

ends. Hence he dived into the Seminal virtues and properties of things, and was able to give an account of their true, efficient, and natural Causes; bringing to light the Do∣ctrine of Fermentation, the Original and acti∣vity of Spirits, with the rare Effects of Tin∣ctures; and this by Mechanical demonstration of the Fire. This is he that hath plainly de∣tected the most absurd perilous Doctrine of the Galenists, proving their palpable ignorance of the Causes of Diseases, and their proper Cures; setting down infallible Arguments to evince how destructive their Bleeding and Purgations are to mankinde; challenging them to make good what he had delivered by visible instances and examples of fact; which they would never come to, nor ever dared to answer him by way of confutation, but by de∣nying all that he had proposed, giving him scurrilous and opprobrious language, (as it is their common custom when they have nothing to say for themselves) calling him Fanatick, Innovator, Dreamer, carping at any lapse or Peccadillo in his Writings with aggravations to the height: hating and abhorring to the death all those that stood up in his behalf, na∣ming them Hereticks in Physick; and all this gratis dictum, without the least tittle of truth.

Thus hath this worthy man been sleighted, villified, and reproached, for not still conni∣ving at those capital Errours in Physick, which they have greedily swallowed down without any scruple, to the ruine of millions. However, let these pittiful Physicians rail at, and calumniate this Heroe, 'tis our duty, who have received so much benefit from him, to acknowledge him our Master, and to main∣tain his true Positions, to the utmost of our power against all gain-sayers.