Der Frühparacelsismus, part 1. Corpus Paracelsisticum no. 1 (review)

Wilhelm Kühlmann and Joachim Telle, eds. Der Frühparacelsismus, part 1. Corpus Paracelsisticum, no. 1. Frühe Neuzeit, no. 59. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 2001. xviii + 732 pp. s100.21 (3-484-36559-5).

Wilhelm Kühlmann and Joachim Telle are important scholars of Paracelsianism. Individually, they have written widely on its intellectual, social, and religious aspects. They have produced studies of important Paracelsians and the transmission of Paracelsus's writings. Now, they join together in part 1 of a projected four-part series on early Paracelsianism. The substance of Der Frühparacelsismus, part 1, is a collection of letters and prefaces by early Paracelsians and those interested in the "new medicine." Adam von Bodenstein wrote most of these documents; others are taken from Georg Joachim Rheticus, Cyriacus Jacobus, Alexander von Suchten, Valentius de Retiis, Christophorus Pithopoeius, and Heinrich Wolff. The texts that were originally written in Latin are translated here into German. Each text is preceded by a discussion of its author and its intended recipient or audience, thus creating a kind of prosopography of the early Paracelsian world. Following each text is a commentary based on key words. The documents presented are too many to list in a brief review. Some of my favorites are the letters of G. J. Rheticus to J. Camerarius, which present a mixed picture of Paracelsus, "who did many . . . wonders" (p. 65); Adam von Bodenstein's address to the Doge of Venice, which captures the spirit of Paracelsianism as it was promulgated throughout Europe; and Adam von Bodenstein to Cosimo I, which also illustrates the importance of early Paracelsian propaganda.

In addition to the meticulously prepared texts, the compilers present a very useful introduction. In thirty-nine pages, they set Paracelsianism in its cultural, intellectual, religious, and historiographic context. Such a condensation of vast knowledge into so few pages testifies to the compilers' mastery of their subject. Der Frühparacelsismus, part 2, will focus on Michael Toxites and Gerhardt Dorn, part 3 on the Paracelsian communication net from Saxony to the lower Rhein and Silesia, and part 4 on anti-Paracelsians and those who mediated between Paracelsianism and the older medicine.

The efforts of Kühlmann and Telle will help Paracelsian studies and should be found in any credible research library. The work is well done and clearly presented. It is a valuable resource, densely packed with treasures for those interested in Paracelsianism, although not easily read cover-to-cover.