Roger Bacon and the Incorruptible Human, 1220-1292: Alchemy, Pharmacology and the Desire to Prolong Life (Palgrave Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Medicine)

Roger Bacon and the Incorruptible Human, 1220-1292 Description

This book explores Roger Bacon’s (1220–1292) interest in the application of alchemy to medicine and how it related to the context in which he wrote throughout the thirteenth century. Although the main focus of Latin alchemy in the twelfth century had been on transforming common metals into noble ones, Bacon thought that the natural principles covered in alchemy would be more useful in the field of medicine.

Bacon believed that merging alchemy with humoral medicine would enable one to extend their life by decades, if not centuries, during a time when many doctors were theorizing about how to counteract the effects of aging.

The book offers a new system for classifying Bacon’s alchemically created medications and explains the differences between them as well as the potential physiological effects.

Here’s what you will learn in this course:

1. Introduction
2. Roger Bacon and the Unnatural State of Man
3. Learning to Prolong Life
4. The Corpus Equale
5. Medicines and their Effects on the Body
6. Debate and Authority in the Reshaping of Medicine
7. Franciscan Understanding of the Ideal Human Body
8. Conclusion.