A dozen selected history-of-science papers from the October 1999 incarnation of the annual 16th-Century Studies Conference, held in St. Louis, explore the work and legacy of Paracelsus (1493-1541), seen today as a bridge between old and new ways of thinking about medicine; and opinions about astrology during the period.

Scientific ideas inspired by religious, magical, and alchemical themes competed alongside traditional Aristotelian science and the emerging mechanical philosophy in the early modern era. At the center of this ferment was a quirky and creative German physician, Paracelsus, whose religious-alchemical worldview served as an inspiration for countless scientific innovators. This collection is about Paracelsus and the wide range of issues he explored, and ones taken up by many who were directly or indirectly affected by the same mental universe that sustained his thought and writings. This volume...