Minutus

The following quote is from the "Preface to the New Edition" of Oliver Wendell Holmes screed. Anybody able to access a copy of the Ortus or any works by Butler?

"It takes a very moderate amount of erudition to unearth a charlatan like the supposed father of the infinitesimal dosing system. The real inventor of that specious trickery was an Irishman by the name of Butler. The whole story is to be found in the "Ortus Medicinm" [sp? perhaps should be Medicinae] of Van Helmont. I have given some account of his chapter "Butler" in different articles, but I would refer the students of our Homoeopathic educational institutions to the original, which they will find very interesting and curious."

Roger

I foudn this
http://chestofbooks.com/health/general/ ... bJGy5zinDc

http://members3.jcom.home.ne.jp/hist_sc ... ePage.html

http://www.nndb.com/people/852/000103543/
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Johan ... lmont.aspx

Van Helmont also gives particulars of an Irish gentleman called Butler, a prisoner in the Castle of Vilvord in Flanders, who during his captivity performed strange cures by means of Hermetic medicine. The news of his cure of a Breton monk, a fellow-prisoner suffering from severe erysipelas, by the administration of almond milk in which he had merely dipped the Philosopher's Stone brought Van Helmont, accompanied by several noblemen, rushing to the castle to investigate. In their presence Butler cured an aged woman of "megrim" by dipping the Stone into olive oil and then anointing her head. There was also an abbess who had suffered for eighteen years with paralyzed fingers and a swollen arm. These disabilities were removed by applying the Stone a few times to her tongue.

In Lives of the Alchemystical Philosophers (published in 1815), it is stated that prior to the events at Vilvord, Butler attracted some attention by his transmutations in London during the reign of King James I. Butler is said to have gained his knowledge in Arabia in a rather roundabout way. When a ship on which he had taken passage was captured by African pirates, he was taken prisoner and sold into slavery in Arabia. His Arab master was an alchemist with knowledge of the correct order of the processes. Butler assisted him in some of his operations, and when he later escaped from captivity, he carried off a large portion of a red powder, which was the alchemical Powder of Projection.
http://members3.jcom.home.ne.jp/hist_sc ... trike.html

http://www.sacred-texts.com/alc/arr/arr09.htm

Van Helmont also gives particulars of an Irish gentleman named Butler, a prisoner in the Castle of Vilvord in Flanders, who during his captivity performed strange cures by means of the Hermetic medicine. The news of his cure of a Breton monk, a fellow-prisoner suffering from severe erysipelas, by the administration of almond milk in which he had merely dipped the Philosophers' Stone brought van Helmont, accompanied by several noblemen, post-haste to the Castle to investigate the case. In their presence Butler cured an aged woman of 'megrim' by dipping the Stone into olive-oil and then anointing her head. There was also an abbess who had suffered for eighteen years with paralysed fingers and a swollen arm. These disabilities were removed by applying the Stone a few times to her tongue.

In 'Lives of the Alchcemystical Philosophers,' published in 1815, it is stated that prior to the events at Vilvord, Butler attracted some attention by his transmutations in London during the reign of James I. He is said to have gained his knowledge in Arabia and in this way. When a ship in which he had once taken passage was captured by African pirates, Butler was taken prisoner and sold into slavery in Arabia. His Arab master was an alchemical worker with knowledge of the correct processes. Butler assisted him in some of his operations, and when later he was able to make his escape from captivity, he carried off a large portion of the Red Powder.

there is more if google on Van Helmont butler
Sheri

At 01:36 PM 6/7/2013, you wrote:
Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath
http://homeopathycures.wordpress.com/ & http://vaccinationdangers.wordpress.com/
ONLINE/Email classes in Homeopathy; Vaccine Dangers; Childhood Diseases

Next classes start April 18, 19, 25

Managed to find a translation of Van Helmont's work with this quote from Unheard of Little Works of Medicine (a section of Ortus?). Not exactly homoeopathy but interesting:

http://www.nightenlight.com/higher-worl ... edicine-04

"Butler the Irishman, to my knowledge, had cured some thousands at London, of the plague, and afterwards, through the accusations of enemies he being deteined in the Castle of Vilvord, by my asistance obtained his liberty: For he had commanded a great Toad to be taken after noon-tide, in the month [called] June: I hung him up by the legs nigh the chimney, and set a dish of yellow wax under him: Atlength, after three days hanging, the toad vomited up earth, and some Insects, to wit, walking flies, their wings shining with a greenish colour, as though they had been guilded: But presently after 1150 vomiting, the Toad dyed: neither vomited he up any thing before three days space, although he hung with his head downward. But he said unto me, that I had remedy enough for the curing of forty thousand that were violently taken with the Plague, and promised that he would shew me the hinge of the matter: But being suddenly banished, he depar[...]ed.

"At leastwise, I commanded these excrementitions filths cast up by vomit, and likewise the dead carcase of the toad being dryed, to be beaten apart, into powder, and with Gum dragon, I formed Trochies, which I have successefully used, as well for the prevention of the plague, as for curing of the same.

oh goodness - doesn't sound like homeopathy to me
Sheri

At 02:20 PM 6/7/2013, you wrote:
Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath
http://homeopathycures.wordpress.com/ & http://vaccinationdangers.wordpress.com/
ONLINE/Email classes in Homeopathy; Vaccine Dangers; Childhood Diseases

Next classes start April 18, 19, 25