Doctoral Dissertation Research: Roger Bacon's Pharmacology and the Prolongation of Life

中世纪的医学史通常被认为是不寻常的，并被认为与现代医学相去甚远。但这忽略了两个值得进一步研究的重要领域：许多21世纪世纪医疗实践的中世纪根源，以及对药物安全性和有效性的持续关注。替代医学团体推广顺势疗法，精油和“全天然”疗法的恐惧可以追溯到中世纪。该项目的目标是研究中世纪的药理学实践与方济各会罗杰培根（d.1292）的医疗炼金术实践的关系，他试图通过该实践生产延长人类寿命的药物。培根的医学炼金术体现了13世纪对医学实践的态度，这种态度既遵从古典权威，又提倡实验和创造新知识。通过研究培根根据当代世纪医学权威撰写的现存手稿，该项目研究了培根认为炼金术理论的方式-它教导有机和无机物质是如何产生的-提供了创造更有效药物的方法。这部药理学史对医学史学家和当前的医学实践都很重要：它澄清了对无机材料的早期使用及其在医学中的操作的理解。本研究以世纪的医学教育和实践为背景，通过对培根的炼金术和医学理论的研究，回答了三个核心问题：（1）培根认为什么类型的药物对恢复健康有用？(2)这些药物对人体有什么生理作用，为什么当其他药物无效时，它们对疾病有效？（3）如何描述培根医学理论与大学医学理论的关系？在定位培根在13世纪的医疗传统，重点是创造灵丹妙药，如theriac，这项研究表明，培根，虽然肯定独特的许多他的想法，仍然是一个部分，13世纪的知识文化，他的想法是塑造了先进的医学和当代神学话语。培根思想的原创性必须得到确立，因为以前的学者已经提出，在1144年引入西方后的头150年左右，炼金术更多地关注金属的转化而不是制造药物。因此，培根被普遍认为是第一位将炼金术和医学结合起来的西方作家。如果能够证明培根的炼金术思想受到了其他人的影响，那么西方炼金术的早期历史，特别是它与医疗实践的联系，就需要重新审视。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The history of medicine in the Middle Ages is often characterized as unusual, and considered far removed from modern medicine. But this ignores two important areas deserving further study: the medieval roots of many twenty-first century medical practices, and continuing concerns about the safety and efficacy of drugs. The fears of alternative medicine groups promoting homeopathy, essential oils, and “all-natural” remedies can be found as far back as the Middle Ages. The goal of this project is to study the practice of pharmacology in the Middle Ages in relation to the Franciscan Roger Bacon’s (d.1292) practice of medical alchemy, through which he attempted to produce medicines that would prolong human life. Bacon’s medical alchemy exemplifies thirteenth century attitudes towards medical practice, which simultaneously deferred to classical authorities and advocated for experiment and the creation of new knowledge. By examining extant manuscripts written by Bacon in light of contemporary 13th century medical authorities, this project examines the ways in which Bacon believes the theories of alchemy - which teaches how both organic and inorganic substances are generated - provides the means to create more effective pharmaceuticals. This history of pharmacology is important both for historians of medicine and current medical practice: it clarifies understanding of the early use of inorganic materials and their manipulation in medicine. By examining Bacon’s alchemical and medical theories in light of thirteenth century medical education and practice, this project answers three central questions: (1) What types of medicines does Bacon think are useful in restoring health? (2) What physiological effects do these medicines have on the body, and why are they effective against disease when other medicines fail? And (3) How can we characterize the relationship between Bacon’s medical theories and those taught in universities? In situating Bacon within the 13th century medical traditions that focused on creating panaceas such as theriac, this research shows that Bacon, while certainly unique in many of his ideas, is still a part of the thirteenth century intellectual culture and that his ideas are molded by advances in medicine and contemporary theological discourses. It is imperative that the originality of Bacon’s ideas be established, as previous scholars have suggested that for the first 150 or so years after its introduction to the west in 1144, alchemy was focused more on the transmutation of metals than the making medicines. Thus Bacon is generally considered the first western author to unite alchemy and medicine. If it could be shown that Bacon’s alchemical ideas were influenced by others, then the early history of western alchemy, especially its ties with medical practice, would need to be re-examined.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.