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French disease, wounds and ulcers

morbo Gallico; morbus Gallicus; vulneribus; vulnus; ulceribus; ulcus; Morbus Gallicus

The three contexts in which a sweetened Mercury precipitate is proclaimed a supreme arcanum.

From the book

Nine Books on the Nature of Things

Attributed to Paracelsus · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Meaning

The three contexts in which a sweetened Mercury precipitate is proclaimed a supreme arcanum. The French disease is a period designation associated with syphilis, as note 46 explains. The universal phrasing about wounds and ulcers belongs to the author’s sweeping claim. It is not evidence of modern efficacy, nor should the historical disease-name be treated as a precise present-day diagnostic category in every occurrence.

Places to read

  1. Book 5 · Death · Passage 13Latin“in omnibus vulneribus, ulceribus, & morbo Gallico”