Introduction - Uppsala Monitoring Centre

Dichotomy
In all people there is some dichotomy between believing and knowing; between
the acceptance without strong evidence and rejection of anything that is not
backed up by irrefutable evidence. This dichotomy varies with the different aspects
of their lives. It is not unusual for a person to have a strong religious belief, but
demand irrefutable evidence in their work. However, this dichotomy is not usually
absolute and it is common that a person with a strong religious or other belief will
allow it to permeate their scientific work and may, thereby, produce biased results.
A scientist with a strong personality may dominate an institution to the extent that it
reflects their view, e.g. Montpellier. Pharmaceutical companies will try to promote
a strong belief in its employees of its own integrity. They will also try to influence
the regulatory authorities in the same way. Galen believed in the doctrine of
humours, but at the same time undertook experiments to establish the facts.
Again, this dichotomy exists today in that some qualified physicians also practise
homeopathy.
‘C’est le Galénism contre la médicine chimique, mais c’est aussi Paris contre
Montpellier, sa rivale, nos docteurs-régents contre les médicins/l’étranger
(provincial) leurs concurrents et les apothecaries, c’est Gui Patin (Dean of the Paris
faculty and a Galenist) contre les Renaudot’. Renaudot 106 (c1586–1653) was a
disciple of Paracelsus) (Lévy-Valenai, 1933). (See page 115).
It is Galenism against chemical medicine, but also Paris against Montpellier, its
rival, our doctors against provincial doctors, their competitors and the apothecaries;
it is Guy Patin (Galenist) against Renaudot (Paracelsian).
Summary
If there had been no syphilis in Europe before 1493 then the use of mercury as a
treatment seems to have been almost instantaneous. It is therefore not surprising
that the adverse effects of mercury dominated the early 1500s. The honour of
introducing the disease was eagerly fought over with everybody blaming each other:
Spaniards, Indians, French, Neapolitans, the Japanese, who in their turn blamed the
Portuguese, the Tahitians who blamed the British and the Turks who blamed the
Christians. Gradually the name, syphilis given by Fracastorius in 1530 took over and
became the standard throughout the world. The availability of moveable type in the
mid-1400s meant that there was an outpouring of books on all subjects. Authors of
medical texts gave credit to their predecessors, e.g. Pliny, Galen and Avicenna. The
statement by Paracelsus in 1541 that all things are poisonous but that it depends on
the dose was an important step towards scientific assessment of side effects of
106 Renaudot = Theophraste Renaudot lost his permission to practice medicine in Paris, due to the opposition
of Guy Patin and other academic physicians.