Doctrine of signatures

The doctrine of signatures is the study of the signs in nature that point as features on similarities, relationships and internal relationships. Analogies exist therefore between form, color, character, odor, taste, location, time of origin, colors, humoral pathological and astrological associations, and many other aspects. The doctrine of signatures is based on a cosmic thinking in correspondences ( universal sympathy or microcosm - macrocosm - teaching) - a bean could have a curative effect in kidney disease; the shape of the walnut them predestined for treatments of the brain - and can be found as a typical way of thinking non- scientific explanation of the world models worldwide. As a principle it prevails in the majority of traditional doctrines that presuppose such cosmologies as a frame.

History

The doctrine of signatures took place in antiquity wide application and was in the late Middle Ages in a prototypical form already firmly entrenched as a way of thinking, but goes in its concrete written formulation in Europe on Paracelsus and the Neapolitan physician and alchemist Giambattista della Porta back (1538-1615), the basis of signatures, a system of relationships between plants, animals and heavenly bodies reveals in his book Phytognomonica. It remains one of the fundamental theories of modern homeopathy, trying to heal like with like. The founder Samuel Hahnemann rejected merely shortening popular ideas.

Basic assumptions

The doctrine of signatures is based on the fundamental assumption that all phenomena and beings relate to each other. They are transverse to the division into genera and species kinship systems with similar properties. Slightly modified, but with the same conclusions, was the doctrine of signatures under the banner of Christianity: The world was created by God completely and to serve humanity. The signatures were thus work of this creator. The people came to it to recognize these signs and to interpret them correctly.

Smell, taste, color, shape, structure, texture, location, growth stage, and life: as signatures, among other things apply. These are assigned to various categories such as elements, planets or properties. Accordingly, a bitter-tasting plant has a relationship with the element of fire, which is in relationship with the sun and - causes transformation and stimulation of metabolic processes - among others.

The doctrine of signatures is not only known European medicine. In Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine elaborated systems of assignments for signatures exist. Thus, taste, smell, color, day and seasons, elements, organs, sensory organs and body parts are joined, among others, to a diagnostic concept as used in Chinese medicine. This allows for unique diseases, the selection of appropriate remedies that are recognized in an equally complex mapping scheme.

Successes and failures of the doctrine of signatures

Defenders point to a number of cases in which modern scientific studies confirmed the applications of the doctrine of signatures. The walnut - because of its resemblance to a human brain a traditional remedy in diseases of the head - for the brain actually contains valuable fatty acids. The autumn crocus - because of the similarity of the onion with a gouty toe according to the doctrine of signatures a remedy for gout - actually delivers effective healing agents against this disease. However, critics point to the randomness of these findings and argue that it is possible for every success also demonstrate several examples of non-active mappings. So the lady's mantle could be detected in women's diseases, none of the effects of this plant awarded. Also the lung herb that was used because of its spotted leaves in pulmonary diseases has proved to be largely ineffective, according to scientific studies to date. Among the remedies of the doctrine of signatures, however, also includes agents that seem very strange today. So recommended Nicolas Lemery 1697 in a then sensational Pharmacopoeia, the dried and powdered skull of a violent people who have died as a cure for brain diseases.