The Development of Francis Bacon's Practical Instructions on the Prolongation of Life (2022)
Kazuhiro Shibata (Author)
Historia Scientiarum: International Journal of the History of Science Society of Japan
Volume: 31
Issue: 3
Pages: 187-207
This study investigates the development of Francis Bacon's practical ideas to maintain good health and live a long life. His inquiry into practical medical recipes began early in his life. His collection of recipes in "Memoriae valetudinis", from his private notebook, Commentarius solutus (1608), is a result of this inquiry. This collection includes sixteen short recipes, in which two types of practices, namely, the use of drinks and external medicines are prominent. Focusing on these topics, this study compares specific practical instructions from this early text and his later and mature works, such as Historia vitae et mortis (1623). It is argued that despite a complete reshaping of his theoretical ideas between the 1600s and the 1620s, the practical aspects remained relatively unchanged. However, he might have continuously revised these recipes and added new meaning to them as his theoretical ideas developed. It seems that Bacon's practical instructions resulted from the interplay among traditional hygiene, other intellectual milieus, his theoretical consideration, and his personal experience.
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