17-03-2019, 08:30 AM
The foremost thing that Barschius writes in his letter is that he considers the Voynich MS a book of medicine. It is therefore important that it should be understood, for the good of mankind. Since Kircher is considered primarily a religious man, Barschius puts a disclaimer in that direction (medicine only being second in importance to religion - salvation of souls).
He does indeed suggest that the medicine in the MS is derived from Egyptian sources. When I first saw the letter, my immediate reflection was that this was a 'trick' to lure Kircher (who was primarily known at that time for this supposed knowledge of Egyptian hieroglyphs) into becoming interested in the MS, but that is not necessarily true. It may very well have been the honest opinion of Barschius.
We know from Marci's writings that Barschius was interested in spagyrical alchemy, i.e. the use of alchemical methods to prepare medicine. A method that has proven to be very successful of course. One has to keep in mind that, in earlier days, prayers (or magic utterances), observing the timing from the moon and the stars, and taking concoctions from herbs had an equal part in the cure of a disease. If the concoctions were not available, they could be left out. That there are good chemical reasons why some medicines are effective was only understood much later.
Whether Kircher's interest in volcanoes was triggered by parts of the first letter of Barschius/Moretus seems like a highly challenging piece of speculation.
We don't know what was in this first letter.
Also, the timing is difficult. Kircher was already on a trip to Southern Italy with the Landgrave of Hessen when the first letter arrived (second half of 1637). That he only responded to it in early 1639 may suggest that he had not even seen it.
He does indeed suggest that the medicine in the MS is derived from Egyptian sources. When I first saw the letter, my immediate reflection was that this was a 'trick' to lure Kircher (who was primarily known at that time for this supposed knowledge of Egyptian hieroglyphs) into becoming interested in the MS, but that is not necessarily true. It may very well have been the honest opinion of Barschius.
We know from Marci's writings that Barschius was interested in spagyrical alchemy, i.e. the use of alchemical methods to prepare medicine. A method that has proven to be very successful of course. One has to keep in mind that, in earlier days, prayers (or magic utterances), observing the timing from the moon and the stars, and taking concoctions from herbs had an equal part in the cure of a disease. If the concoctions were not available, they could be left out. That there are good chemical reasons why some medicines are effective was only understood much later.
Whether Kircher's interest in volcanoes was triggered by parts of the first letter of Barschius/Moretus seems like a highly challenging piece of speculation.
We don't know what was in this first letter.
Also, the timing is difficult. Kircher was already on a trip to Southern Italy with the Landgrave of Hessen when the first letter arrived (second half of 1637). That he only responded to it in early 1639 may suggest that he had not even seen it.