["Pharmaco-theology"].

Abstract

Physico-theology is a way of thinking and argumentation, especially of the protestantism during enlightenment, which, facing the new, namely causal-mechanical natural science, emphasizes the anthropocentrical expediency of creation (of the "liber naturae'), traces it in nature and therefrom derives God's omnipotence, grace and wisdom. Although physico-theological writings of the 18th century are treating all kinds of natural objects under this aspect, the herbs and natural remedies never have been mentioned in the historical research of physico-theology until now. Here, this gap is closed. The relevant writings by Friedrich Hoffmann, Johann Julius Hecker und Julius Bernhard von Rohr are briefly presented and thereby attention is drawn to an important zeitströmung which added substantially to a broad acceptance of medicaments which then formed the practical basis as one of the preconditions for the developing of pharmacy into science in the late 18th century.