Astrology in medicine : The Fitzpatrick lectures delivered before the Royal College of Physicians on November 6 and 11, 1913, with addendum on saints and signs

The opening lecture places astrology beside the great sciences of the past, showing how it once shaped medical theory from Babylon to medieval Europe. It traces the discipline’s influence on everyday language—terms like “Saturnine” or “Jovial” and even the names of the days—revealing a world where celestial bodies guided diagnosis and treatment. Listeners are invited to see how this vanished art left subtle fingerprints in modern medicine and speech.

The speaker argues that astrology’s decline mirrors the fading of alchemy and Aristotelian logic, once essential to educated life and now relegated to historical curiosity. By comparing the rise and fall of these traditions, the lecture raises questions about what knowledge we have lost and how it might have altered contemporary practice. It offers a thoughtful, scholarly tour through centuries of thought, perfect for anyone curious about the hidden roots of scientific language.