History:The Medicine of the Templars

15th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Rhodes-Greece

Prof. C. Di Cicco, M.D.

(Abstract)

At Paris, 18 March of 1314, on the island of the Seine in front of the Garden real, Jacques de Molay, the last Great Master of the Templars, and Geoffroy de Charny, preceptor of Normandy, were burned like heretics. Therefore the history of the Knights of the Temple, after two centuries, finishes. The Templars would have been in possession of the most hidden secrets of alchemy. They were first to use the IPERICO, in the burns and hurts from cut, like antiseptic, astringent, healing, and in order to improve humor of the soldiers that remained immobilizes to bed for months. Such experiences landed then to the salernitana medical school, that is remained the crib of the phytotherapy until the six hundred. The Templars created a mixture with pulp of Aloe, pulp of Hemp and wine of Palm,called “ELISIR of GERUSALEM", with therapeutic and nourishing property, they used the Arborescens ALOE for its antiseptic, bactericidal and fungicide action and for its capacity to penetration in the deeper layers of the skin. Robert Anton Wilson, in its book on the Templars, asserts that they used the hashish and practiced a shape of Arabic Tantrism, doctrine of enlightenment as the realization of oneness of one's self and the visible world, combining elements of hinduism and paganism, including magical and mystical elements. The authors of Holy Blood and Holy Grail Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln comment that the Templars need to treat wounds and illness, made them experts in the use of drugs and the Order in advance of their time regarded epilepsy not as demonic possession but as to controllable disease. Interestingly cannabis is the safest natural or synthetic medication proven successful in the treatment of loads forms of epilepsy. The esoteric inheritance and the alchemical-spagyrics acquaintances were handed from the Templars to the Crocifers. From these Orders, that one of Saint Giacomo or Jacobite managed many Hospitals during the XV century. To the Jacobite monks , in quality of experts in the cure of the diseases of the skin, the task was entrusted to cure the wounded soldiers during the Crusades, in the Hospitals of Malta and Cyprus. To they, in fact, was attributed the capability to create miraculous ointments. In such historical context it must estimate the work of the Templars concluding with recognizing that they, anticipating the times, had a modern vision of the Medicine and, although were considered heretics and consigned to the fire, recently a document has been recovered in Archives Vaticans from the studious Barbara Frale that demonstrates as Pope Clemente V secretly pardoned Templars in 1314, acquitting their Great Master from the heresy accusation.

(Abstract)

Absolution's parchment for Templar Leaders including Jaques de Molay by the Apostolic Commission
"ad inquirendum" of the 3 papal legates
Bérenger Frédol, Etienne de Suisy and Landolfo Branacci
Chinon, Tours diocese, 1308 august 17-20.
Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum, Archivum Arcis, Armarium D 218.

Templars Burning Ancient depiction

(miniature from a French manuscript of the XV century)

Bibliography:

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TEXTBOOK of DERMATOLOGY - C. Di Cicco

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