[Footnote 28: “Superstition”—from _super_ = over and _sto_ = to stand—is a belief in the knowledge of the attributes of a thing, while these attributes are beyond our conception. A superstition is therefore a misconception of an existing thing, or a creation of fancy: an erroneous conclusion arrived at by the observation of a phenomenon, without an understanding of the law which produced the phenomenon.] [Footnote 29: _Richard Quain_, “Dictionary of Medicine,” 1883.] [Footnote 30: “Paracelsus.” (London: Trübner and Co., 1887.)] [Footnote 31: The word “substance” comes from _sub_, under, and _sto_, to stand, and means the principle underlying phenomenal existence, the basis of the manifestation of power. It is only too customary to give to such terms a wrong interpretation, and then to fight the man of straw created by oneself.] [Footnote 32: “_Ens_” means a beginning.] [Footnote 33: It is hardly necessary to furnish examples, such as, for instance, presented by Strychnine, composed of C₂₁ H₂₂ N₂₂ O₂₂, a very poisonous substance; while the same elements combined in a different proportion are contained as gluten in our food. If we accept the theory of vibration, which appears as a necessary result of the universe being substance in motion, the cause of such secrets will easily be found in the discords existing between the vibrations constituting these substances. This theory of harmony will also explain why certain chemicals combine with others in certain proportions.] [Footnote 34: In the recognition of the law is contained the key to the understanding of chiromancy, phrenology, physiognomy, psychometry, etc., and their value in practising medicine; for although the physical form, owing to external physical conditions, may not be an exact image of the internal nature of man, nevertheless the character of the mind is to a certain extent impressed visibly upon each part of the body, and being a whole and a unity, the whole of that character may be read in every part of the body, if we know how to read it; in the same sense as a botanist can tell the character of a tree by examining one of its leaves, for he knows at once to what class of trees it belongs.] [Footnote 35: “The character of a man and his talents, aptitude, dexterity, etc., are not given to him by (terrestrial) nature. His spirit is not a product of nature, but comes from the incorporeal realm. You should not say that he receives these things from nature; the sages never said so.” (“Paramirum,” L. I., Tr. iii., C. 2.)] [Footnote 36: “Then shall the dust return to earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.” (“Ecclesiastes,” xii., 7.)] [Footnote 37: See: “Magic, white and black,” “Paracelsus,” “Boehme,” etc.] [Footnote 38: “Key to Theosophy,” p. 121 (London, 1889).]