In medieval natural philosophy and medicine, magnetic attraction was the most commonly invoked example for the effects of so-called ‘occult qualities’ or ‘occult powers.’ According to this conception – which dates back to Galen, Alexander of Aphrodisias, and Avicenna – magnetism was caused by an insensible quality and not, therefore, by one of the four primary qualities (hot, cold, wet, dry). Already disputed in medieval times, however, was whether the magnet’s ‘temperament’, ‘mixture’ or ‘complexion’ might not account for the attraction of iron. In the early modern period, trained physicians above all increasingly refuted ‘occult qualities’ in magnetism, while at the same time retaining a Galenic framework. They argued instead for more elaborate theories invoking the magnet’s and iron’s ‘complexion’ or their single primary qualities, such as ‘humidity’ or ‘heat.’ Medical concepts were often combined with meteorological ideas for causal theories of natural phenomena like magnetism. By telling this unheard story of ‘complexion’ in theories of magnetism, we show not only how medical theories were transferred from medicine into other fields of research, but also that an established narrative in modern historiography is highly questionable: contrary to what was assumed by the contemporary critics (e.g., Descartes) and many modern historians, several Galenic physicians did not subscribe to a theory of occult qualities (in the case of magnetism) in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

中文翻译：

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锻炼神秘品质：现代早期医学思想中的磁力和情结

在中世纪的自然哲学和医学中，磁力吸引力是所谓“神秘品质”或“神秘力量”效果最常被引用的例子。根据这个概念——可以追溯到盖伦、阿弗罗迪西亚斯的亚历山大和阿维森纳——磁力是由一种不可感知的品质引起的，因此不是由四种主要品质（热、冷、湿、干）之一引起的。然而，在中世纪时期就已经存在争议，磁铁的“气质”、“混合物”或“肤色”是否无法解释铁的吸引力。在近代早期，训练有素的医生首先越来越多地反驳磁学中的“神秘品质”，同时保留盖伦框架。相反，他们主张更复杂的理论，援引磁铁和铁的“颜色”或它们的单一主要品质，例如“湿度”或“热量”。医学概念经常与气象学思想相结合，用于磁学等自然现象的因果理论。通过讲述磁力理论中这个闻所未闻的“肤色”故事，我们不仅展示了医学理论如何从医学转移到其他研究领域，而且还展示了现代史学中既定的叙述是非常值得怀疑的：与当代批评家（例如笛卡尔）和许多现代历史学家、几位盖伦医生并不认同十六世纪和十七世纪的神秘性质理论（就磁力而言）。