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THE SIXTEENTH CENTURV l\:^ -

most marvellous and unlikeK things were easih' believed in, often even
In' the learned; and, therefore, the tact alluded to was taken into serious
consideration, so much so that tor a long time man\ learned pamphlets
and dissertations were written concerninj>; it.
Jacob Horst, Ph\sician and Professor ot Medicine at the Julius
University in Helmstadt, published, in 1595, a verv singular book on the
golden tooth ot the Silesian child.' Without raising an\ doubt as to the
reality of the tact, he maintained that the phenomenon was produced
tVom the effect parth' ot natural and partl\- of supernatural causes, in
relation with the constellation under which the child was born. On the
da\- of its birth, that is, December 22, 1585, the sun was in conjunc-
tion with Saturn in the sign of Aries. In consequence of this circum-
stance the nutritive force had developed marvellously on account of the
increase in heat, and consequenth', instead of osseous substance, golden
matter had been secreted!
Atter having explained (!) in this wa\ the origin ot the phenomenon,
Horst passes on to examine what events may be portended b\ this un-
heard-of marvel, he not having the least doubt that it—like earthquakes,
eclipses, and comets—must be the precursory sign of important events.
Supporting his assertions b\' arguments of various kinds, some of which are
taken from the Bible, he concludes that the gold tooth of the Silesian child
means neither more nor less than the approach of the golden age! 1 he
Roman Emperor would sweep the Turks, the enemies of Christianity,
out of Europe, and the Millenium or Golden Age would commence.
As the tooth was situated on the left side of the lower jaw, it might be
deduced, according to Horst, that heavy calamities w^ould precede the
beginning of the epoch of happiness thus predicted. On the other
hand, as the golden tooth was the last of the dental series ot the child,
this was to signify that the golden epoch thus foretold would be the last
of the ages of this world before the universal judgment!
Martin Ruland, in the same year, 1595, wrote about the gold tooth.
Shortly after, he was answered by Johann Ingolstetter; and the con-
troversy which arose between them in this important subject lasted for
a long time, without, however, leading to any definite conclusion.
Balthasar Camindus, a doctor of Frankfort, meanwhile had noted
that for some months the marvellous Silesian boy had not lent himself
to being examined by the learned, becoming terribly enraged whenever
they wMshed to compel him. From this he inferred that it was a case ot
nothing else but an imposture, and that the famous tooth could not have

' De aureo dente maxillari pueri Silesii, Lipsiie, 1595.
- Martini Rulandi, Nova et in omni memoria inaudita historia de aureo dente. Franco-
furti, 1595.