"Once a disease has entered the body, all parts which are healthy must fight it: not one alone, but all. Because a disease might mean their common death. Nature knows this; and Nature attacks the disease with whatever help she can muster"

Paracelsus emphasizes the remarkable unity and resilience inherent in living organisms when confronted with disease. He asserts that the body, far from being a collection of isolated parts, is an interconnected system where the wellbeing of each part is intimately tied to that of the whole. When illness appears, it does not simply threaten one organ or tissue, but the very existence of the entire organism. As a result, every healthy component within the body is mobilized to resist the threat, working collectively to defend against damage and restore balance.

This vision presents disease as not merely a local event but a profound disruption to the organism’s integrity. The healthy tissues do not stand by passively while their neighbor is under attack; instead, they join forces, lending their strength, resource, and energy to the struggle. This manifests in physiological reactions such as the immune response, where white blood cells, antibodies, and various systems coordinate in a complex defense. Fever, inflammation, and other symptoms, often perceived as troubling, are actually signs of this concerted effort, the visible evidence of nature's rallying of forces against the invader.

Paracelsus draws attention to the wisdom and resourcefulness inherent in biological processes, noting that "Nature knows this". The use of the term "Nature" gives agency to these automatic, instinctive responses, suggesting an almost deliberate intelligence behind bodily self-defense. The body’s ability to marshal "whatever help she can muster" underlines the adaptability and resourcefulness of natural healing mechanisms, which operate beyond the conscious will of the affected individual.

This holistic perspective stands in contrast to approaches that focus only on treating symptoms or isolated organs. It argues for supporting the body’s natural defenses, respecting the complex interactions that underpin health, and recognizing that true healing arises from the cooperation of the whole. By highlighting this unity, Paracelsus advocates for a medicine that works with, and not against, the inherent logic of nature.