Article outline

• 1.The controversy, its context, and its relevance
• 2.Writing medical pamphlets in German: The vernacular strategy
• 3.The pragmatic organization of Gehema’s attacking pamphlet (1688)
  • 3.1The overall structure of the pamphlet
  • 3.2Topics and topic management in Gehema’s pamphlet
  • 3.3Moves and strategies in Gehema’s pamphlet
    • 3.3.1Gehema’s repertory of moves
    • 3.3.2Accusations and criticism
    • 3.3.3Complex argumentation
    • 3.3.4Anticipating objections and staging a virtual dialogue
    • 3.3.5Criticizing the appeal to authorities
    • 3.3.6Criticizing the appeal to experience
  • 3.4Mentioning his own medical methods
  • 3.5Thanking God for medical enlightenment
  • 3.6Gehema’s rhetoric
  • 3.7Language use
• 4.The pragmatic organization of Geuder’s pamphlet
  • 4.1Geuder’s reasons for entering the controversy
  • 4.2Principles of scientific discourse – Geuder’s preface
  • 4.3Topic management in Geuder’s pamphlet
  • 4.4Digressions as a method for evading the point-by-point constraint
  • 4.5Answering accusations and criticism – moves and strategies
    • 4.5.1Contradicting his opponent’s claim
    • 4.5.2Making a (partial) concession and adding modifications or objections
    • 4.5.3Making a distinction and refuting part of the claim
    • 4.5.4Denying presuppositions of a claim
    • 4.5.5Showing logical or dialectical defects of a move made by the opponent
    • 4.5.6Replying in kind
    • 4.5.7Appeal to experience
    • 4.5.8The demand to publish secret recipes
• 5.The dynamics and the result of the controversy
• Notes
• Sources
• References