"Van Helmont adds a... criticism to the Paracelsian theory. The tria prima play no role in disease, as they cannot be isolated from the living body. Paracelsus, he believes, was mistaken in assuming that the salt in urine was one of the tria prima, when in fact it is only salt water that has not yet been separated into its components. In fact, the tria prima cannot be obtained from living things at all; only by the destruction of the living principle... Hence diseases cannot be caused by the three principles... Surprisingly... he employs the tria prima in his theory... Van Helmont first postulates that water presents itself in four distinct states: ice, water, vapour and Gas... [and] contends that water is formed of 'atoms', which in turn are made up of the three principles (mercury, salt, and sulphur) in different spatial arrangements within the atom. These... give water both its resiliance and diversity of character."