with the famous Archagathus, a Greek physician, who, according to Le Clerc,' was the first to introduce the art of medicine in Rome. It is said that Asclepiades began his career as a teacher of rhetoric, but, finding that occupation unremunerative, turned his attention to medicine, in which he became celebrated, more by his affable manner than by his skill. His writings, which were numerous, have not been preserved. One bust of him in marble has come down to us. Among his distinguished pupils was Themison, prince of the Methodist School. Asclepiades lived to a great age, dying about sixty years before Christ."

About the same time with the celebrated Asclepiades, flourished Philoxenus, an Egyptian, probably at Alexandria, who distinguished himself as a surgeon, and who was among the first, if not the very first, to write books on that art. According to Celsus,3 surgery was practised as a profession in ancient Egypt apart from medicine. But there were others at this period (xxXVIII. siècle) who made a specialty of surgery, among them Ammonius, also of Alexandria. This surgeon was surnamed Lithotome, on account of his operations for stone in the bladder, and because he was the first to cut for stone, which Hippocrates forbade his pupils to do. Surgery, in fact, at Rome was cultivated more than medicine by reason of

1 Part 2d, c. i., p. 384.

2 Le Clerc, op. cit.

Quoted by Le Clerc, op. cit., p. 339.

her wars and the necessities of the wounded in battle. Le Clerc, on the authority of Galen and Celsus, mentions the names of several surgeons at Rome, who were famous in their art, but who left no books on the subject to immortalize their names.

Nicander, of Colophon, the poet and physician, who flourished under Ptolemy, according to some authorities, and under Attalus Galatoniée, according to others, was quite celebrated at Rome, both in poetry and as a writer on medical subjects. The latter productions have come down tous, but his practical works are lost. One of his medical treatises was entitled "Theriaca," which embraced remedies for the treatment of wounds inflicted by venomous beasts; the other was entitled "Alexipharmica," being a treatise on poisons with their antidotes. Le Clerc says that Demetrius Phalerius, Theon, Plutarch, and Diphilus de Laodicea wrote commentaries on the first of these books. His contributions on the subjects on which Nicander wrote must have been held, therefore, by these distinguished commentators as authority.'

After the death of Asclepiades, his pupil, Themison, came into prominence. He was the leader and founder of a sect in medicine known as the Methodists, by reason of their adherence to strict rules of practice, not unlike the practice or custom of the ancient Egyptians. Themison likewise had the boldness to controvert the 1 Le Clerc, p. 330.

with the famous Archagathus, a Greek physician, who, according to Le Clerc,' was the first to introduce the art of medicine in Rome. It is said that Asclepiades began his career as a teacher of rhetoric, but, finding that occupation unremunerative, turned his attention to medicine, in which he became celebrated, more by his affable manner than by his skill. His writings, which were numerous, have not been preserved. One bust of him in marble has come down to us. Among his distinguished pupils was Themison, prince of the Methodist School. Asclepiades lived to a great age, dying about sixty years before Christ.2

About the same time with the celebrated Asclepiades, flourished Philoxenus, an Egyptian, probably at Alexandria, who distinguished himself as a surgeon, and who was among the first, if not the very first, to write books on that art. According to Celsus,3 surgery was practised as a profession in ancient Egypt apart from medicine. But there were others at this period (XXXVIII. siècle) who made a specialty of surgery, among them Ammonius, also of Alexandria. This surgeon was surnamed Lithotome, on account of his operations for stone in the bladder, and because he was the first to cut for stone, which Hippocrates forbade his pupils to do. Surgery, in fact, at Rome was cultivated more than medicine by reason of

I Part 2d, c. i., p. 384.

2 Le Clerc, op. cit.

Quoted by Le Clerc, op. cit., p. 339.

her wars and the necessities of the wounded in battle. Le Clerc, on the authority of Galen and Celsus, mentions the names of several surgeons at Rome, who were famous in their art, but who left no books on the subject to immortalize their names.

Nicander, of Colophon, the poet and physician, who flourished under Ptolemy, according to some authorities, and under Attalus Galatoniée, according to others, was quite celebrated at Rome, both in poetry and as a writer on medical subjects. The latter productions have come down tous, but his practical works are lost. One of his medical treatises was entitled "Theriaca," which embraced remedies for the treatment of wounds inflicted by venomous beasts; the other was entitled "Alexipharmica," being a treatise on poisons with their antidotes. Le Clerc says that Demetrius Phalerius, Theon, Plutarch, and Diphilus de Laodicea wrote commentaries on the first of these books. His contributions on the subjects on which Nicander wrote must have been held, therefore, by these distinguished commentators as authority.'

After the death of Asclepiades, his pupil, Themison, came into prominence. He was the leader and founder of a sect in medicine known as the Methodists, by reason of their adherence to strict rules of practice, not unlike the practice or custom of the ancient Egyptians. Themison likewise had the boldness to controvert the

Le Clerc, p. 330.

doctrine of humoralism which was advanced by Hippocrates and called the Humoral Pathology, and to introduce the doctrine of solidism, known as the Pathology of Solidism. It will be remembered that it was held by the Father of Medicine that diseases originated in the fluids of the body. Themison, on the contrary, contended that they originated in the solid parts, and not in the fluids, the two kinds of bile, phlegm, etc., as taught by Hippocrates. Both views were right, of course, but each had its partisans, and the contention between them continued down to within a recent period. It is worthy of note that the Methodists at Rome superseded the Empirics and Dogmatists. The Methodist sect, by pursuing a policy of conciliation, and adopting a medium course between the two practices, finally absorbed them, or at least, composed their differences.

The next physician worthy of mention is Thessalus, a follower of Themison, who lived about fifty years B. C. He appears to have succeeded in the profession more by artifice and cunning than by learning and merit. The idea of metasyncrasis originated with him, an idea which corresponds with what the profession of half a century since designated by the term alterative, which comprehended making a decided change in the trend of the organism, or thwarting the natural tendency of nature by a powerful medicament. It was effected by the administration of powerful medicines in large doses, such as blue