*Temporary residents of the State.

ESCULAPIUS, PARACELSUS AND CAGLIOSTRO.

THEIR RELATIONS TO SCIENCE AND THE HEALING ART.

BY ALEXANDER WILDER.

Probably no three personages of history or fable have been less understood as to their character, acts or the place to which they really belonged among men, than those of whom we propose to treat, Esculapius, Paracelsus and Cagliostro. It is an undertaking somewhat perilous to one's reputation for good sense to speak well of those whom the world vilify, or to present a view of the persons or sentiments different from those which are popularly entertained. But, in the long run, it is the advantage of every body to regard men and facts intelligently and correctly, and we suppose that the light to enable this must be obtained by agitating the luminiferous æther. In no department of knowledge does this appear so necessary as in the traditions, legends and other lore pertaining to the medical art; perhaps in none will more resentment and animosity be exhibited at any interference with cherished opinions.

ESCULAPIUS, THE SERPENT-GOD.

In the Galerie Mythologique is preserved a collection of near 200 engravings, containing about 800 pictures of ancient monuments, such as statues, bas-reliefs, engraved stones, medals, frescoes and paintings on vases. Among these are numerous pictures of the great divinity of Carthage, Egypt. and the East, Esmun Asclepius, or Esculapins, the Cabeirian, "Great God" of the Mysteries. These afford us a fair idea of his character among the ancients. He was especially worshipped at Pergamus, Epidaurus, Cos, Thessaly, and also at Carthage and Rome, under various names, and with different legends of his history.

One characteristic picture, No. 99, represents him with the divine halo around his head, a baton, or staff, in his hand, a mantle covering the lower half of the body, with sandals and the serpent at his feet. A second, No. 105, represents him capped and robed as before, holding the baton, twined by a serpent, standing at the bedside of a sick person. A third picture, No. 101, exhibits the god standing upon a pedestal, holding the staff, with the serpent upon it, in the Esculapian or climbing posture, and a Centaur on each side, acting the part of the dadouchos or torch-bearer in the Mysteries. The fourth, No. 106, has Esculapius for the central figure, with halo, robe, sandals, and serpent on a pole, as in the first; on one side, Hermes or Mercury holding the caduceus or wand, with double serpents, and presenting him an orant, or sick person, to be healed; on the other, the

three Graces, in their usual classic style. The fifth, No. 102, depicts Esculapius habited as before, with the Ephesian Diana Multimammia, wearing the modius like Cybelê, the "Great Mother," whom she personified, and holding in each hand the hunting spear or club; also a representation of the Goddess of Victory overhead, crowning them both, and an inscription explaining the medallion as denoting the alliance of the two cities Pergamus and Ephesus. The sixth, No. 104, represents the Emperor Caracalla holding a spear in the left hand, and the right extended above an altar, on which stands the child Telesphoros. Esculapius stands on the other side, and is invoked to restore the infant to health. The seventh, No. 100, is more perfectly characteristic. Esculapius, under the form of a serpent, is upon the island in the Tiber, at a little distance from his temple. The river god sits by upon the water, extending one hand toward him; beneath is the inscription "ESCVLAPIVS.", The eighth, No. 103, pictures Esculapius with robe, and staff decorated with serpent; Telesphoros near him, and Hygeia standing before him, half girdled with a serpent, his tail depending over her right arm, and her left hand caressing him. In our classical representations, Esculapius is depicted as an old man, with a caducens or staff, the caduceus being a delineation of serpents intersecting each other in a "knot of Hercules," and attached to a wand or baton.

Most of these are comparatively recent delineations. The old Esculapius that was carried from the East to Samothrace as a Cabeirian or Mystery-god was generally depicted with a dwarfish figure like the Phoenician Pataikoi. The later one was copied from the figures of Zeus or Jupiter; the Serpent of the Eastern rites being retained instead of substituting the thunderbolt of the Olympian.

The mythic biographies of Esculapius more or less vary. In Egypt he was Emeph, a personification of the Creator, and in the Mystic worship was nearly identical with Thoth, Hermes and Cadmus. The Grecian fable, which first made Apollo the oracle-god, also the tutelar god, of medicine, as was his Syrian counterpart Beelzebul, was afterward modified by adopting Esculapius, the Mystery-god, as his son. The tale related by Ovid makes him the son of Apollo, and the nymph Koronis a daughter or priestess of Phlegyas. The god slew her in a fit of jealousy but rescued her unborn offspring. The holy infant was placed in the cave or temple of Cheiron the Centaur, the son or priest of Kronos or Bel-Saturn. Having grown up, he accompanied the other Mystery-gods in the famous Argonautic expedition to Colchisa peculiar way of saying that all the gods and mythological stories were identical. It is further related that Esculapius became the father of four daughters, Hygeia, Eglê, Panacea and Iaso, and likewise of two sons, Machaon and Podalarius, and finally that he, with the blood of Medusa, restored several persons to life, for which he was slain by Zeus with a thunderbolt lest he should arrest death and depopulate the under-world. He was afterward, like the other human-born gods, resuscitated and worshiped.

Upon the eastern shore of the Morean peninsula is the little village of Pidhavro. It was once the famous city Epidaurus, and its ruins afford evidence of its antique magnificence. About five miles distant is Geraô, the site of the ancient hieron or sanctuary of Asklepios. This temple was always crowded with invalids, and the priests, being also physicians, contrived to keep up its reputation by covering its walls with votive tablets describing the cures which had been there effected.

In due time there arose the Asclepiades, the reputed children or priests and priestesses of the god. They seem at first to have been hereditary, like the Levites of Judea; and wherever a new temple of Esculapius was consecrated they would send a colony thither to take charge of its affairs. These were the hospitals of olden time, and it was regarded as impious, if not a capital offense, for any one to minister at them, unless, perhaps, in a menial position, except he belonged to the sacerdotal caste. Hence, Galen states that medical knowledge was at first hereditary, and that parents imparted it to their children as the exclusive property of their family. Aristides also remarks that the knowledge of medicine was for a long time regarded as belonging solely to the hierarchy of the Asclepiades. They asserted that they possessed certain arcane secrets which had been delivered to them by the god himself.

Thus the physicians of the Esculapian priesthood constituted a secret order or sacerdotal caste of the most exclusive character. Not only did they exclude others from their association, however gifted and meritorious, but made it dangerous for them to tamper with the healing art. Presently, however, the rule was somewhat relaxed; the ordinary branches of medical knowledge were imparted to students, neophytes and catechumens, but their profounder secrets, their occult teachings or aporrheta, were reserved to the oath-bound and initiated. Hence we understand the "religious silence" so often spoken of, and comprehend the meaning of the words of the physician in Lucien's tragedy: "My sacred and mysterious oath compels me to be silent." After the establishment of the Alexandriau school, the theurgists are said to have revived this custom, both among their physicians and their other initiates. The traditionary form of this oath consists in invocation to Apollo-Paian, Asclepios, Hygeia, Panacea and all the other gods and goddesses in hell, earth or heaven, that they would not desecrate or popularize the arcane secrets of the healing art, the mysteries into which they were initiated, but would unfold them only to the children of their preceptors or to those who should have bound themselves by the like obligation.

The following is the text of the so-called Hippocratic oath, as made, apparently with some variation, from the Latin:

"I swear by Apollo-Paian (or the physician) and Esculapius, and Hygieia and Panakea, and all the gods and goddesses that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this oath and this stipulation; to consider him who taught me this art equally dear to me as my parents; to share my property with him and relieve his necessities, if required; to regard his children as my own brothers, and teach

them this art, without fee or emolument, in case that they desire to learn it, both by lessons, discourses and other modes of instruction; that I will communicate the knowledge of this art to my children and the children of my preceptors and to disciples bound by this oath and stipulation, according to the laws of medicine, but to no other persons; that I will follow that course of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider beneficial to the sick, and never prescribe what is injurious; that I will never prescribe a deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such course, and that likewise, I will not give a woman a pessary to produce abortion; that my life shall be blameless and holy; that I will not cut persons laboring under stone, but will leave this operation to those who perform such operations; that into whatsoever house I enter, I will go for the benefit of those who are sick,.and will abstain from every voluntary act of turpitude and corruption, and, further, from the seduction of women and men, children and servants; remove far from every voluntary turpitude and corrupt action, as especially of works or operations upon the bodies of women, men, children and servants, devoted to the rites of Venus. § That whatever, in connection with my professional practice or otherwise, I may see or hear, which ought not to be spoken of or heard, I will not divulge, believing that it should be kept secret; that while I contiune to keep this oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to live long and enjoy prosperity in this art, and the favor of men at all times; but if I should violate this obligation, may the reverse be my lot."

It is generally believed among scholars that this oath was a forgery of a later period. Mercurialis considered it spurious. "It is scarcely to be credited," says John Redman Coxe, "that Hippocrates was the author of this oath; many besides Mercurialis have ascribed it to other persons. A strong presumption of its not being his may be derived from the oath itself, in which every means of inducing abortion is sedulously prohibited, and yet in the treatise De Naturâ Pueri,' we find a female about to abort under the author's exclusive direction and prescription. Now, if Hippocrates was the author of this last-named treatise. and was the pious character which his writings pretty generally indicate, it is inconceivable that he should thus have perjured himself. If not his, it has never been shown satisfactorily, whether it is anterior or posterior to his time, though probably posterior." In this surmise we fully concur. The so-called Hippocratic oath has the ear-marks of a later period.

The Epidaurians having colonized Cos, a temple of Esculapius was erected there, which was, like all others, a lodge or crypt of initiated priests. Hippocrates, who was cotemporary with Socrates

* Greek, gappaz, pharmakon; Latin, medicamentum lethale.

Greek, leaGo Ooptor, pesson phthorion; Latin, pessum subdititium ad foetum corrumpendum.

"Ab omni scelere voluntario et corruptilatum alia, tum operum venereorum in corporibus mulierum ac virorum, liberorum ac servorum procul remotus."

It may be a pledge to abstain from lewdness and pederasty, or from professional operations upon persons diseased by those practices; Fagius favors the latter interpretation.