Adam a Physician-Darius and Democêdes-Cure of Telephus-Value of Pedigree-Esculapius and his Sons-Surgeons at the Siege of Troy-How Germans Acted-Rome versus Greece-The Wise Men-Philosophers and Atheists.
THANKS to the labours of the great modern historians, the idea of progress has now become an essential element in the very conception of history. Any period, however long it may have lasted, in which no progress was made, is beyond the pale of historical investigation. Like Chaos, as described by Milton, it is
Illimitable ocean without bound,
Without dimension, where length, breadth, and light,
And time, and place, are lost. ***
The womb of nature, and perhaps her grave." 2
Medicine, regarded as an art, remained in this chaotic
1 From a statue in the Louvre.
2 Paradise Lost, Book II.