In the early days of Roman civilization, the medical men had not obtained the position due to their learning; this may be accounted for by the fact that most of the principal families in Rome possessed a freedman, or libertinus, who had been educated in the profession. Justinian informs us that the price of such a slave (before manumission) was about sixty pieces of gold. Suetonius records that Julius Cæsar, among the many innovations he introduced, being anxious to increase the prosperity and importance of Rome, bestowed the citizenship, as we are told, on many of the foreigners who hastened to this city from Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt to practise their art; and further, when owing to famine Augustus felt bound to banish from the city the many foreign residents, we are told by the same writer that, among those especially exempted from this decree

were

the medical men and præceptors (peregrinosque omnes, exceptis medicis et præceptoribus, partemque servitiorum Ürbe expulsisset), thus proving the esteem felt at that time for those who had undoubtedly founded for themselves a reputation for their learning.

Few Romans cared to embrace the study of medicine; foreigners to the soil flocked from all parts, bringing with them the choice medicaments to be found in Greece and Egypt, together with the thorough knowledge of the diseases so prevalent in southern countries. Even at the present day the name of Galen sounds familiar to the

ear; and interesting relics of the past, bearing upon them the names of skilled practitioners, are to be found deciphered in Grotefend's work upon the stamps of the Roman oculists (Stempel der röm. Augenärzte), as well as in the Rev. C. King's interesting and valuable account of "Ancient Gems."

The government of Rome, which was strictly paternal, ordered physicians to be stationed in the various provinces and communes under its rule, granting them, as an especial inducement, exemption from taxation, an inducement which was sufficient to urge Galen to enter the Roman service. The various guilds which abounded in Rome, the legions, cohorts, gladiatorial schools, and all bodies, were compelled to have their special medical attendants, and this custom soon became the fashion with the leading families, as may be seen from Galen's biography. This learned physician, a native of Pergamus, studied at the celebrated schools of medicine at Alexandria and Corinth, settled for some years in Rome, returning to Asia Minor A.D. 167, to study the effects of the terrible plague which burst out in that year, and on his return accompanied Commodus in his expedition against Germany as one of the staff (apxiar pós), succeeding when on duty Demetrius, a physician renowned for his skill in the preparation of theriac, and thus becoming physician in ordinary.

Martial, who seems to have rejoiced in depicting the many foibles of his time and adopted home,

of various diseases, though it was not always pleasant to the patient, whose pulse was felt by many chilly hands as he lay burning with fever, producing thereby an ague. (Epig. V. 9)—

"Languebam; sed tu comitatus protinus ad me,

Venisti centum, Symmache, discipulis; Centum me tetigere manus aquilone gelato,

Non habui febrem, Symmache, nunc habeo."

Another mode very much in Vogue at the time, is mentioned by Galen alluding to the discussions which took place in public, when the various doctors, accompanied by their disciples, engaged in disputes, answered the many questions proposed to them, and tried by many artful dodges to increase their practice. Galen relates

an

occurrence which took place shortly after his arrival in Rome, when he engaged and defeated the followers of the school of Erasistratus on the subject of bleeding, his arguments being so convincing as to be adopted by many of his opponents. In the works that have come down to us, the light seems never to be placed under the unnecessary bushel, as, like most authors of ancient days, Galen writes with an aplomb which would meet with rather sharp criticism were such a complacent style now to be adopted.

Prescriptions not being usually made up by the apothecary, the doctor had himself to be thoroughly acquainted with the qualities of various herbs, drugs, and salves; we do not mean to say that apothecaries did not exist, as inscriptions are yet remaining in which the aromatarii are especially mentioned, and Galen uses the expression "these confounded drug-dealers (Galen, XIII.571), whom he accuses of adulterating the extracts ob

methuo) being preventives against intoxication; when engraved with a symbol of the sun or moon and suspended from the neck by the hair of a cynocephalus, this stone will resist magic potions, qualities which, however, it has evidently lost since the days of the natural historian. The medical men were easily induced by their own superstitious feelings to rush into charlatanism; Scribonius mentioning a remedy against colic which he had puchased from an old woman, while Trallianus for the same disease advises the patient to wear an intaglio of Hercules strangling the lion, cut upon a Median stone. As this latter physician flourished under Justinian, his remarks are the more interesting, as showing that superstition was as rife at that time as during the days of Pindar, when describing the remedies adopted by Esculapius to cure the many cases brought to him.

Scribonius (compos. medic. præf.) gives a list of remedies against the bite of serpents, against dropsy, stone, and other diseases; and it is assuring to us to be told by this "allopathic practitioner" that he essayed their various virtues on himself without evil effects.

The following prescription against gout given by Trallianus we have great pleasure in transcribing for our readers, hoping that some may thereby combat the dira podagra with success. "When the moon is in Aquarius or Pisces, dig up, before break of day, the sacred herb hyoscyamus with the forefinger and thumb of the left hand, being careful not to touch the root, and say 'I speak unto thee, I speak unto thee, O sacred herb! I call thee that thou come to-morrow into the house of Phileas, that thou mayest stop the fluxion in the feet or hand of such a one. But I conjure thee in the great name of Ãoе ΣΑΒΑ ΩΘ who hath fixed the earth

cou

and fastened the sea abounding in flowing waves, who hath dried up Lot's wife and made of her a pillar of salt, receive into thyself the spirit and forces of thy mother the earth and dry up the fuxion in the hands or feet of such and such an one.' Next day take a bone of any dead animal and dig up the root before break of day, saying 'I jure thee by the holy names, Jaoth, Sabaoth, Adonai, Elohim.' Then sprinkle a little salt upon the root, saying 'As this salt shall not increase, so let not the pains of the patient increase.' Then take the small end of the root, tie it upon the patient, but hang up the remainder thereof for 360 days over the fireplace."

Another remedy against colic mentioned by him, for an account of which, as for the above, we are indebted to the Rev. C. W. King, M.A., is the wearing of an iron. ring engraved with the words EYгE

ΦΕΥΓΕ ΙΟΥ ΧΟΛΗ Η ΚΟΡΥΔΑΟΛΣ

ΣE ZHTEI, “Fly, fly, ho there! Bile, the lark is looking for thee."

Galen in his works refuses to believe that any medicinal properties are to be found in the human brain, liver, flesh, blood, or bones, and blames Xenocrates for asserting such a proposition, though he maintains the efficiency of a remedy, which we cannot here describe, to be applied externally in cases of ulcerated sore throats. He gives a list of several medicines, their effects, and the people for whom he had prescribed them. Many of his anecdotes and directions would be found useful even at the present time, and we can but feel how they remind us of anecdotes relating to members of the medical faculty as late as the beginning of this century. Doctors, according to him, were addicted to jealousy, strife, envy, coarse vehemence in the schools against rival doctrines, disputes over the sick bed, murder,

and adultry Martial (VI. 31) hints the reason why Charidemus shuts his eyes to his wife's indiscretions with the medical attendant,

"Uxorem, Charideme, tuam scis ipse sinisque

A medico futui; vis sine febre mori."

Herodes, stole a cup while attending a patient whom he supposes will no longer require it, (IX. 96)—

"Clinicus Herodes trullam subduxerat ægro

Deprensus, dixit, 'Stulte, quid ergo bibis'"?

Cosmetics and other "beautifying" washes were being constantly made up, prepared, and invented by medical men-dyes, depilatories, scents, and essences. Martial gives the names of some physicians who evidently were renowned as specialists. Cascellius extracts the aching tooth, Hyginus burns away the superfluous hair which may irritate the eye, Eros effaces the tristia stigmata which has branded the forehead of the slave now free, while Hermes is equal to Polidarius in his treatment of ruptures.

many

of

Hydropathy numbered celebrated physicians in its ranks who were opposed to the treatment followed by the school which ordered wine to be given, the latter being known, as we are told by Marquardt under the name οἰνοδόται. To the former school belonged Musa, the physician who cured Augustus by the cold bath treatment, and who was the first physician raised by the gift of the gold ring (jus annuli) to the rank of knight, being exempted from all taxation, and receiving, as we are told by Suetonius, the honour of a statue erected by public subscription, near to that of Esculapius. (Medico Antonio Musa cujus opera ex ancipiti morbo convaluerat sta