Old-Time Makers of Medicine: The Story of The Students And Teachers of the Sciences Related to Medicine During the Middle AgesWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
History
Old-Time Makers of Medicine: The Story of The Students And Teachers of the Sciences Related to Medicine During the Middle Ages
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Medicine, Medieval; Physicians
St. Luke, according to St. Paul, was a physician. When a
physician writes a historical work it does not necessarily
follow that his profession shows itself in his writing; yet it
is only natural for one to look for traces of the author's
medical profession in such a work. These traces may be of
different kinds: 1, The whole character of the narrative may
be determined by points of view, aims, and ideals which are
more or less medical (disease and its treatment); 2, marked
preference may be shown for stories concerning the healing of
diseases, which stories may be given in great number and
detail; 3, the language may be colored by the language of
physicians (medical technical terms, metaphors of medical
character, etc.). All these three groups of characteristic
signs are found, as we shall see, in the historical work which
bears the name of St. Luke. Here, however, it may be objected
that the subject matter itself is responsible for these
traits, so that their evidence is not decisive for the medical
calling of the author. Jesus appeared as a great physician and
healer. All the evangelists say this of Him; hence it is not
surprising that one of them has set this phase of His ministry
in the foreground, and has regarded it as the most important.
Our evangelist need not therefore have been a physician,
especially if he were a Greek, seeing that in those days
Greeks with religious interests were disposed to regard
religion mainly under the category of healing and salvation.
This is true, yet such a combination of characteristic signs
will compel us to believe that the author was a physician if,
4, the description of the particular cases of disease shows
distinct traces of medical diagnosis and scientific knowledge;
5, if the language, even where questions of medicine or of
healing are not touched upon, is colored by medical
phraseology; and, 6, if in those passages where the author
speaks as an eye-witness medical traits are especially and
prominently apparent. These three kinds of tokens are also
found in the historical work of our author. It is accordingly
proved that it proceeds from the pen of a physician.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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