The Evolution of Modern Medicine: A Series of Lectures Delivered at Yale University on the Silliman Foundation in April, 1913Osler, William, Sir
History
The Evolution of Modern Medicine: A Series of Lectures Delivered at Yale University on the Silliman Foundation in April, 1913
Osler, William, Sir
Medicine -- History
Hepatoscopy thus became, among the Babylonians, of extraordinary
complexity, and the organ of the sheep was studied and figured as early
as 3000 B.C. In the divination rites, the lobes, the gall-bladder, the
appendages of the upper lobe and the markings were all inspected with
unusual care. The earliest known anatomical model, which is here shown,
is the clay model of a sheep's liver with the divination text dating
from about 2000 B.C., from which Jastrow has worked out the modern
anatomical equivalents of the Babylonian terms. To reach a decision on
any point, the phenomena of the inspection of the liver were carefully
recorded, and the interpretations rested on a more or less natural and
original association of ideas. Thus, if the gall-bladder were swollen on
the right side, it pointed to an increase in the strength of the King's
army, and was favorable; if on the left side, it indicated rather
success of the enemy, and was unfavorable. If the bile duct was long, it
pointed to a long life. Gallstones are not infrequently mentioned in
the divination texts and might be favorable, or unfavorable. Various
interpretations were gathered by the scribes in the reference note-books
which serve as guides for the interpretation of the omens and for
text-books of instructions in the temple schools (Jastrow).
The art of divination spread widely among the neighboring nations. There
are many references in the Bible to the practice. The elders of Moab
and Midian came to Balaam "with the rewards of divination in their hand"
(Numbers xxii, 7). Joseph's cup of divination was found in Benjamin's
sack (Genesis xliv, 5, 12); and in Ezekiel (xxi, 21) the King of Babylon
stood at the parting of the way and looked in the liver. Hepatoscopy was
also practiced by the Etruscans, and from them it passed to the
Greeks and the Romans, among whom it degenerated into a more or less
meaningless form. But Jastrow states that in Babylonia and Assyria,
where for several thousand years the liver was consistently employed
as the sole organ of divination, there are no traces of the rite having
fallen into decay, or having been abused by the priests.
In Roman times, Philostratus gives an account of the trial of Apollonius
of Tyana,(16) accused of human hepatoscopy by sacrificing a boy in
the practice of magic arts against the Emperor. "The liver, which the
experts say is the very tripod of their art, does not consist of pure
blood; for the heart retains all the uncontaminated blood, and irrigates
the whole body with it by the conduits of the arteries; whereas the
gall, which is situated next the liver, is stimulated by anger and
depressed by fear into the hollows of the liver."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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