One day, as Asclepiades was returning to the city, from his place in the country, he observed the approach of a long funeral procession. Desiring to learn whether the deceased was a person of his acquaintance, and also in the hope of perhaps gaining other information of a professional nature, he approached as nearly as possible to the bier. The face of the corpse was anointed with sweet-smelling ointments over which spices had been sprinkled; but, notwithstanding this, he was able to detect certain signs which led him to suspect that the man might not yet be dead; and accordingly he examined the body very closely and thus satisfied himself that such was indeed the fact. Whereupon he called aloud that the man was still alive, and told the bearers to extinguish the torches, to carry away the materials for the pyre, and to remove the funeral feast from the grave to a table. Some at once objected to the carrying out of these measures and made sarcastic remarks about the healing art--probably because they were already in possession of the man’s estate, and were afraid that they might have to give it up. The more influential ones, however, insisted that the physician’s words should be heeded. Then Asclepiades, notwithstanding the opposition which was made by the relatives, succeeded in securing a brief delay, during which he had the supposed corpse removed to his own house. Restorative measures were employed, respiration was re-established, and the man was brought back to life. At the succeeding festivities unlimited praise was bestowed upon the wise physician. Whether this tale, which I have copied from Neuburger, is true or not, it seems to fit in well with the bold and independent character of Asclepiades as it is revealed to us by the different writers of the history of medicine. In his comment upon this narrative the distinguished Viennese historian makes the remark that Asclepiades was very conceited, and--like most reformers--showed a disposition to ignore the work accomplished by his predecessors. He also expresses the belief that Asclepiades possessed a leaning toward the methods of the charlatan; the episode just narrated revealing a love for theatrical display in his professional activity. On the other hand, in the further course of the chapter which he devotes to this famous Roman physician, Neuburger gives fuller recognition to the value of the services which he rendered to medicine, and thus, in the light of these services, one is justified in overlooking any little weaknesses of character which he may have displayed. Perhaps the most important of the services which Asclepiades rendered was that of having introduced Greek medicine into Rome--an important connecting link in the transmission of medical knowledge from Greece to Modern Europe.