The Origin and Growth of the Healing Art: A Popular History of Medicine in All Ages and CountriesBerdoe, Edward
History
The Origin and Growth of the Healing Art: A Popular History of Medicine in All Ages and Countries
Berdoe, Edward
Medicine -- History
It was only natural that the philosophical Greeks should discuss
medicine at as great a length as they discussed philosophy;
accordingly, we find that no sooner had our art taken its place
amongst the subjects worthy of being seriously considered by the Greek
intellect, than it was as much talked about as practised, and wrangled
over as though it were a system of religion. Sects arose which opposed
each other with the greatest vehemence; and Hippocrates had not long
formulated his teaching when his disciples elevated his principles
into a dogmatism which challenged, and shortly provoked, opposition
of various kinds. Then arose the schools of medicine which ultimately
became famous, as those of the DOGMATISTS, EMPIRICS, METHODISTS,
PNEUMATISTS, etc. The DOGMATISTS boasted of being the Rational and
Logical school. They held that there is a certain connection between
all the arts and sciences, and that it is the duty of the physician to
avail himself of all sorts of knowledge on every subject which bears
any relationship to his own. They made, therefore, the most careful
inquiry into the remote and proximate causes of disease. They examined
the influence on the human body of airs, waters, places, occupations,
diet, seasons, etc. They formulated general rules, not of universal
application, but modified their treatment according to circumstances,
availing themselves of whatever aid they could obtain from any source.
Hippocrates had said, “The physician who is also a philosopher is equal
to the gods,” and the Dogmatists elevated this into an article of their
creed. Hippocrates, Galen, Oribasius, Ætius, Paulus Ægineta, and the
Arab physicians were dogmatists. The founders of the school were the
sons of Hippocrates—Thessalus and Draco. The former was the eldest son
of the great physician, and was the more famous of the two. He passed
a great part of his life as physician in the court of Archelaus, king
of Macedonia.[399] His brother, Draco, was physician to Queen Roxana,
wife of Alexander the Great.
We may say, therefore, that the oldest, most famous, and worthy of the
ancient medical sects arose about 400 B.C., and retained its power
over the medical profession till the rise of the Empirical sect in
the Alexandrian school of philosophy. We are indebted to Celsus for a
lucid and admirable exposition of the doctrines professed by these two
medical parties.[400]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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