Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-10-17


lapian practice was extremely simple,
and consisted principally OF the dress
ing Of wounds, and the application Of
such herbs as were considered useful
in allaying pain or arrestlng hemor-
rhages. Hygeia, deified as the god
dess Of health, was said to be the sis.
ter of Hsculapius. She, as well as
Eaculapius and Hercules, was wor-
shipped by the Greeks.
The manner in which diseases
were treated in the Grecian temples,
shows that the Grecian as well as the
Egygtian physicians regarded all
diseases as the effects OF anger IN
heaven, and the infection OF vengefui
deitles. But. while the imagination
OF the patient was excited by impos
ing ceremonies or fantastic perform
ances, very strict regimen was en-
joined, SO that, on the whole, the pa
tIents may have been greatly benefit
ed. II should be observed, morrow
er, that the temples to which the pa
tients resorted Qike our modern
health institutions and summer re-
sorts), were situated in the most sa-
lubrious localities that could be found
and that every patient, before admis.
sion, was required to undergo q pro-
cess of publication. The mysterious
which surrounded the idols, as well
as the preliminary ceremonies, were
well calculated to impress the imagi
nation and inspire the hope Of the
patient. In some Of the temples fast
ing for one or more days, and IN 9th.
0rs abstinence from wine tor several
days, was prerequisite Tor being re-
ceivcd and treated in the temple.
Dungllson says History of Medi-
cine,n p. soy: "The defendants OF
Esculapius dwelt, some in Pe'opon
nesus, and others In the land OF Cos.
They transmitted to their children
the medical knowledge which they
had inherited from their ancestor,
without devulging the secret to any
stranger. The family of Esculapius
consequently formed, like the priests
Of Egypt, particular caste, profess
ing the practice OF medicine and the
mysterious worship OF its founder
One of the most ancient laws ex-
presslY says: Sacred things can
only be revealed to the elect, and
ought not to be contided to the pro-
fame until they are initiated into the
mysteries Of the science All those
who were SO initiated were compell-
cd by the Asclepiadcs to swear ac-
cordlng to the statutes OF the order
of Apollo, Esculapius, Hygeia, Pan
acea, and ali the other gods and god
desses, not to profane the mysteries,
and only to dcyu!ge then, to the
children of their masters, or those
who would bind themselves by the
same oath"
This attempt to MAINTAIN the pro-
session OF medicine in the hands OF a
privileged sect, is doubtless the orig
in OF the 'Hippocratic oath" which is
to this day administered TO the mem
Der: of The graduating class especial.
ly in the Allopathic colleges) Oh re
cciying their diplomas.
MEDICINE IN ANCIENT ROME.
Nearly all that the Romans knew
of Medicine before the time OF Cato
"a. D. 150) was learned of the Greek
physicians who came to Rome, estab-
lishei baths, and sold simple medi,
clnes. The first Greek physician,
Arcagathus, who went to Rome to
practice the healing art, treated dis.
eases 80 violently and unsuccessfully
that he received the surname OF Ere-
cutioaer. This was B. c. 2l9; and, al
though the Senate granted him the
right of citizenship, and purchased
him shop IN the suburbs OF the
city, the inhabitants in short time
thereafter refused his prescriptions.
and he was finally banishel.
Among the distinguished Roman
physicians OF later period was Cato
the Censor; and when we record
that both Cato of Rome, and Pytha,
goras of Greece, regarded cabbage as
universal panacea, We have tod
tho whole story of medicine as a
science in that period of the worlds
history.
MEDICINE AMONG THE ANCIENT JEWS.
Medicine among the Jsraelites,pre-
vious to the captivity of Babylon,
did not differ essentisliy from that
of the Egyptians, from which it was
doubtless to some extent borrowed.
The hygienic precepts OF Moses. and
his accurate description OF different
kinds OF lsprosy, certainly denote
considerable progress in the healing
art, if not in medicine as a system or
science. Tradition nnputes to Solo
mon All instructive book on the nat
rral treatment of diseases, which
book is said to have been destroyed
by Ezechias, because it might lnju: G
the practice of the Levites, who pro-
tessed 10 cure diseases by cxpiatory
sacrifices. Aud Josephus imputes to
Solomon the power of appeasing
Gods rage by prayers, and as ex-
orcising demonical spirits by conju-
ration.
Wc learn from Bible history that,
after the Levitcs degeneratcd, the
prophets took from them the practice
of medicine. Marvellous cures are
reported as having been performed
by these prophets; thev were even
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