Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-09
THE ORIGIN OF PHYSICIANS.

The first physicians of whom mention is
made in history were those who embalmed
the Patriarch Jacob Gen. chap. sc p, by
order of Joseph, his son. They are styled
the servant of Joseph, whence it appears
they were not priests, for the Egyptian
priests had too much honor and influence
with both King and people to be the serv-
ants of any man, however exalted the Sta
ton. The Egyptians attributed the inven-
ton OF this art to Thoth or Herms, who
engraved its principals in hieroglyphics
upon pillars. These hieroglyphical writ
ings were supposed to have been transcribed
into books by Agathodemon, or the second
Mercury, which books the priests asserted
had been preserved in the sacred recesses
of their temples. But the system of medi-
cine among the Egyptians appears to have
been nothing better than collection OF ab-
surd supersti.ions. The ancient Greeks, like
wise, according to the picture which Homer
gives of them in the Illiad, seem to have
possessed but very low degree of this art,
Esculapius was the first person among
them who had any valuable knowledge of
this kind and his knowledge, probably
scanty, procured him such respect that
after his decease he was dei6ed by his
countrymen. Hippocrstes, who claimed
the honor OF being the seventeenth in
descent from Esculapius, was the first who
treated of medicine In regular and ra-
tional manner. Hippocrates is supposed
to have lived about 400 years before Christ.
He is the most ancient author whose writ
ings on medical art are preserved, and Is
therefore styled the father OF medicine.
He endeavored to explain the causes of
the diseases OF the human frame and their
| symptoms, to classify them, and to point
out their preventives or remedies. He laid
down maxims for the preservation OF the
heath for the regulation of exercise and
bathing. He appears to have used purgs-
tivss, emetics, venesections, stdoritics,
moist and dry lamentations, gargles for the
throat, oils and ointments, catsplasns,
mixtures composed of various substances
to soften tum0rs and disperse swellings,
and various other compounded medicines.
CELSIUS was another celebrated writer on
the subject of medicine. He lived in the
time of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. In
the reign of Adrian, a. D. l3l, lived
Galeu, native Of Pergamus, one of tbs
most illustriOus men in the annals of med.
icsl science. After the downfall of the
Roman Empire, the Arabian or Saracenic
physicians became llusGTlous loF Ihe hhoNI-
| edge and practice of the art Of medicine.
To them Europe is indebted for the pre-
servation of the medical science of Greece
and Rome, and likewise for the description
of many new diseases, and the mode Of
treating them. Of these Avicenna was
the most famous Their system OF medicine
was introduced into Europe very early with
great success. In the beginning of the six
teenth century, Paracelsus, a famous
chemist, advanced new system of medi.
cine, founded on chemistry. In 1928 the
celebrated Harvey demonstrated and CON-
municated to the public the important dis
covery of the circulation of the blood.
This overthrow almost all the former sys-
TENS, and prepared the way for that highly
improved state in which the medical art
exists at present - SANITARY News.