Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-24
The OriXi:s III .au.l.aals.

For the orr gin of hospitals We must grope in
the thick darkness of the most remote an
tiiuity. Thirteen or fourteen centuries before
the Christian era there lived q great healer of
the sick, named -F:sculapius. According to
Homcr's 'Ii.ai' book liz, tw 0 OF the >olIs of
this physician were in the Gr.cian army that
besieged Troy, and they too were physicians
endowed by their .'paren,-god" with super
human skill. 1E,culapius, then. was alreA Y
re-ardeu IL, the god vi tine healing AIT. Tenn t,es
were ere long erected i'll his honor in Greece,
ana afterwards i'll various parts Of the Roman
mpire. There wa, famous one at Epidaurus,
city on the Greek coast. forty liiies from
Athens. This city enjoyed the profitable rtpu
tation Of having been the birthplace Of 1E,cu-
iaplu>, ana i.e I. IL, III a secluded valley, WIS
erected IA temple to him. The ruins of this
temple, which wds o. great extent and nagnifi-
cence, still exist. The Greeks called tue building
u temple; but it became Il true hospital 1t was
thronged with Invalid, from all parts oi Greece,
and rom more distant countries-even from
Rome itself the priests who served in this
temple practised IN I'd cine, performed surgical
operations, and did all In their power u pco-
mote and hasten the cure OIL their pilgrims.
Nor did they tail to advertise their success, for
tue walls were covered with .aplets, describing
The wonderful cures watch the god had
wrought, and the temple was richly decorated
with the costly Oilc.ln-s presented to the god
Tess famous teIiple ri .E>cuiarius at Per.amus
in Asa Minor. The concoatse Of the sick 10
this temple Vas immense ana tncessAnt. EN-
perors and kings Went on pilgrimage to it from
Rone and from Lne most distant regions OF TIE
earth. 10 invoke tine god and take the prescrip-
tiohs OF the prie>tty physicians. he Roman
he mad built ediIce for the recep-
ton of sick people near the temple
OF Esculapius at Epidaurus and from
what we know OF the benevolcnce of the
Greeks and Romans towards the afflicted, we
may be perfectly sure that such ediiices were
not wanting at any OF the Esculapian tenn
pies. Among the Romans. too, there was
what they called valetudinarium for sick
and wounded soldiers There were also sim
liar Institutions Tor the care OF sick slaves
probably maintained at the expense of the
masters; also hospitals for gladiators, and
public houses Tor the free entertainment of
tian centuries, when Christians were q de-
spSed and prosecuted sect, we know that
they banded together in various ways both
Tor mutual beneht and for the relief OF poorer
brethren. The nrst authentic Information OF
this latter fact is derived from an enemy of
Christianity, the Emperor Julian, some
times called the Apostate. He commanded
one of lie high priests in Galatia TO establish
u free tavern In every city, aud he apprO-
priated Il fund Tor the maintenance OF the
same. The emperor gives this remarkable
reason for found us these establishments: 'FOr
1t is disgraceiul," ne says, "when there is not u
beggar found among the Jews, and when the
gouless Gaiileans support our poor, we'll as
their own. that our people should be without
our hep" These words were written about the
year 36O. and it was at this time that hospitals,
such we now know them. took their RISE
During this period the tide Of pilgrims no
longer set towards the temples OF the heather
deities, but towards Palestine, country which
yielded scanLy supplies to the Christian pill
their relief st. Jerome founded a hospital at
Bethlehem, the money for which was in great
part supplied by rich and noble Roman ladies
among his converts. When Rome was sacked
by Alarlc In 40, many OF JerOme's Old friends
fed from the devastated city to the hospital at
Bethlehem.