The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22
From the Boston Globe.

NN ANY people are under the err
Npl roneous impression that medi-
ical science made its first ap-
perance in Greece with Hippocrates.
That he had been the first physician
without ancestors, that he could not
have profited by what had been done
In medicine before his time, because
nothing had been produced before.
From the literature of the two peo'
pies, the East Indians and the Greeks,
who had made early advances in civil
ization, and who left to use the most
ancient written monuments, we learn that
even in the remotest epochs men had
some knowledge of medical science, and
that some of them devoted themselves
particularly to this study. In fact In
some stanzas of Beldic hymns Qndian we
notice that mention is made of physi-
clans and sickness. In some of the liter
allure of that time mention Is made OF
methods to be resorted to in properly
treating many of the common Ills, such as
childbirth complications, hemorrhages,
septic conditions. etc.
Probably no other people has infiu-
enced so much the development of medi-
cal science as the Greek. Indeed, Greek
medicine may be considered the beginning
of modern medicine, the formation of the
several systems now ruling. The medi-
cal science of the East Indian, although
considered by many as the most ancient,
unfortunately leaves to us no literature.
and the medicine of the Egyptians was
confined almost exclusively to hygiene and
dietetics
Generally speaking, nearly all of the
medicine of the Oriental people was
barren of fruit. Such medical knowl-
edge was confined to narrow limits and
was considered the private property of
the Cast of Priests and tied by the
faith in destiny and by many supersti-
when the Oriental peoples came under the
influence of the Greek school.
In the oldest epoch no other literature
existed than the epic, which was both
religious and heroic poetry. Man of that
period imprinted in 1t his very soul of
passions, and it is there we see all his
knowledge and seeds of later day civiliza-
ton.
In every literary and medical question
we must look for the foundation theories
to the grand old epic of Homer. His
"liad" and Odyssey" two immortal
works of the Greek genius. contain actu-
ally the seed in part of the medical
knowledge of later periods. The anatomf-
cal terms therein used are the same as
those used by Hippocrates, and again
many of them are still in use by the pres
ent day surgeons, and coming down to
us from remote ages hardly one has suf-
fered a material change. The rules gov
erning the care of dangerous wounds
were well established at that time, as may
be inferred from Agamemnon's consola-
ton to Menelaus. when wounded in bat
tie in these words: THE skilful physi-
clan will apply remedies and use means
to relieve the great pain"
Again this knowledge is exemplified in
record Of the treatment of the wounded
Eurypilus by Patroclus, who was dis
ciple of Achilles, which says that with
hot water he washed the wound and
with his hand applied soothing medicine
until all pain ceased, then dried the
wound and arrested the hemorrhage COM
pletely."
Later on, in the Odyssey we learn
of remedy to "chase away sorrow"
which was given to Telemachus by Hell
ena to drive away his melancholy at the
loss of his father.
From Homer we learn therefore that
medical science did not originate with
Hippocrates, nor does this wise scientist
claim that distinction for himself. For
he says in one of his publications on
ancient medicine: Medical science has
existed of old and had beginning and
a traced road in which many good things
have been found in the course of Time
and the rest will be added If capable
man knows what has been known already
from the beginning"
Many works attributed to Hippocrates
we're not written by him, because in