The history of medicine : comprising a narrative of its progress from the earliest ages to the present time, and of the delusions incidental to its advance from empiricism to the dignity of a science / by Edward Meryon ... Volume I.

  • Edward Meryon
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of medicine : comprising a narrative of its progress from the earliest ages to the present time, and of the delusions incidental to its advance from empiricism to the dignity of a science / by Edward Meryon ... Volume I. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    cliest and abdomen, little in tlie shape of human anatomy could have been learned; for, according to Herodotus, the most careful preparatory process con- sisted m withdrawing the brain through the nostrils by a curved iron mstrument, and in taking out the intestines; but, as the dissection of human beings was expressly forbidden, and the priest who effected the preliminary incision of the body was often assailed with stones and blows (so great was their horror of those who damaged the mortal remains of their friends), no great amount of anatomical knowledge for the prac- tical purposes of the physician or surgeon could have been acquired. Our information concerning their medicines is very scanty, but M. Pauw, in his Eecherches sur les Egyptiens, etc. (p. 166), has shown that the Scilla was used by them in cases of dropsy, as it is by ourselves at the present day; and an oxide of iron was also employed in similar affections. They thought that disease was generaUy accompanied by some critical evacuation, and their endeavom'-s were directed to the promotion of such salutary actions. Had they confined themselves to such simple practice, and recorded their observations thereon, how different might have been the state of the medical profession to what Ave now find it! The Hindoos, Israelites, and ancient Greeks hkewise, attributed their diseases to the anger of their respective gods ; and the priests, hke the Egy]^)tians, abused the crednhty of the people, arrogated to themselves a mediatorial influence, and employed all sorts of ridicu- lous incantations to support their frauds. Whatever progress was subsequently made, was, doubtless, ac- complished by the inherent energy and expansive force