Medicine, magic, and religion : the Fitz Patrick Lectures delivered before the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1915 and 1916 / by W.H.R. Rivers ... with a preface by G. Elliot Smith, F.R.S.

  • William Halse Rivers Rivers
Date:
1924
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Medicine, magic, and religion : the Fitz Patrick Lectures delivered before the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1915 and 1916 / by W.H.R. Rivers ... with a preface by G. Elliot Smith, F.R.S. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    CHAPTER V MIND AND MEDICINE1 THE early relationships between mind and medicine are intimately bound up with the process by which medicine grew out of magic and religion. The history of medicine reveals a long and chequered progress, still far from complete, in which Man's attitude towards disease slowly became different from that he held towards the many other mysteries by which he was surrounded. His endeavours to cope with disease took at first two directions. In one he ascribed disease to the action of beings different from himself, but capable of being reached by rites of prayer and propitiation. Since these rites, wherever we study them, reveal an attitude of respect and appeal and imply powers which man does not himself possess, it seems legitimate to regard the beings to whom they are addressed as higher and more powerful than himself. The general body of rites and beliefs forming the means of intercourse between Man and these higher powers make up the aspect of life we call religion. One of Man's early modes of behaviour towards disease may thus be regarded as forming part of religion and the religious attitude. In the other direction disease was ascribed to the action of other human beings, or of beings of a non¬ human kind believed to be amenable to processes 1 [A Lecture delivered in the John Rylands Library, the 9th of April, 1919. For permission to reprint this lecture I am indebted to the Chief Librarian, Dr. Henry Guppy.]