Herophilus and Erasistratus : a bibliographical demonstration in the library in the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 16th March 1893 / by James Finlayson.

  • James Finlayson
Date:
1893
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Herophilus and Erasistratus : a bibliographical demonstration in the library in the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 16th March 1893 / by James Finlayson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    with much abiUty and at great length ; but a dispassionate perusal of his pleadings fails to show anything stronger than is indicated above. Both Herophilus and Erasistratus left ardent disciples behind them, constituting the rival schools of the Herophihtes and the JErasistrateans, who continued to dispute, and to hold sway between them, till after the time of Galen, whose authority soon became supreme. But I do not enter on this subject. 'Hpo>«Xoc; 'Hpo^«Xoc; Herophilus; Erophilus; Trophilus; HiEROPHILUS (?). With the above variations, this great anatomist is named in different passages. The mere absence of the aspirate, whether in Greek or Latin, need not surprise us as a variation, ihe name Tpo'0tXoc occurs in Stobaeus in connection with a saying quoted there as the answer of a physician; this will be sub- sequently given in full. It is now supposed, with great probability, that the letter T has been substituted for H in the process of copying, as no physician is known to us under the name of Trophilus, and the one referred to m the passage was evidently regarded as a great authority. _ The last name in the above list is more doubtfully received as applying to our great anatomist, although it is admitted that a variation from Herophilus to i/^6rophllus is a very likely error to be made by the copyist. Agnodice as a Pupil of Hierophilus. It is generally supposed that it was another phj^ician named Hierophilus, and not the Alexandrian anatomist, who is referred to in the amusing tale narrated by Hyginus,* which rests apparently on his authority alone. It shows that the lady-medical question is an old one :— * C. Julii Hygini, Augusti Liberti, Fahularum Liber. Lugduni, 1608, Fab. 274, p. 52.
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