Galen : two bibliographical demonstrations in the library of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 9th December, 1891, and 30th March, 1893 / by James Finlayson.

  • James Finlayson
Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Galen : two bibliographical demonstrations in the library of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 9th December, 1891, and 30th March, 1893 / by James Finlayson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    German war, waged by Marcus Aurelius, could make but little of their opportunities, unless they had been previously versed in the dissection of animals, and especially of the ape.^^ In the same passage he refers to stray chances of examining the bodies of young children who had been exposed, of robbers who had been slain, or of those condemned to be exposed to wild beasts. But whilst it seems plain from such remarks that human dissections were rare, although not unknown, it is equally clear, from the following extract, that Galen had the benefit of the study of human osteology. It has been already stated that Galen had been in Alexandria, and returned from there to his native country in 158 A.D. (see abstract of Chronology). Under Herophilus and Erasistratus, the Alexandrian school had attained to great eminence in anatomical studies, and we know that dissections of the human subject were practised there. Some of its ancient reputation and facilities seem to have survived in this respect, and Galen advises his pupils to go there to study anatomy, where he himself had derived benefit. [Study of Osteology.']—This, indeed, will be absolutely necessary for you, that you make yourself thoroughly acquainted with the subject, not only from a book, but with your eyes as a diligent observer of human bones; this is more easily done in Alexandria, because the physicians of that place in expounding to their pupils the science of the bones exhibit them for their inspection. I am, therefore, of opinion that you should endeavour to make a stay at Alexandria, if for no other reason than this alone. If you cannot manage to do this, you can examine human bones in the way I adopt, for I have often studied them in certain burying places or in ruinous tombs. Sometimes, also, a river having overflowed, a few months previously, some ill-built burying place, has washed out its contents, and has conveyed a whole body even the length of a 19 At qui in aliis animantibus et potissimum in simiaprius se exercuerit promptissime singulas quse inciduntur partes detegit (Kuhn, tom. ii, p. 385). And again : Quemadmodum nee medici bello Germanico bar- barorum corporum insectionis potestatem habentes amplius quippiam didicerunt iis quaj coqui intelligunt (Kiihn, tom. xiii, p. 604).