Medical symbolism in connection with historical studies in the arts of healing and hygiene / Illustrated. By Thomas S. Sozinskey.

  • Sozinskey, Thomas S., 1852?-1889.
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical symbolism in connection with historical studies in the arts of healing and hygiene / Illustrated. By Thomas S. Sozinskey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

    43/196 (page 25)
    with a more or less hygienical site, usually in the country and near a fountain,1 .sometimes a mineral one, in which the arts of healing were practiced by priests or disciples of JSsculapins, called asclepiades. In all, the influence of the god was generally believed to be an essential factor; and hence in each an image of him was to be found. But the fully-equipped institution had many appliances, as has been shown in the account given of the one at Epidaurus. Arrangements for exercises, baths, and other means which were brought to bear to restore people to health were duly provided and were in many instances elaborate. The asclepiades claimed that they were descended directly from the god of whom they were the disciples. They were not, at any time, mere priests; that is, min- isters of religion. Indeed, it has lnrn asserted tli.it there is no sign in the Homeric poems of the subordi- nation of medicine to religion.9 The asclepiades constituted a special class, and they were oath-bound to preserve the mysteries of the art from the uninitiated. The oath is preserved in the Hippocratic Collection,3 and is usually called by his name. It begins thus: I swear by Apollo, the physi- cian, and J']sciilapius, and Health, and All-IIcal,4 and all the gods and goddesses that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this oath and this 1 Yittuvius, who flourished in the first century before our era, ei- presses tin' opinion that natural Consistency BUggestG the selection of situations affording the advantages of salubrious air and water for temples elected to JKseulapius, to the goddess of health, and such other divinities as pofi&essthe power of oaring diseases. it materially helped the divinities. See second edition of his work on Architecture, p. 11, by Joseph Swift. London, ISoU * Encyclopaedia Britannica, ninth edition. Sec William Adams' edition of the Genuine Works of Hippocrates. Two volumes. London, 1S49. • Hygeia and i'anacea, both daughters of JEsculapius. 2 B