210 SCIENCE IN GRECO-ROMAN ANTIQUITY 



2. THE MEDICAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES 



In the first part of this book we have shown the 

 progressive development of medical science, and noted 

 the remarkable discoveries which were due to it. It is 

 sufficient here to recall briefly the spirit and methods 

 which characterized these discoveries. 



Like other primitive peoples, the Egyptians and 

 Chaldeans considered disease either as a punishment 

 sent by a Divinity, the work of malevolent spirits, or 

 the consequence of spells wrought by man. In every 

 case the agent of the disease was a spirit which entered 

 the body and destroyed the tissues. 



Therefore to obtain healing, the intervention of both 

 the priest and the physician was necessary. The 

 former had to appease the Divinity by sacrifices and 

 prayers. The latter had a twofold task. He had to 

 drive away the spirit who caused the disease, by 

 exorcisms and incantations on the one hand, and on 

 the other hand by drugs which were feared by the spirit 

 and at the same time built up the tissues of the patient. 

 The choice of these drugs was determined more often 

 by a fantastic association of ideas than by specific 

 experience. " The euphrasia was supposed to heal 

 diseases of the eye because its corolla has a black mark 

 resembling the pupil of the eye, whilst the red tint of 

 haematite seemed to point it out as a means of stopping 

 haemorrhage. The Egyptians believed that the blood 

 of black animals would prevent the hair from turning 

 white, and even to-day in Styria, as formerly in India, 

 Greece and Italy, jaundice is banished into the bodies 

 of yellow birds." * 



Greek medicine from the first took up a different 

 position : The Iliad, speaking of the care of the 

 wounded, makes no mention of superstitious practices. 

 The wounds must be dressed with special balms and the 

 warriors revived with wine, barley and cheese. 

 1 14 Gomperr, Penseurs, I, p. 294. 



