HISTORY OF MEDICINE EXHIBITS WHITEBREAD. 



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Aesculapius. — The Greek God of Medicine, son of Apollo and the nympli 

 Coronis. His mother was slain by his father, and Aesculapius was given to the 

 centaur, Chiron, to be reared and educated. Under Chiron's instruction Aescu- 

 lapius became marvellously skilled in medicine, not only healing the sick, but 

 raising the dead. On the complaint of Pluto that Aesculapius was desolating 

 the realms of the shades, Jupiter slew him with his thunderbolt, but at the 

 request of Apollo he was placed among the stars. He was worshipped as a 

 god, and numerous temples were erected for his services, conducted by priests 

 called Asclepiadae. (See fig. 21.) Cat. No. 143,513, U.S.N.M. 



CJiiron. — From an engraving of a wall painting in Pompeii. The most cele- 

 brated of the centaurs, son of Saturn and the nymph, I'hilyra. The legend is 



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I'^IG. 19. — Chikox. 



that Saturn dreading the jealousy of his wife. Rhea, transformed Philyra into 

 a mare and himself into a steed; the offspring was Chiron, half man and half 

 horse. Having been instructed in hunting, gymnastics, music, and medicine, 

 he became the instructor of others in these ai-ts and accomplishments, espe- 

 cially Aesculapius and Achilles in medicine (fig. 19). Cat. No. 143,515. 

 U.S.N.M. 



Machao)!. — ^lachaon and his brother Podalirius, sons of Aesculapius, were 

 next to their father, the must noted physicians in the legendary Greek period. 

 They were e(iually celebrated as warriors, and made them.selves so con- 

 spicuous by their valor that Humer ranks tliem among the first of the Greek 



