78 Kansas Academy of Science. 



ing were associated even in that far distant time. It was he 

 who assuaged the weary, who cast out the devils of disease, 

 who gave sleep to the sleepless. 



II. EARLY GREEK MEDICINE. 



Since our civilization began with Greece, naturally we are 

 more interested in the medicine of early Greece. Medical 

 practice among the early Grecians was inextricably interwoven 

 with its mythology. Apollo was the father of ^sculapius, who 

 in turn was the sire of Hygeia. Hercules, Jason and Achilles 

 were taught medicine by the centaur, Chiron, ^sculapius was 

 the early Greek god of medicine. Like I-Em-Hotep, he was 

 probably a man who later became apotheosized, and numerous 

 temples were built to him. The most famous of these sanctu- 

 aries was Epidaurus. In the abaton the sick slept and were 

 healed. 



In many repects the surgeons of that period (30O B. C.) 

 were far more determined and worked under more diffi- 

 cult and exciting conditions than does the modern surgeon. 

 The surgeon of that remote date, above everything else, had to 

 excel in physical strength and speed. For as anjesthetics were 

 unknown, an operation was the equivalent of a battle royal, 

 prize fight or wrestling bout. Generally the surgeon won out, 

 but not until after several rounds had been "gone to" between 

 the patient and himself. Further, the conflict was not always 

 limited to the area of one ring. If the patient succeeded in 

 breaking loose, then the element of speed came in. When the 

 patient was overtaken the operation proceeded. Under these 

 conditions track w^ork might well have been one of the pre- 

 medical requirements. Imagine a major operation being per- 

 formed on the University campus. Let it begin at the Museum 

 Building and finish at the Engineering Building, with Eraser, 

 Snow Hall, the Gymnasium and the Geology Building as san- 

 guinary sites of successive steps in the operation. The path 

 followed by the frantic, unyielding patient and the benevolent, 

 determined surgeon would be marked by a trail of red. 



So much for the wonderful achievements at Epidaurus. 



III. HIPPOCRATES. 



Medicine in reality dates with Hippocrates, the Father of 

 Medicine, and probably a descendant of ^sculapius. Hippo- 

 crates lived in that brilliant period of Athens when mythology 



