Epitome of the Progress of Natural Science. 245 



cus. During the greater part of this period, and at a time when 

 classical literature was falling into decay, the Ptolemaic system 

 arose, which was universally received. Ptolemy flourished about 

 one hundred and forty years after Christ, and made his system 

 accord with external appearances, supposing the earth to be the 

 immoveable centre, and the sun and planets to revolve round it. 

 This deceptive theory, which coincided with the figurative lan- 

 guage used in the old Testament, was received as of divine au- 

 thority ; until Galileo, in the seventeenth century, finally over- 

 threw it, in despite of the persecutions of the inquisition and the 

 power of the church. 



Until the period when the Saracens began to cultivate letters, 

 scarce any further progress was made in natural science, if we 

 except the labours of Galen as an anatomist, who died A. D. 193. 

 They were much addicted to the study of the virtues of plants, 

 and their physicians Al Rasi, Ibn Sina, and IbnRosch, have been 

 held in honour by the Europeans under the names of Razes, 

 Avicenna, and Averroes ; but they added nothing to the know- 

 ledge of anatomy ; for the prejudices which the Koran had created 

 against dissection were powerful, as it denounced as unclean all 

 who touched the corpse of any dead animal. The Saracens 

 were, however, well acquainted with the writings of Galen, and 

 there is sufficient evidence that it is through their channel the 

 Europeans first returned to the study of anatomy ; for many of the 

 technical terms used upon its revival in Europe, are derived from, 

 the Arabic tongue ; such as Nucha, the nape of the neck ; Meri, 

 the diaphragm ; Sumach, the umbilical region ; Myrach, the abdo- 

 men ; Siphax, the peritoneum ; and Zirbus, the omentum. These 

 terms were retained by Mondino de Luzzi, his pupil Achillini, and 

 the other European anatomists, until the revival of learning led to 

 the study of the ancient Greek writers. Their passion for astronomy 

 was favourable to the cultivation of arithmetic and algebra, their 

 knowledge of which, they derived, according to Playfair, from 

 India. The monk Gerbert, afterwards pope Sylvester 2d, had 

 studied with the Saracens in Spain, and introduced the knowledge 

 of algebra into christian Europe, towards the latter end of the 

 tenth century. In mechanical science they were great pro- 

 ficients. As early as A. D. 799, Haroun Alraschid sent a mag- 

 nificent Clepsydra, or water-clock, to the Emperor Charlemagne, 

 of a remarkable construction. Chemistry, as an analytical branch 



