60 FATHERS OF BIOLOGY. 



anatomy). He explains how it happens that after divi- 

 sion of the spinal cord, provided that division be beneath 

 the lower termination of the neck, the diaphragm will 

 still continue to act in consequence, namely, of the 

 origin of the phrenic nerve being above the lower termina- 

 tion of the neck. 



Before the time of Galen the medical profession was 

 divided into several sects, e.g. Dogmatici, Empiric!, 

 Eclectici, Pneumatic!, and Episynthetici, who were 

 always disputing with one another. After his time all 

 sects seem to have merged in his followers. The subse- 

 quent Greek and Roman biological writers were mere 

 compilers from his works, and as soon as his writings 

 were translated into Arabic they were at once adopted 

 throughout the East to the exclusion of all others. He 

 remained paramount throughout the civilized world until 

 within the last three hundred years. In the records of 

 the College of Physicians of England we read that Dr. 

 Geynes was cited before the college in 1559 for impugn- 

 ing the infallibility of Galen, and was only admitted 

 again into the privileges of his fellowship on acknowledg- 

 ment of his error, and humble recantation signed with 

 his own hand. Kurt Sprengel has well said that " if 

 the physicians who remained so faithfully attached to 

 Galen's system had inherited his penetrating mind, his 

 observing glance, and his depth, the art of healing would 

 have approached the limit of perfection before all the 



