PROGRESS IN ANATOMY 



works which have survived, as the direct 

 vehicles of the ancient heritage; and such, 

 above all, are the works of the Hippocratics, 

 of Aristotle and of Galen. Hence we pass by 

 many men, brave and good, with but slight 

 mention. Our present task is to trace the 

 currents of medicine and its supporting sciences 

 through the later Greek and best Roman 

 periods till they are gathered up into the en- 

 cyclopaedic system of Galen in the latter part 

 of the second century after Christ."' 



In the third century before Christ, Alex- 

 andria presented such facilities and incentives 

 for study and investigation as had never be- 

 fore been brought together. The first Ptolemies 

 formed a great library covering all subjects 

 of study, and established zoological parks and 

 botanical gardens. Their munificence enabled 

 scholars and men of science to pursue their 

 studies; and mathematics, astronomy and 

 physics flourished, as well as history, philology, 

 and poetry. There were hospitals for the treat- 

 ment and observation of diseases, and for per- 

 haps a century human bodies were methodi- 

 cally dissected. Possibly the Egyptian custom 

 of opening the body for embalming had dis- 

 pelled the Greek aversion to mutilation of the 



[85] 



