HISTORY OF MEDICINE. 379 



much reasoning, but, at the same time, it does not absolutely re- 

 ject this. Men are forward in reasoning, and while they are un- 

 cultivated by philosophy, they have few doubts, and are never 

 professedly sceptical ; but at the period we are now to mention, 

 a more formal empiricism arose, and a sect of men appeared 

 who opposed the dogmatists we have been speaking of, and pro- 

 fessedly rejected all reasoning in physic ; they even declared 

 against all means of improving it as a science, and therefore 

 against the study of anatomy. Who was properly the first au- 

 thor of this sect, is disputed among historians. Many impute it 

 to Philinus of Cos, a disciple of Herophilus ; and it is very pro- 

 bable that the pursuit of efficacious remedies, in which we have 

 said Herophilus was engaged, might determine Philinus to fol- 

 low the same plan, which in all ages has degenerated into pure 

 empiricism ; but it is not probable that any disciple of Hero- 

 philus should entertain that hatred of anatomy which was so 

 remarkable among the empirics. We must seek, therefore, for 

 some other source of empiricism besides the school of Hero- 

 philus, and the following account of it is to me very probable : 

 Herophilus practised his dissections of the human body at 

 Alexandria, under the protection of the first Ptolemy s who go- 

 verned Egypt. But it is well known that the Egyptians had 

 the utmost aversion and horror at the touching of a dead body ; 

 and they must have conceived the same with regard to the 

 Greek physicians, who laid the foundation of their study in 

 anatomy. It was therefore an obvious piece of policy in Sera- 

 pion, a physician, and probably a native of Alexandria, to raise 

 himself in the favour of his countrymen by declaring against 

 anatomy ; and, at the same time, it was unavoidable that he 

 should declare against dogmatism, from which anatomy is inse- 

 parable. For avoiding both, Serapion found many specious 

 pretences ; and he is commonly held to be founder of the empiric 

 sect, which, immediately after his time, spread over Greece, and 

 continued for a long time in some credit. Serapion did not at 

 once give the system its finished form : that was reserved to 

 Glaucias, who finished it by establishing what was called the 

 Tripod of Medicine, that is, laying the foundation of the whole 

 in these three particulars Observation, History, and Analogy. 

 It is not our business here to explain more particularly this em- 



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