HISTORY QF MEDICINE. 383 



He maintained that it was enough to refer any particular dis- 

 ease to one or other of these three heads, in order to form the 

 proper indications of cure. This easy plan was, by way of 

 eminence, called the Method, and the persons who followed it 

 the Methodics. As this method derived reputation from As- 

 clepiades, and was in itself so simple and easy, it was generally 

 received at Rome ; and the physicians of this sect continued there 

 in fashion, and in the highest favour, for some time after. But 

 Rome was a great and populous city, which supported a great 

 number of physicians, and there was a conflux to it of these 

 from every part of Greece. There were, accordingly, physi- 

 cians of every sect there, methodics, empirics, and a great va- 

 riety of dogmatists, so that physic was in a very divided state, 

 when Galen came there about the middle of the second century 

 after Christ. 



Upon this occasion it is proper to take notice of the elegant 

 Celsus, who lived at this period, and was the only native of 

 Rome who ever became distinguished in the line of physic. 

 Though perhaps not strictly of the profession, he was undoubt- 

 edly often engaged in practice ; and in his writings we have 

 many proofs of his discernment and good judgment. He was 

 not attached to a particular school, or imbued with the preju- 

 dices of a sect. He had indeed more general views than those 

 of any sect ; but it was hardly possible for him to disengage 

 himself from the prejudices of his age and country. He, there- 

 fore, in the main, follows the practice of Asclepiades, and of 

 the Methodici ; but we can at the same time perceive, that he 

 was well acquainted with Hippocrates and the other noted phy- 

 sicians of Greece ; and frequently, guided by them and his own 

 good judgment, he gets beyond the narrowness of any sect, 

 and is as much an eclectic as human nature commonly allows of. 

 In his works, we find a great deal more relating to the materia 

 medica than in those of any former author, many medicines 

 being enumerated by him, and a judgment given with respect 

 to them. Unfortunately, however, we are under such uncer- 

 tainty with regard to- his nomenclature, that we cannot always 

 be determined in our judgment respecting the propriety of his 

 doctrines. He is particularly full in his account of alimentary 

 substances ; so that it is with respect to these we can best judge 



