WOMEN IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY 269 



of Hierophilos, the most learned physician of the time; 

 and, having learnt the art, she found out a woman that had 

 long languished under private diseases, and made proffer 

 of her service to cure her, which the sick person refused, 

 thinking her to be a man ; but, when Agnodice discovered 

 that she was a maid, the woman committed herself into her 

 hands, who cured her perfectly ; and after her many others, 

 with the like skill and industry, so that in a short time she 

 became the successful and beloved physician of the whole 

 sex." 



When it became known that Agnodice was a woman ' ' she 

 was like to be condemned to death for transgressing the 

 law which, coming to the ears of the noble women, they 

 ran before the Areopagites, and, the house being encom- 

 passed by most women of the city, the ladies entered before 

 the judges and told them they would no longer account 

 them for husbands and friends, but for cruel enemies, that 

 condemned her to death who restored to them their health, 

 protesting they would all die with her if she were put to 

 death. This caused the magistrates to disannul the law 

 and make another, which gave gentlewomen leave to study 

 and practice all parts of physick to their own sex, giving 

 large stipends to those that did it well and carefully. And 

 there were many noble women who studied that practice 

 and taught it publicly in their schools as long as Athens 

 flourished in learning." 1 



After the time of Agnodice many Greek women won dis- 

 tinction in medicine, some as practitioners in the healing 

 art, others as writers on medical subjects. Nor were their 

 activities confined to the land of Hellas. They were also 

 found succoring the infirm and instructing the poor and 

 ignorant in Italy, Egypt and Asia Minor. Among these 

 was Theano, the wife of Pythagoras, who, after her hus- 

 band's death, assumed charge of his school of philosophy, 



i Quoted in Medical Women, p. 11, by Sophia Jex- Blake, M. D., 

 Edinburgh, 1886. Cf. Hyginus, Fdbularum Liber, No. 274. 



