SCIENCE OF THE ROMAN PERIOD 



an honest one,' and went on to describe me as the first 

 of physicians and the only philosopher, for he had 

 tried many before who were not only lovers of money, 

 but also contentious, ambitious, envious, and malig- 

 nant." 7 



It will be seen from this that Galen had a full appre- 

 ciation of his own abilities as a physician, but inas- 

 much as succeeding generations for a thousand years 

 concurred in the alleged statement made by Marcus 

 Aurelius as to his ability, he is perhaps excusable for 

 his open avowal of his belief in his powers. His faith 

 in his accuracy in diagnosis and prognosis was shown 

 when a colleague once said to him, "I have used the 

 prognostics of Hippocrates as well as you. Why can 

 I not prognosticate as well as you?" To this Galen 

 replied, " By God's help I have never been deceived in 

 my prognosis." 8 It is probable that this statement 

 was made in the heat of argument, and it is hardly to 

 be supposed that he meant it literally. 



His systems of treatment were far in advance of his 

 theories regarding the functions of organs, causes of 

 disease, etc., and some of them are still first principles 

 with physicians. Like Hippocrates, he laid great stress 

 on correct diet, exercise, and reliance upon nature. 

 " Nature is the overseer by whom health is supplied 

 to the sick," he says. "Nature lends her aid on all 

 sides, she decides and cures diseases. No one can be 

 saved unless nature conquers the disease, and no one 

 dies unless nature succumbs." 



From the picture thus drawn of Galen as an anato- 

 mist and physician, one might infer that he should rank 

 very high as a scientific exponent of medicine, even in 



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