55 



Section IT. 



Early Christian or Monastic Period. 



The spirit of monasticism is the dominant feature charac- 

 terising the early Christian period in Ireland. It was in the 

 fifth century that St. Patrick introduced the Christian religion. 

 Paganism had disappeared in the seventh century. Under 

 monastic influence there grew up a number of schools. 

 Students, attracted by the fame of the Irish schools attached 

 to these monastic institutions, came from all parts. 



Medicine was taught and practised by the monks in these 

 schools. One has only to glance through the numerous 

 manuscripts now to be found in the great libraries of Britain 

 and the Continent to see that the monks were diligent students 

 of medicine. 



Prom the schools of the West, such as Clonmacnois, Lismore, 

 Glendalough, the torch of civilization was brought forth to 

 the barbarous populations in Britain and on the Continent. 

 This might well be called the sacerdotal stage of medicine in 

 Europe, for a somewhat similar condition existed in all the 

 countries now being civilized by the monks of the West. 

 The only country, however, which can bear as high repute 

 as Ireland is southern Italy, the old Magna Graecia. The 

 famous medical school of Salerno flourished from the eighth 

 to the thirteenth century. Its work, including that of its 

 women professors, is well known. 



It is very difficult to get authentic and specific information 

 concerning the practice and methods of these sacerdotal 

 practitioners, but it is beyond doubt that the monks exercised 

 the calling of physicians and surgeons. 



Nobody denies that the nursing of the sick, especially during 

 epidemics, was well organised by the early Christian com- 

 munities. We have ample evidence to prove that hospitals 

 and leper houses were established in Ireland at a very early 

 period in connection with the monastic institutions. 



On the continent there were established in the sixth century 

 by the Irish monks institutions known as hospitalia scothorum. 

 We read later an order by the Council of Meaux, A.D. 845, 

 for the restoration of these institutions, which had fallen into 

 decay. Perhaps these hospitalia scothorum were only a refuge 



