56 



for the Irish in those alien countries. The terms hospitium, 

 domus hospitalis, and Xenodochium applied in the early 

 periods to such refuges or hospices for the numerous pilgrims 

 of that time. The first hospitals, in the modern sense of the 

 word, existed in the monasteries under the name of infirmi- 

 toria. Within the clausura was an infirmary for members of 

 the community, and outside an infirmary for the ordinary 

 individual. Just as medical science found a refuge in the 

 monasteries, so in their infirmitoria were housed the sick 

 and infirm. 



Another source of information concerning the early Irish 

 Liagh, or leech, is the Seanchus Mor, or great code of Brehon 

 Laws. These laws operated in early pagan times, but were 

 modified in the fifth century when Christianity was intro- 

 duced. They contain regulations to protect the people from 

 unlawful practitioners and malpraxes. We read of : — 



Uoi^eA-ooif, feAi-6 — probe. 



■puiLiugA'6 — bloodletting. 



■popup UuAite — territory house or hospital. 



The hospital was built over a running stream, and was 

 protected from fools, dogs, and women scolds. 



From the quotation below it will be seen that medical know- 

 ledge was possessed by women at an early period, and we 

 must assume that such knowledge was gained in the monastic 

 schools. 



" In the time of Alfred, King of the West Saxons, 

 Anno 872, as Fabian and Cooper have noted, there was a 

 grievous malady reigning among the people called the evil 

 ficus, which also took the king, so that, say mine authors, 

 an Irish maid came out of Ireland called Modwen, whose 

 monastery in time of rebellion was destroyed, and cured 

 the king." — Hanmer's Chronicles. 



Some would have us believe that the part played by the 

 monks in the progress of medicine was insignificant. "This 

 much is true, however, that as teaching centres the monas- 

 teries were active ; they provided homes for students and 

 afforded a safe repository for manuscripts. Bearing in mind 

 the numerous edicts issued from time to time forbidding the 

 practice of medicine or surgery by ecclesiastics, we should 



