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Section III. 



The Hereditary Physicians of the Septs or Clans.— 



Rise of a Medical Profession in Europe, 



Introduction of Continental Methods. 



The Irish chieftains always possessed, even during the early- 

 Christian or monastic period, their own hereditary physicians, 

 for whose maintenance they allotted large tracts of land. The 

 territory so allotted was regarded as sacred, both in times of 

 peace and war. We are not told, but surmise, that portion of 

 the land was devoted to the cultivation of medicinal herbs. 



The medical works of the period under review are for the 

 most part translations from the Latin of Avicenna — the 

 aphorisms of Hippocrates, Galen, Razes and other fathers of 

 the healing art. Some of the names of these hereditary 

 physicians have been transmitted through their works. 



The O'Cassidys were physicians to the Maguires of Fer- 

 managh for fully two centuries 1320-1504. A tract entitled 

 " Nature and Cure of the different diseases incident to the 

 human frame " was written by Thomas O'Cassidy, one of the 

 hereditary practitioners. Another work in the fifteenth 

 century was written by O'Lee in Latin and Irish. The O'Lees 

 were physicians to the O'Flahertys of West Connaught. 

 Murrough O'Lee was looked upon as a magician, and was 

 supposed to have received all his knowledge from the genii of 

 the enchanted island of Hy-Brassil. 



The O'Hickeys were physicians to the O'Briens of Thomond 

 and other heads of septs. They possessed a copy of " The 

 Lily of Medicine." The " Lily of Medicine " was the work of 

 Bernardus De Gordon, professor of the Montpelier School, who 

 died in the year 1305. 



Nicholas O'Hickey, a member of the same family, translated 

 " The Rosa Anglica," a manual of medicine celebrated in its 

 time. This was written by Gaddesden, who flourished in 1305, 

 and O'Hickey's translation into Irish was made in 1400. 



The O'Callaghans of Cork were hereditary physicians to the 

 McCarthys of Carbery ; the O'Nellans and O'Quinns were also 

 noted practitioners. 



