18 The American Naturalist. [January, 
Ages. The second book treats of diseases, for which no cure 
was known but exorcisms, since diseases were conceived to be 
personal demons. Even so late as three or four hundred years 
B. C., Greek travelers visiting Babylon beheld sick persons 
brought out into the streets, where any passer by could enquire 
as to their malady and suggest a remedy! Even this strange 
plan was not resorted to till all known forms of incantation 
had been gone through and proved vain. The third book 
shows a great advance from this religion of pure terror. 
Beneficent spirits, gods in fact, were appealed to, especially 
Una, the Heaven-god; Ea, the great deity of the Earth and 
Waters; Im, the Storm Wind; Ud, the Sun, and Gibil, Fire. 
Ea, above all, was beloved by the Sumiro-Accadians for his 
goodness and trusted for his wisdom. His very name was a 
terror to evil spirits. But beneficent as he was, Ea was con- 
sidered too great a deity to be lightly invoked, and in his son 
Meridug, they found a spirit whose sole office was to mediate 
between his father and suffering mankind. A whole tablet is 
devoted to a description of one such intercession, where the 
“ Disease of the Head (insanity) has issued from the Abyss, 
from the dwelling of the Lord of the Abyss,” and has attacked 
a human being. Then “Meridug has looked on his misery: 
He has entered the abode of his father, Ea, and has spoken 
unto him: ‘My father, the Disease of the Head has issued 
from the Abyss. What he must do against it the man knows 
not. How shall he find healing?” Ea replies, “ My son, how 
dost thou not know? What should I teach thee? What I- 
know, thou also knowest. But come hither, my son Meridug 
.” Here follow directions for the cure of the sufferer 
that the “ Disease of the Head may vanish like a phantom of 
the night.” 
The conception of conscience was also carried to a high 
degree among the Sumiro-Accadians. With such insistence _ 
and authority did it speak that it was believed to be the voice 
of an indwelling guardian spirit. Some most beautiful — 
prayers took their origin from this belief; they have been — 
called the Penitential Psalms, from their striking likeness to 
those psalms in which King David confesses his iniquities and 
