115 
quoting the words of Dr. Bostock, who says, " It is gene- 
rally admitted, that though Greece cultivated the arts and 
sciences with so much success, yet, in the first instance, 
she borrowed them from the neighbouring nations; princi- 
pally, as it would appear, from Egypt, and, in some 
cases, from Phoenicia. To certain individuals, who mi- 
grated from these countries, the Greeks themselves were 
in the habit of referring the introduction of many of the 
most useful inventions ; and during a considerable space of 
time, all those who were desirous of acquiring a larger share 
of knowledge, either theoretical or practical, than was 
possessed by their countrymen, visited Egypt, as the 
great storehouse of science and learning;*" " so that in 
medicine, in the Orus and Thoth of the Egyptians, we 
may recognise the prototypes of the Apollo and Hermes of 
the Greeks. 1 * 
Thales and Pythagoras are the Grecian philosophers 
who first visited Egypt. The latter, indeed, is described 
from his thirst for information to have travelled for a period 
of twenty-two years in Egypt, probably also Chaldaea, 
and some parts of Eastern Asia. Democritus is stated 
to have expended his patrimony in travelling, and to 
have been attached to medicine, as well as to other sciences. 
It is said, he visited Egypt, Persia, Babylonia, and India, 
where, according to Le Clerc, he had " des entretiens avec 
les philosophes, les geometres, les medecins, les sacri- 
ficateurs, les magiciens, et les gymno-sophistes." (Hist, 
de Med. p. 97). He is further described as having written 
on the nature of man ; on pestilential diseases ; on pro- 
gnostics ; on diet ; on the causes of disease ; on seeds, 
trees, fruits, and animals; and is mentioned by Pliny as 
also writing on the magical properties of plants ; but 
among these, is an account of the " herbaih a?schynomonen, 
quoniam approprinquante manu folia contrahunt.'" This 
