12 
PATHOLOGY. 
which arofe foon after the eftablilhment of the Methodic 
fchool: we mean the Ecledic and Pneumatic feds. The 
founder of the latter, Ariftseus of Cilicia, flourilhed as a 
phyfician at Rome about the middle of the firft: century, 
and diftinguilhed himfelf by his oppofition to the-tenets 
of Afclepiades, and his attachment to the Stoical fyftem : 
he extended the theory of pre-exiftent germs; treated the 
dodrine of the pulfe with dialedic fubtlety, referring its 
varieties to the exhalation of the nvBv^a. from the heart 
and arteries ; and cultivated feveral branches of patholo¬ 
gy ; but was more fuccefsful in his dietetic researches, 
particularly with refped to the influence of the atmof- 
phere. 
His pupil Agathinus, endeavouring to reconcile his 
principles with thofe of the Methodic and Empiric feds, 
acquired the name of Epifynthetic or Ecledic; and thus 
eftablilhed the Ecledic fyftem, on which, however, he 
does not appear to have conferred much repute by his 
own labours. That merit was referved for Archigenes 
and Aretasus, who, adopting the leading tenets of the 
Pneumatic theory, gave it a more fcientific form, and 
enriched it by many valuable obfervations. The former 
attempted to reform the language of medicine, but with¬ 
out much effed 5 for even Galen has occafion to complain 
of the obfeurity of his phrafeology ; he was, befides, too 
fond of fubtleties: but many of his practical obfervations, 
which Galen has recorded, are excellent. The merits of 
Aretasus, as a tkilful and attentive obferver, and as an 
elegant deferiber of difeafe, are familiar to every one. 
To Caflius the Iatrofophilt, another Eclectic, we are in¬ 
debted for many valuable pathological remarks concern¬ 
ing the difeafes of afi’oeiation, and the fympathies of the 
nervous fyftem. 
On the fubjed of Aretasus and Archigenes, Dr. 
Huxham has the following note. “ It is pretty furprifing 
that none fliould take notice of Aretasus Cappadox before 
Aetius Amidenus, in the fifth century; (he is indeed 
named in the Euporifta attributed to Diofcorid.es, but 
few think that piece to be the genuine work of that au¬ 
thor.) Neither Galen, Caslius Aurelianus, nor Oribafius, 
mention him; though fo particular in enumerating all 
the phyficians of note, antecedent to, or cotemporary 
with them. And yet Aretteus feems to have been a very 
confiderable practitioner, and a man of great learning 
and judgment: he aft'eds a very Angularftyte, ufing many 
oblolete words, Homeric and Hippocratic phrafes, and 
the Ionic dialed ; which, at the time he wrote in, was 
almoft entirely difufed : for, notwithftanding the conceit 
of Voflius, he undoubtedly did not write till after the 
time of Nero. All this one would think fliould have 
made him remarkable ; efpecially if he praCtifed in or 
near Rome ; which is not improbable, as he advifes 
Roman wines to the lick ; particularly the Falernian, 
Surrentine, Signine, and thofe of Fundi. But Galen 
and Aetius quote from Archigenes feveral paffages, which 
are exadly the fame, as to fenfe, dodrine, method of 
cure, and manner of expreflion, with what we find in 
Aretasus ; only the latter gives them the Ionic turn. 
They both coincide in recommending fome particular 
medicines, which are fcarce to be met with in any others, 
particularly the external ufe of cantharides ; which I 
think is not to be found in any preceding author, except 
Celfus. Did Archigenes then borrow from Aretasus, or 
the latter from the former? It is certain, Archigenes 
pradifed at Rome with a very great reputation, was a 
very celebrated phyfician and author, and as fucli is re¬ 
ferred to by Juvenal, Galen, Caslius, Oribafius, Aetius, 
Sec. He is ftridly criticifed by Galen, fometintes cen- 
fured, fometimes commended, but never reckoned a mere 
compiler. Aretasus, on the contrary, is mentioned by 
none but Aetius and Paulus Avgineta; nay, which is 
not a little to be wondered at, he is not fo much as 
found in Photius’s Bibliotheca. This is really ftrange, 
and not eafily accounted for, and would incline one to 
think that Aretasus borrowed from Archigenes; or ra¬ 
ther tranferibed and new-modelled him, giving him the 
Hippocratic didion and Ionic dialed. Poftibly Aretteus 
might do by Archigenes fomething like what Caslius 
Aureliar., not long after, did by Soranus: but, iffo, he 
hath vaftly much better grascifed Archigenes than Caslius 
hath latinized (as he calls it) Soranus. Upon this fuppo- 
fition, we need not wonder at finding the Roman wines 
recommended in Aretasus, though lie might pradife and 
write in Cappadocia, or any where elfe, at the greateft 
diftance from Rome. Be the matter as it will, in Aretasus 
we have a molt valuable work, a moft accurate defeription 
of difeafes, and in general a very proper and judicious 
method of cure ; and it is greatly to be lamented, that 
the work comes fo maimed to us.” Huxham on Fevers, 
Pref. 
During this period, furgery received confiderable im¬ 
provement; particularly from the labours of Heliodorus 
and of Antyllus. Of the former, who was an eminent 
furgeonat Rome in the time of Trajan, Nicetas has pre- 
ferved feveral pradical obfervations on injuries of the head 
and difeafes of the bones, which evince no mean profi¬ 
ciency in his art. The latter is perhaps (till more deferv- 
ing of notice, as being the firft who gives any account of 
the extradion of the catarad : he recommends this ope¬ 
ration to be performed while the catarad is final!, being 
of opinion, that, when enlarged, it cannot be extraded 
without bringing the humours of the eye along with if. 
His diredions concerning the preparation of plafters and 
ointments, and concerning the choice of veins in phle¬ 
botomy, are very minute. In dangerous cafes of cynunche, 
he advifes bronchotomy ; and in hernia humoralis he ope¬ 
rated by incifion. Philagrius, who lived about the time 
of Valens, appears to have been the firft who attempted 
to extrad a ftone from the bladder by the high operation. 
Aetius has alfo tranfmitted to us an account of the fur- 
gical pradice of one Leonides of Alexandria, whofe ob¬ 
fervations on hernia, fcrofula, and glandular fwellings, 
on hydrocele, and on inflammation of the ferotum, fhow 
confiderable difeernment. In canceroqs affedions of the 
bread, he reforted to amputation, and the adual cautery ; 
in fiftula, his method of operation differed but little from 
that recommended by Pott. 
Having difpatched feveral names of fmaller eminence, 
we now come to the illuftrious Celfus, who lived at Rome, 
as fome think, about the reign of Tiberius. His native 
place is unknown ; and many writers have fuppofed that 
lie was never in pradice. Yet his minute deferiptions of 
many pharmaceutical preparations could hardly have been 
acquired unlefs he had compounded them with his own 
hands; nor could his excellent diredtions in furgery have 
been penned without fome knowledge of the manual 
operations. In many parts of his works, he follows the 
Father of Medicine fo clofely, that he has been called the 
Latin Hippocrates ; though that name is equally appli¬ 
cable to him on account of the purity of his language. 
(See Celsus, vol. iv.) 
In his work on furgery, all the improvements from 
Hippocrates to his own days are colleded ; the moft mi¬ 
nute and trifling difeafes are not omitted. An eminent 
furgeon of the moderns emphatically exhorts every 
perfon in that profeflion “ to keep Celfus in his hands by 
day and by night.” He follows Hippocrates, but with 
much improvement in his chirurgical diredions; efpe¬ 
cially in the mode of trepanning, in applying fplints, 
bandages, Sec. in the manner of extending and fixing 
fradured limbs and likewife in the medical treatment of 
the patient. In luxations of the fhoulder, he mentions 
feveral methods of giving force to the extenfion, and of 
replacing the diflocated bone. One method fimilar to that 
of Hippocrates was, to fufpend the patient by the arm ; 
the fore part of the fhoulder, at the fame time, refting 
upon the tep of a door, or any other fuch firm fulcrum. 
Another method was to lay the patient lupine, fome af- 
fiftants retaining the body in a fixed pofition, and others 
extending the arm in the contrary diredion; the furgeon. 
