Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

MEDICUS. iMEDICUS. 7 47
either by Agathinus of Sparta, or his pupil Archi- character and conduct of their pupils, and the
genes. famous Hippocratic oath (which, if not drawn up
It only remains to mention the principal medical by Hippocrates himself, is certainly almost as
authors after Hippocrates whose works are still ancient) requires to be inserted here as being the
extant, referring for more particulars respecting most curious medical monument of antiquity. "' I:
their writings to the articles in the Dictionary of' swear by Apollo the physician, by Aesculapius,
Biogroalqy. Celsus is supposed to have lived in the by Hygeia, and Panac.eia, and all the gods and
Augustanl age, and deserves to be mentioned more goddesses, calling them to witness that I will fulfil
for the elegance of his style, and the neatness and religiously, according to the best of my power anl
judiciousness of his compilation, than for any judgment, the solemn promise and the written
original contributions to the science of Medicine. bond which I now do make. I will honour as
I)ios.o eides of Anazarba, who lived in the first my parents, the master who has taught me this
centuly after Christ, was for many centuries the art, and endeavour to minister to all his necesgre;ltest authority in Materia Medica, and was sities. I will consider his children as my own broalmost as much esteemed as Galen in Medicine thers, and will teach them my profession, should
-and Phisiology, or Aristotle in Philosophy. Are- they express a desire to follow it, without retaeus, who probably lived in the time of Nero, is msuneration or written bond. I will admit to
an interesting and striking writer, both from the my lessons, my discourses, and all my other
beauty of his language, and from the originality of methods of teaching, my own sons, and those of
his olpinions. The next in chronological order, and my tutor, and those who have been inscribed as
perhaps the most valuable, as he is certainly the pupils and have taken the medical oath; but no
inost voluminous, of all the medical writers of anti- one else. I will prescribe such a course of regimeln
quity, is Galen, who reigned supreme in all mat- as may be best suited to the condition of n11
ters relating to his art till the commencement of patients, according to the best of my power and
modern times. He was born at Pergamus A. D. judgment, seeking to preserve them from any131, came early in life to Rome, where hlie lived in thing that might prove injurious. No inducegreat honour, and passed great part of his clays, ment shall ever lead me to administer poison, nor
and died A. D. 201. After him the only writers will I ever be the author of such advice: neither
deserving particular notice are Oribasius of Per- will I contribute to an abortion. I will maintain
ganmus, physician to the emperor Julian in the religiously the purity and integrity both of my
fourth century after Christ; Altins of Amnida, conduct and of my art. I will not cut any one
who lived probably in the sixth century; Alex- for the stone, but will leave that operation to
ander Trallianus, who lived something later; and those who cultivate it. Into whatever dwellings I
P'aulus Aegineta who belongs to the end of the may go, I will enter them with the sole view of
seventh. [W. A. G.] succouring the sick, abstaining from all injurious
ME'DICUS (la'vpds), the name given by the views and corruption, especially from any inmniodest
ancients to every professor of the healing art, action, towards women or men, freemen or slaves.
whether physician or surgeon, and accordingly both If during my attendance, or even unprofessionally
divisions of the medical profession will here be in common life, I happen to see or hear of any
included under that term. In Greece and Asia circumstances which should not be revealed, I will
Minor physicians seem to have been held in high consider them a profound secret, and observe oil
esteem; for, not to mention the apotheosis of the subject a religious silence. May I, if I
Aesculapius, who was considered as the father of rigidly observe this my oath, and do not break it:,
it, there was a law at Athens that no female or enjoy good success in life, and in [the practice of]
sl(te should practise it (Hyginus, Feb. 274); my art, and obtain general esteem for ever; should
Aelian mentions one of the laws of Zaleucus I transgress and become a perjurer, may the reverse
amlong the Epizephyrian Locrians, by which it was be my lot."
ordered that if any one during his illness should Some idea of the income of a physician in those
drink wine contrary to the orders of his physician, times may be formed from the fact mentioned by
even if he sllould recover, he should be put to Herodotus (iii. 131) that the Aeginetans (about
deathl for his disobedience (Var. list. ii. 37); the year B. c. 532) paid Democedes from the,
and, according to Mead, there are extant several public treasury one talent per annum for his seem1edsals struck by the people of Smyrna in honour vices, i. e. (if we reckon, with Hussey, Ancient
dof filferent persons belonging to the medical pro- Weigldts aned Money, &c., the Aeginetan drachmsa
fession. (Disseriatio de Almnm7zis quibusdamn a to be worth Is. 3{-1.) not quite 3441.; he afterSnroyrtaeis ian Mfcldicoruz L lIonooremut percutssis, 4to. wards received from the Athenians one hundred
Lond. 17'24.) If the decree of the Athenians minae, i. e. (reckoning, with Hussey, the Attic
(published among the letters of Hippocrates) be drachma to be worth 9dc.) rather more than 406!.,
eenotine, and if Soranus (in 1Vita I:ipplocr.) can be and he was finally attracted to Samos by being
depended on, thile same hlonours were conferred offered by Polycrates a salary of two talents, i. e.
upon that physician as had before been given to (if the Attic standard be meant) 4871. 10s. It
Hercules; he was voted a golden crown, publicly should however be added, that Valckenaer doubts
initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries, alld main- the accuracy of this statement of Herodotus with
tained in the Prytaneum at the state's expense. respect to the Aeginetans and Athenians (and ap(Compare Plin. II. N. vii. 37.) parently with reason) on the ground that the latter
As there were no hospitals among the ancients, people, at the time of their greatest wealth, only
the chief places of study for medical pupils were allowed their ambassadors two drachmae (or
the'AOr-cAr-pr1e, or temples of Aesculapius, where Is. 7jd.) per day, i.e. somewhat less than thirty
the votive tablets furnished them with a collection pounds per annum. (Aristoph. Achean. v. 66.) A
of cases. The Asclepiadae [MEDIcINA] were physician, called by Pliny both Erasistratuis (II. N.
very strict in examining into and overlooking the xxix. 3) and Cleombrotus (H. N. vii. 37), is said