A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

2M10 ~ GALENUS. GALENUS.
" P'kys. Auscult." iv. 3. p.167. ed. Ald.), " Medi- basis of all medical reasoning. In this fundamental
corum dissertissimus atque doctissimus," (S. Hieron. point, therefore, the method pursued: by Galen apComment. in Aoms, c. 5. vol. vi. p. 283), and -even pears to have been directly the reverse of -that
besdaTros. (Alex. Trail. De lied. v. 4. p. 77. ed. which we now consider as the correct method of
Lutet. Par.) scientific investigation; and yet, such is the force
of natural genius, that in most instances he atII. GENERAL HISTORY OF GALEN'SWRaITINGS, tained the ultimate object in view, although by an
COIMMENTATOLRS, BIBLIOGRAPHY, &c. indirect path. He was an admirer of Hippocrates,
and always speaks of him with the most profound
The works that are still extant under the name respect, professing to act upon his principles, and
of Galen, as enumerated by Choulant, in the second to do little more than to expound his doctrines, and
edition of his Handbuck der Biiclerkunde fiir die support them by new facts and observations. Yet,
Aeltere Medicin, consist of eighty-three treatises ac- in reality, we have few writers whose works, both
knowledged to be genuine; nineteen whose genu- as to substance and manner, are more different from
ineness has, with more or less reason. been doubted; each other than those of Hippocrates and Galen,
forty-five undoubtedly spurious; nineteen frag- the simplicity of the former being strongly conments; and fifteen commentaries on different works trasted with the abstrusenessand refinement of the
of Hippocrates: and more than fifty short pieces latter." (Hist. of Med.)
and fragments (many or most of which are pro- After Galen's time we hear but little of the old
bably spurious) are enumerated as still lying un- medical sects, which in fact seem to have been all
published in different European libraries. (Acker- merged in his followers and imitators. To the
mann, Histor. Liter. pp. clxxxvi. &c.) Almost all compilers among the Greeks and Romans of large
these treat of some branch of medical science, and medical works, like Aetius and Oribasius, his
many of them were composed at the request of his writings formed the basis of their labours; while,
friends, and without any view to publication. Be- as soon as they had been translated into Arabic,
sides these, however, Galen wrote a great number in the ninth century after Christ, chiefly by Hoof works, of which nothing but the titles have nain Ben Ishak, they were at once adopted throughbeen preserved; so that altogether the number out the East as the standard of medical perfection.
of his distinct treatises- cannot have been less than It was probably in a great measure from the influfive hundred. Some of these are very short, and ence exercised even in Europe by the Arabic mehe frequently repeats whole passages, with hardly dical writers during the middle ages that Galen's
any variation, in different works; but still, when popularity was derived; for, though his opinions
the number of his writings is considered, their in- were universally adopted, yet his writings appear
trinsic excellence, and the' variety of the subjects to have been but little read, when compared with
of which he treated (extending not only to every those of Avicenna and Mesue. Of the value of
branch of medical science, but also to ethics, logic, what was done by the Arabic writers towards the
grammar, and other departments of philosophy), explanation and illustration of Galen's works, it is
he has always been justly ranked among the impossible to judge; as, though numerous transgreatest authors that have ever lived. (See Cardan, lations, commentaries, and- abridgements are still
De Subtil. lib. xvi. p. 597, ed. 1554. His style extant in different European libraries, none of
is elegant, but diffuse and prolix, and he abounds them have ever been published. If, however, a
in allusions and quotations from the ancient Greek new and critical edition of Galen's works should
poets, philosophers, and historians. ever be undertaken, these ought certainly to be
At the time- when Galen began to devote examined, and would probably be found to be of
himself to -the study of medicine, the profession much value; especially as some of his writings (as
was divided into several sects, which- were con- is specified below), of which the Greek text is lost,
stantly disputing with each other. The Dogmatici are still extant in an Arabic translation. Of the
and Empirici had for several -centuries -been op- immense number of European writers who have
posed to each other; in the first century B. C. had employed themselves in editing, translating, or ilarisen the sect of the Methodici; and -shortly lustrating Galen's works, a complete list, up to
before Galen's own time had been founded those of about the middle of the sixteenth century, was
the Eclectici, Pneumatici, and Episynthetici. Ga- made by Conrad Gesner, and prefixed to the
len himself, "nullius addictus jurare in verba ma- edition of Basil. 1561, fol.: of those enumerated
gistri," attached himself exclusively to none of by him, and of those who have lived since, perhaps
these sects, but chose from the tenets of each what the following may be most deserving of mention:
-he believed to be good and true, and called those - Jo. Bapt. Opizo, Andr. Lacuna, Ant. Musa
persons slaves who designated themselves as fol- Brassavolus, Aug.- Gadaldinus, Conr. Gesner, Hier.
lowers of Hippocrates, Praxagoras, or any other Gemusaeus,Jac. Sylvius,JanusCornarius, Nic. Rheman. (De Lib'r. P-ropr. c. 1. vol. xiv. p. 13.) How- ginus, Jo. Bapt. Montanus, John Caius, Jo. Guinever, "in his general principles," says Dr. Bostock, terius (Andernacus), Thomas Linacre, Theod. Goul" he may be considered as belonging to the Dog- ston, Casp. Hofmann, Ren. Chartier, Alb. Haller,
matic sect, for his method was to reduce all his and C. G. Kiihn. Galen's works were first published
knowledge, as acquired by the observation of facts, in a Latin translation, Venet. 1490, fol. 2 vols. ap.
to general theoretical principles. - These principles Philipp. Pintium de Caneto; it is printed in black
he indeed -professed to deduce from experience and letter, and is said to be scarce. The next- Latin
observation, and we have abundant proofs of his edition that deserves to be noticed is that -pub-diligence in collecting experience, and his accuracy lished by the Juntas, Venet. 1541, fol., which was
in making observations; but still, in a certain reprinted, with additions and improvements, eight
sense at least, he regards individual facts and the (or nine) times within one hundred years. Of
detail of experience as of little value, unconnected these editions, the most valuable are said to be
with' the principles which he laid down as the those of the years 1586 (or 1597), 1600, 1609,