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

-GALENUS. GALEN US.'213
for an account' of Galen's views on anatomy and eorL Ti'T/sresdv, Utrum s Medicisae sit, vel Gymphysiology. aastices Hypieine (vol. v.). 28. De Attenuante
Galen's familiarity with practical anatomy is at- Victus Ratione (vol. vi. ed. Chart.). 29.'TyieIvd,
tested by numerous passages in his writings. In De Sanitate Tuenda (vol. vi.). One of Galen's best
the examination, for instance, of the blood-vessels works. 30. IIepl Tpoeipcv Avauylzws, De Alinzentof the liver, he directs you to insert a probe into orumn Facultatibus (vol. vi.). 31. flepl E'Xvttia'
the vena portae, and from thence into any of its Kac KaKoXvudas Tpoqspci, De Probis et Pravis Aliseveral larger ramifications; then gently advancing mentorum Succis (vol. vi.). 32. nspI IITLrdav'rs,
the probe further and further, to dissect down to De Ptisana (vol. vi.) 33. Ilep! Toi aL&a MLKpis
it. And thus, he says,. you may trace the minu- Zpaipas rvuvaaoLov, De Parvae Pilae Exercitio
test branches; removing with the knife the inter- (vol. v.).. 34. De Dissolutione Continua, sire De
mediate substance, called by Erasistratus the par- Alimentorum Facultatibus(vol. vi. ed. Chart.)
enchyma (De Anatomz. Administr. vi. 11, vol. ii. In Galen's directions respecting both food and
p. 575). Again, he notices what every one has the means of preserving health,-we find many which
often experienced in dissection, the occasional con- are erroneous, and many others which, from' the
venience of dividing the cellular membrane, either difference of climate and manners, are totally inapby the finger or the handle of the scalpel (ibid. plicable to us; but, if allowance be made for these
p. 476.): and in describing the use of the blow- points, most of the rest of his observations will propipe and various other instruments and contri- bably be admitted to be very judicious and useful.
vances employed in anatomical examinations, he Like the rest of the ancient medical writers, and
continually introduces you, as it were, into the in accordance with the habits of his countrymen,
dissecting room itself (ibid. p.476, 668, 716). As he lays great stress on different species of gyman instance of the boldness and extent of his ex- nastic exercises, and especially eulogizes hunting, as
perimental anatomy,. it may be mentioned, that, being an excellent exercise' to the body, and an
after observing that although a ligature on the agreeable recreation to the mind. (Deo ParvaPila,
inguinal or axillary artery causes the pulse to cease vol. v. c. 1, p. 900.) He particularly recommends
in the leg or in the arm, yet the experiment is not the cold bath to persons in the prime of life, and'seriously injurious to the animal on which it is during the summer season. With respect to the
made, he adds that even the carotid arteries may regimen of old persons, he says, that as old age is
be tied with impunity. (De Usu Puls. c. 1. vol. v. cold and dry, it is to be corrected -by diluents and
p,. 150.) And the habitual' accuracy of his ob- calefacients, such as hot baths of sweet waters,
servation is evinced when he corrects the error of drinking wine, and taking such food as is moistenthose experimentalists, who, omitting to separate ing and calefacient. He strenuously defends the
the contiguous nerves in tying the carotids, sup- practice of allowing old persons to take wine, and
posed that the consequent loss of voice depended gives a circumstantial account of the Greek and
on the compression of those arteries, and not on Roman wines bestfadapted to them. He also apthat of the accompanying nerves. (De Hippocr. et proves of their taking three meals in the day
Plat. Decr. ii. 6. vol. v. p. 266; Dr. Kidd's Cur- (while to other persons he allows only'two), and
sory Analysis, ic.). recommends the bath to be used' before dinner,
The question has often been discussed, whether which should consist of sea-fish.
Galen derived his anatomical knowledge from dis- Of all kinds of animal food pork was almost uink
secting a human body, or that of some other ani- versally esteemed by the ancients as the best; and
mal. The writer is not aware of any passage in Galen speaks of it in terms of the strongest approhis writings in which it is distinctly stated that bation. He says that the athletes, if for one day.he dissected human bodies; while the numerous presented with the same bulk of any, other article
passages in which he recommends the dissection of of food, immediately experienced a diminution of
apes, bears, goats, and other animals, would seem strength; and that, if the change of diet was perindirectly to prove that human bodies were seldom sisted in for several days, they fell off in flesh. (Do
or never used for that purpose. (See particularly Aliment. Facult. iii. 2. vol. vi. p. 661.)
De Anat, Administr. iii. 5. vol. ii. 384; De Muse. Many other curious extracts from Galen's works
Dissect. c. 1. vol. xviii. pt. ii p. 930. See also on this subject may be found in Mr. Adams's Comi
Rufus Ephes. De Corp. Hum. Part.'Appellat. i. p. mentary on the first book of Paulus Aegineta, from
33; Theophilus, De Corp. Hum. Fabr. v. 11. which the preceding remarks have been abridged.
~ 20.)'In one passage, however, he mentions, as
something extraordinary, that those physicians who V. WORKS ON PAaTOLOGY.
attended the emperor M. Aurelius in his wars
against the Germans had an opportunity of dissect- 35. Ilepl'Av~wsdAou AvrKpacrUas, De Iaaequali
ing the bodies of the barbarians'(De Conpos. Intemperie (vol. vii.). 36. IIepl- vearvoftas,'De
fiedicam. sec. Gen. iii. 2. vol. viii. p. 604.) Di~cili Respiratione (vol. vii.). 37. rep) IIA4Oous,
On Galen's opinions respecting the nervous sys- De Plenitudine (vol. vii.). 38. IIepi's rapd
tem there is a very complete and interesting thesis 4c'orIP jOyscc'wv, De Tumoribus praeter Naturam'by C. V. Daremberg, Paris, 1841, 4to., entitled (vol. vii.). 39. elpl Tpdeov, Kal IIaAeoe, calwraa —
"Exposition des Connaissances de Galien, sur ijov, Kca?'Plyovs, De Tremore, Palpitatione, Conl"Anatomie, la Physiologie, et la Pathologie du vulsione, et Rigore (vol. vii.). 40. rlepi rC "OAoO
Systome Nerveux."' fre NooiaTros Kaipv, De Tbtius Morbi Tempor-.IV. WORS ON DIETETICS AND'YGIENE. ibus (vol. vii.); of doubtful genuineness.
IV. W S o DT CS D. Much pathological matter may be found in vai
25.: nIEpl'ApgOT`?h -Ka'aaewuvs TroO Zo.uaaTos rious other parts of Galen's writings, and perhaps
sIUch, De Optima Corporis nostri Constitutione some of the treatises noticed under the following
vol. iv.). 26. flep' EJetias, De Bono Habitu headmight with equal propriety have been classed
(vol. iv.). 27.:Ilorepov'Iapucsjr, il rvwaoTuLcts under the present.
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