按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
of the Imperial Library at Vienna。＇9＇ From those early centuries till the fall
of Constantinople there is very little of interest medically。 A few names
stand out prominently； but it is mainly a blank period in our records。
Perhaps one man may be mentioned； as he had a great influence on later
agesActuarius； who lived about 1300； and whose book on the urine laid
the foundation of much of the popular uroscopy and water…casting that had
such a vogue in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries。 His work on the
subject passed through a dozen Latin editions； but is best studied in
Ideler's 〃Physici et medici Graeci minores〃 （Berlin； 1841）。
＇9＇ It has been reproduced by Seatone de Vries； Leyden； 1905； Codices
graeci et latini photographice depicti； Vol。 X。
The Byzantine stream of Greek medicine had dwindled to a very tiny
rill when the fall of Constantinople （1453） dispersed to the West many
76
… Page 77…
THE EVOLUTION OF MODERN MEDICINE
Greek scholars and many precious manuscripts。
ARABIAN MEDICINE
THE third and by far the strongest branch of the Greek river reached
the West after a remarkable and meandering course。 The map before you
shows the distribution of the Graeco…Roman Christian world at the
beginning of the seventh century。 You will notice that Christianity had
extended far eastwards； almost to China。 Most of those eastern Christians
were Nestorians and one of their important centres was Edessa； whose
school of learning became so celebrated。 Here in the fifth century was
built one of the most celebrated hospitals of antiquity。
Now look at another map showing the same countries about a century
later。 No such phenomenal change ever was made within so short space of
time as that which thus altered the map of Asia and Europe at this period。
Within a century； the Crescent had swept from Arabia through the Eastern
Empire； over Egypt； North Africa and over Spain in the West； and the fate
of Western Europe hung in the balance before the gates of Tours in 732。
This time the barbaric horde that laid waste a large part of Christendom
were a people that became deeply appreciative of all that was best in
Graeco…Roman civilization and of nothing more than of its sciences。 The
cultivation of medicine was encouraged by the Arabs in a very special way。
Anyone wishing to follow the history of the medical profession among
this remarkable people will find it admirably presented in Lucien Leclerc's
〃Histoire de la medecine arabe〃 （Paris； 1876）。 An excellent account is also
given in Freind's well…known 〃History of Medicine〃 （London； 1725…1726）。
Here I can only indicate very briefly the course of the stream and its
freightage。
With the rise of Christianity； Alexandria became a centre of bitter
theological and political factions； the story of which haunts the memory of
anyone who was so fortunate as to read in his youth Kingsley's 〃Hypatia。〃
These centuries； with their potent influence of neoplatonism on
Christianity； appear to have been sterile enough in medicine。 I have
already referred to the late Greeks； Aetius and Alexander of Tralles。 The
last of the Alexandrians was a remarkable man； Paul of AEgina； a great
77
… Page 78…
THE EVOLUTION OF MODERN MEDICINE
name in medicine and in surgery； who lived in the early part of the seventh
century。 He also； like Oribasius； was a great compiler。 In the year 640； the
Arabs took Alexandria； and for the third time a great library was destroyed
in the 〃first city of the West。〃 Shortly after the conquest of Egypt； Greek
works were translated into Arabic； often through the medium of Syriac；
particularly certain of Galen's books on medicine； and chemical writings；
which appear to have laid the foundation of Arabian knowledge on this
subject。
Through Alexandria then was one source： but the special development
of the Greek science and of medicine took place in the ninth century under
the Eastern Caliphates。 Let me quote here a couple of sentences from
Leclerc （Tome I； pp。 91…92）：
〃The world has but once witnessed so marvellous a spectacle as that
presented by the Arabs in the ninth century。 This pastoral people； whose
fanaticism had suddenly made them masters of half of the world； having
once founded their empire； immediately set themselves to acquire that
knowledge of the sciences which alone was lacking to their greatness。 Of
all the invaders who competed for the last remains of the Roman Empire
they alone pursued such studies； while the Germanic hordes； glorying in
their brutality and ignorance； took a thousand years to re…unite the broken
chain of tradition； the Arabs accomplished this in less than a century。 They
provoked the competition of the conquered Christians a healthy
competition which secured the harmony of the races。
〃At the end of the eighth century； their whole scientific possessions
consisted of a translation of one medical treatise and some books on
alchemy。 Before the ninth century had run to its close； the Arabs were in
possession of all the science of the Greeks； they had produced from their
own ranks students of the first order； and had raised among their initiators
men who； without them； would have been groping in the dark； and they
showed from this time an aptitude for the exact sciences； which was
lacking in their instructors； whom they henceforward surpassed。〃
It was chiefly through the Nestorians that the Arabs became
acquainted with Greek medicine； and there were two famous families of
translators； the Bakhtishuas and the Mesues； both Syrians； and probably
78
… Page 79…
THE EVOLUTION OF MODERN MEDICINE
not very thoroughly versed in either Greek or Arabic。 But the prince of
translators； one of the finest figures of the century； was Honein； a
Christian Arab； born in 809； whose name was Latinized as Joannitius。
〃The marvellous extent of his works； their excellence； their importance；
the trials he bore nobly at the beginning of his career； everything about
him arouses our interest and sympathy。 If he did not actually create the
Oriental renaissance movement； certainly no one played in it a more active；
decided and fruitful part。〃＇10＇ His industry was colossal。 He translated
most of the works of Hippocrates and Galen； Aristotle and many others。
His famous 〃Introduction〃 or 〃Isagoge；〃 a very popular book in the
Middle Ages； is a translation of the 〃Microtegni〃 of Galen； a small hand…
book； of which a translation is appended to Cholmeley's 〃John of
Gaddesden。〃＇11＇ The first printed edition of it appeared in 1475 ＇see
Chapter IV＇ at Padua。
＇10＇ Leclerc： Histoire de la medecine arabe； Tome I； p。 139。
＇11＇ Oxford； Clarendon Press； 1912； pp。 136…166。 The Mesues also did
great work； and translations of their compilations； particularly those of the
younger Mesue； were widely distributed in manuscript and were early
printed （Venice； 1471） and frequently reprinted； even as late as the
seventeenth century。
Leclerc gives the names of more than one hundred known translators
who not only dealt with the physicians but with the Greek philosophers；
mathematicians and astronomers。 The writings of the physicians of India
and of Persia were also translated into Arabic。
But close upon the crowd of translators who introduced the learning of
Greece to the Arabians came original observers of the first rank； to a few
only of whom time will allow me to refer。 Rhazes； so called from the name
of the town （Rai） in which he was born； was educated at the great hospital
at Bagdad in the second half of the ninth century。 With a true Hippocratic
spirit he made many careful observations on disease； and to him we owe
the first accurate account of smallpox； which he differentiated from
measles。 This work w