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1904 by Sir Clifford Allbutt。＇20＇ They were strong men with practical
minds and good hands； whose experience taught them wisdom。 In both
there was the blunt honesty that so often characterizes a good surgeon； and
I commend to modern surgeons de Mondeville's saying： 〃If you have
operated conscientiously on the rich for a proper fee； and on the poor for
charity； you need not play the monk； nor make pilgrimages for your soul。〃
＇20＇ Allbutt： Historical Relations of Medicine and Surgery； London；
Macmillan Co。； 1905。
One other great mediaeval physician may be mentioned； Peter of
Abano （a small town near Padua； famous for its baths）。 He is the first in a
long line of distinguished physicians connected with the great school of
Padua。 Known as 〃the Conciliator；〃 from his attempt to reconcile the
diverse views on philosophy and medicine； he had an extraordinary
reputation as a practitioner and author； the persistence of which is well
illustrated by the fact that eight of the one hundred and eighty…two medical
books printed before 1481 were from his pen。 He seems to have taught
medicine in Paris； Bologna and Padua。 He was a devoted astrologer； had a
reputation among the people as a magician and； like his contemporary；
Arnold of Villanova； came into conflict with the Church and appears to
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have been several times before the Inquisition； indeed it is said that he
escaped the stake only by a timely death。 He was a prolific commentator
on Aristotle； and his exposition of the 〃problems〃 had a great vogue。 The
early editions of his texts are among the most superb works ever printed。
He outlived his reputation as a magician； and more than a century after his
death Frederick； Duke of Urbino； caused his effigies to be set up over the
gate of the palace at Padua with this inscription：
PETRUS APONUS PATAVINUS PHILOSOPHIAE
MEDICINAEQUE SCIENTISSIMUS； OB IDQUE； CONCILIATORIS
NOMEN ADEPTUS； ASTROLOGIAE VERO ADEO PERITUS； UT IN
MAGIAE SUSPICIONEM INCIDERIT； FALSOQUE DE HAERESI
POSTULATUS； ABSOLUTUS FUERIT。＇21＇
＇21＇ Naude： History of Magick； London； 1657； p。 182； or the original：
Apologie pour les grands hommes soupconnez de magic； e。g。； ed。 Amst。；
1719； p。 275。
It is said that Abano caused to be painted the astronomical figures in
the great hall of the palace at Padua。
One characteristic of mediaeval medicine is its union with theology；
which is not remarkable； as the learning of the time was chiefly in the
hands of the clergy。 One of the most popular works； the 〃Thesaurus
Pauperum；〃 was written by Petrus Hispanus； afterwards Pope John XXI。
We may judge of the pontifical practice from the page here reproduced；
which probably includes； under the term 〃iliac passion；〃 all varieties of
appendicitis。
For our purpose two beacons illuminate the spirit of the thirteenth
century in its outlook on man and nature。 Better than Abelard or St。
Thomas Aquinas； and much better than any physicians； Albertus Magnus
and Roger Bacon represent the men who were awake to greet the rising of
the sun of science。 What a contrast in their lives and in their works！ The
great Dominican's long life was an uninterrupted triumph of fruitful
accomplishmentthe titanic task he set himself was not only completed
but was appreciated to the full by his own generation a life not only of
study and teaching； but of practical piety。 As head of the order in Germany
and Bishop of Regensburg； he had wide ecclesiastical influence； and in
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death he left a memory equalled only by one or two of his century； and
excelled only by his great pupil； Thomas Aquinas。 There are many Alberts
in history the Good； the Just； the Faithfulbut there is only one we call
〃Magnus〃 and he richly deserved the name。 What is his record？ Why do
we hold his name in reverence today？
Albertus Magnus was an encyclopaedic student and author； who took
all knowledge for his province。 His great work and his great ambition was
to interpret Aristotle to his generation。 Before his day； the Stagirite was
known only in part； but he put within the reach of his contemporaries the
whole science of Aristotle； and imbibed no small part of his spirit。 He
recognized the importance of the study of nature； even of testing it by way
of experiment； and in the long years that had elapsed since Theophrastus
no one else； except Dioscorides； had made so thorough a study of botany。
His paraphrases of the natural history books of Aristotle were immensely
popular； and served as a basis for all subsequent studies。 Some of his
medical works had an extraordinary vogue； particularly the 〃De Secretis
Mulierum〃 and the 〃De Virtutibus Herbarum；〃 but there is some doubt as
to the authorship of the first named； although Jammy and Borgnet include
it in the collected editions of his works。 So fabulous was his learning that
he was suspected of magic and comes in Naude's list of the wise men who
have unjustly been reputed magicians。 Ferguson tells＇22＇ that 〃there is in
actual circulation at the present time a chapbook。 。 。 containing charms；
receipts； sympathetical and magicalcures for man and animals； 。 。 。 which
passes under the name of Albertus。〃 But perhaps the greatest claim of
Albertus to immortality is that he was the teacher and inspirer of Thomas
Aquinas； the man who undertook the colossal task of fusing Aristotelian
philosophy with Christian theology； and with such success that the
〃angelic doctor〃 remains today the supreme human authority of the
Roman Catholic Church。
＇22＇ Bibliotheca Chemica； 1906； Vol。 I； p。 15。
A man of much greater interest to us from the medical point of view
is Roger Bacon and for two reasons。 More than any other mediaeval mind
he saw the need of the study of nature by a new method。 The man who
could write such a sentence as this： 〃Experimental science has three great
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prerogatives over other sciences； it verifies conclusions by direct
experiment； it discovers truth which they never otherwise would reach； it
investigates the course of nature and opens to us a knowledge of the past
and of the future；〃 is mentally of our day and generation。 Bacon was born
out of due time； and his contemporaries had little sympathy with his
philosophy； and still less with his mechanical schemes and inventions。
From the days of the Greeks； no one had had so keen an appreciation of
what experiment meant in the development of human knowledge； and he
was obsessed with the idea； so commonplace to us； that knowledge should
have its utility and its practical bearing。 〃His chief merit is that he was one
of the first to point the way to original researchas opposed to the
acceptance of an authoritythough he himself still lacked the means of
pursuing this path consistently。 His inability to satisfy this impulse led to a
sort of longing； which is expressed in the numerous passages in his works
where he anticipates man's greater mastery over nature。〃＇23＇
＇23＇ Dannemann： Die Naturwissenschaften in ihrer Entwicklung und
in ibrem Zusammenhange；Leipzig； 1910； Vol。 I； pp。 278…279。
Bacon wrote a number of medical treatises； most of which remain in
manuscript。 His treatise on the 〃Cure of Old Age and the Preservation of
Youth〃 was printed in English in 1683。＇24＇ His authorities were largely
Arabian。 One of his manuscripts is 〃On the Bad Practices of Physicians。〃
On June 10； 1914； the eve of his birth； the septencentenary of Roger
Bacon will be celebrated by Oxford； the university of which he is the most
distinguished ornament。 His unpublished MSS。 in the