teach his Son his own Art he caused him for a long time to be instructed therein under the Discipline of Chiron And he after he had spent so much Time and Study grew so skilful that in curing a little Tooth-ach he was in danger to lose his Reputation had he not in fine with a quick deliberation set himself to draw them which if not performed who knows what might have befaln the Patient And for his great Master Chiron how could he cure others who was not able to cure himself but being accidentally wounded by Hercules resolved wholly to resign his Life and Immortality to Prometheus and so bravely to rid himself out of all his Troubles And hence we may plainly understand what Truth there was in those so wonderful and incomparable actions which lying antiquity boasts of them Thus peradventure do the spiteful Contradictors fable of these first Masters and that I also may at present speak what I think it does not seem to me very dubious That the first Inventors of Physick among the Greeks were certainly but very small Proficients therein since that in after-ages when the World with Time advanced in every Art and Study their witless Discourses about it demonstrated that their skill was yet little enough And altho' they gained a great deal of Fame and Reputation in all parts yet ought we not therefore the less to persist in our Belief judging that at the first appearance of Arts to the simple and growing World the first Operations of Physick appeared wonderful and Divine Inventions And this was much more easie for Physicians than for any other Inventors because all their most considerable Mistakes and Errors being as one saith buried in the same Grave with those that were slain by them and on the contrary nothing appearing of them but their Experiments how mean soever on the living by them cured they might without any great opposition easily acquire immortal praise and honour Besides that this certainly happens in the most wicked and infamous persons who as they are crafty and malicious procure themselves every where Favourers and Partakers and being far from true Wisdom leave no Deceit or Cheat untried whereby they may gain esteem amongst the Dregs of the people It is therefore certainly to be judged That they whose Fame was so much trumpetted about were most crafty Juglers and Mountebancks It is not here my Intention to alledge those numerous Examples which I could bring both from ancient and modern Records I will only not leave unrelated how it was anciently reported that Acron of Agrigentum once freed the City of Athens from a mortal Plague by the great Lights and Fires which he caused to be kindled therein But that Fire alone cannot produce any such effect our own Eyes have certainly and sufficiently taught us The same thing is Hippocrates said to have done in his time And Toxares also had after his death Statues erected and Sacrifices offered to him with other Divine Honours because that as Lucian tells us at a time when Athens was more than ever annoyed and even dispeopled by a raging Pestilence he is said to have appeared to Architele the Wife of a certain Areopagite and to have assured her That if the Athenians would sprinkle all their Streets with Wine the Plague would presently cease which they having done it suddenly fell out as he had promised But here I find his usual prudence wanting in Lucian who foolishly believes it and phancies That this might proceed from the Vapors of the Wine which mixing with the Air purged it and freed it from those pestilential Qualities that infected it But good God! if these Plagues ceased not till that after a long Destruction and Mortality of the people the Malady had quite spent it self why must we say That this hapned through the means of vain and helpless Remedies and not rather through the weakness and diminution of the Evil therefore it is certainly to be judged that the most crafty and subtile Quacks knowing that the Fury of the Distemper was already spent and that it was in the wane to gain themselves Fame and everlasting Renown cunningly prescribed a Remedy that so the peoples deliverance might be rather attributed to them than to the Nature of the Infection An Artifice which is even at this day continually practised by Physicians But as for Aesculapius he may well rest contented with that Glory which for his having been the first that taught the World the Art of Tooth-drawing is rationally given him by the Roman Orator when he saith Aesculapius was the first that invented the drawing of Teeth Altho' the Cures wrought by him are said to have been so rare and wonderful and those in so many different ways related that as Sextus the Empirick wisely reflects they may hereby have been concluded to have been wholly Fabulous For our Historians going upon false Suppositions report the Captain of our Science Aesculapius to have been touched with Thunder not contented with a Fiction which nevertheless they variously transform Stesichorus reports That Aesculapius ascended to the height of his Glory by having with his Medicines restored to life some of those that died at Thebes But Polyanthus says That Aesculapius grew famous for that some who were by the anger of Juno struck with Madness did by his means recover their Senses And Parrhasius recounts That he gained his chief Repute by recalling Tyndarus from death And Staphylus affirms That his greatest Renown was gotten by his joyning together and enlivening the scattered Limbs of Hyppolitus whom his frightned Horses had torn into an Hundred pieces But Phylarchus avers That all his Esteem and Honour was derived from his curing of their Blindness the Sons of Phineus And Telesarchus in fine will have him placed among the Gods because he attempted to raise Orion from the dead But what Artifices how loathsom and abominable soever did he leave untried to be held diligent and circumspect in curing He saith Celus Rhodiginus would wherein he was also imitated by Hippocrates even taste the Excrements of the Sick as if that were necessary to the finding out the Causes of Distempers for which he was afterwards by Aristophanes in his Plutus wittily called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Excrement-eater and we may better hit him home by saying with our Actius Sincerus Esse idem poteris Merdicus Medicus But above all highly advantagious to Aesculapius were Riddles Sorceries Oracles Sacrifices and many other Superstitions and jugling Tricks which he made use of to impose upon the Belief of the silly multitude feeding the Sick with certain hopes of their recovery when he only held them in suspense with his Talk An usual Custom at that time of every one who would with any Commendations practise Physick And to say nothing of Medea and many others Melampus by such foolish Artifices and Flim Flams besides the great Fame he obtained from a poor Fellow as he was together with his Brother
certain our selves of nothing For this would be to see with other mens Eyes to hear with other mens Ears and smell with other mens Noses and to understand with other mens Intelligence and to believe our selves no other than meer stones to commit all things to the assertions of others and not to believe our selves able to make any true discussion in doubtful matters And another of Galens Followers exceedingly condemning this same pertinacy relates a very pleasant adventure to wit That a certain publick Reader long time versed and grown old in the Books of Aristotle being one day by chance present at an Anatomy and clearly seeing that the Vena cava takes its Original from the innumerable Threds or Roots which are in the Liver full of wonder and astonishment As one that never beheld a thing incredible confess'd indeed by what his Senses shewed him the Vena cava must descend from the Liver but that he ought not therefore by crediting his Senses to contradict his Master Aristotle who constantly affirms all the veins in mans body to have their beginning from the Heart because said he it is much more easie for our Senses to be sometimes deceived than for the Great and Soveraign Aristotle ever to have faln into any Error And so much Power had his Obstinacy over him that being in the company of certain learned men shewn by one of them a little Suet about the Heart which melted by the faint heat of a Candle to defend his Aristotle by whom this is denied he durst to say that what he saw was not Fat And certainly pleasant enough is that also which is related by the most famous Redi that one who was deeply read in the Writings of the Peripateticks because he would not be compell'd to confess that the Stars and other new things discovered in the Heavens by the great Galileo were true refused the assistance of the Telescope and that another yet more obstinate would not condescend to see him open one of those little Frogs which in Summer are seen in the dusty High-ways for fear of being obliged to confess that they are not engendred in the instant of the Drops being incorporated with the Dust But where shall I have room to relate the Disputes and Contests which grew up in Rome about the Medicinal Doctrine of that famous Physician Prosper Martianus Who being endued with uncommon Learning and prudent Sagacity and gloriously employing the utmost of his Ability and Industry in searching into the Doctrine of Hippocrates manifestly shews that Galen oftentimes either did not or would not comprehend the true Sentiments of that venerable old man And Petro Castelli avouching the same thing tells us besides That Galen took the same course in explaining the most learned Opinions of the divine Plato Galen either understood not or would not understand Hippocrates or Plato to give the greater esteem to his own Writings Then he defends the most wise Old Man from his Reproofs and Taunts especially about the Causes of Feavers constantly affirming not only that Hippocrates never prescribed the letting of Blood in Feavers but where the excessive internal Inflammation required it as was also before him fully observed by Hieronymus Cardanus but farthemore asserting That according to the Doctrine of Hippocrates a Feaver is one of those Distempers which in nowise admits of Phlebotomy These and other good and sound Doctrines the learned Martianus wisely manifesting revived with them the decayed and almost extinguish'd Sect of his dear Hippocrates But I know not how I have hitherto forbore to mention one who altho a woman deserves yet to be reckoned amongst the greatest Scholars I mean the Lady Donna Oliva Sabuco She childish sports and Female Exercise Ev'n from her tender years did still despise To spin or to the Needle set her hand Of masculine learning studious she disdain'd Now she being abundantly furnished with more than masculine Wit and Understanding couragiously imployed both her Brains and Mind in the Investigation of Natural things and advancing in her Studies she set her wits upon things of greatest use and to the end Spain and the Whole might receive some benefit thereby she wonderfully gave beginning to a new and most ingenious way of Curing And writing a Letter to the most august Monarch Philip the Second of Eternal and Glorious Memory she thus displays her Wit It is as plain as the light of the Sun That the ancient Physick was in an Error according as it is read and practised in its principal Fundamentals for that the ancient Philosophers and Physicians neither understood or reach'd the true nature upon which Physick is founded and from whence it draws its original of which not only the understanding Christian Physicians may be Judges but also those that have any prospect into other Faculties being persons of Wit and Judgment And a little after He that cannot comprehend or understand it let him leave it to others that are to come or let him believe Experience and not the ancient Physick Therefore my Petition is just that these my Followers may be approved for one year since they have tryed the Rules of Galen and Hippocrates for these 2000 years and have found the Effect so inconsiderable and the Ends so uncertain as is to be seen every day and was lately observ'd in the past Epidemic Catarrhs Spotted Feavers Small Pox and Pestilences and many other Infirmities in the Cure of which that sort of Physick is so ineffectual that scarce two in a thousand live out the natural Limits of life but all die violent deaths of some Disease or other without any Remedy from ancient Physick And in her Dialogue of True Physick You cannot deny Mr. Doctor but that the Physick you use is uncertain various and fallacious and that its End and Effects are false and dubious whereas we see the ends and effects of other Arts to be certain and true without variation as in Arithmetick Geometry Musick Ascrology c. which bring to pass the end and benefit which they purpose Which end fails as you see in Physick being so deceitful uncertain and various Whence it must follow that this Art fails in its first grounds and foundations because it produces not fruit conformable to what it proposes so that when we expect Currans and delicious Apples it brings forth nothing but Galls and Medlars And a little further maintaining the same Opinion she saies You cannot deny Mr. Doctor the Inconstancy of Physick and how many alterations have been made in it and that the Art was for a long time forbidden in Rome where those wise people gave no credit to it nor would seek for Cure from the hands of the Physician for the reasons I have said which are of great efficacy Neither did the Saracens nor those of China admit Physicians And those grave and ancient Authors themselves Cry out that Life is short Art long Judgment difficult and Experience dangerous And Hippocrates That no certain and perfect
these Cities but that of Infamy Which to those that take their Reputation to heart is more grievous and tedious than any other Torment Which Custom is manifestly shewn by Philemon when he saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Only the Physician and the Judge are permitted to kill others without being put to death This also pleased the divine Plato who thus ordered in his Common-wealth The Physician shall not be subject to any Penalty if a Patient taken in hand by him dies contrary to his best endeavour To which opinion Lucian comes very near where he saies By how much the Art of Physick is worthy of greater honour and more beneficial to Life than others by so much should the Professors thereof have greater Liberty and it is convenient that it should enjoy some priviledge nor ought a Doctrine consecrated to the Gods and the Exercise of the most intelligent men to be restrained or subjugated by any power or brought under the servitude of the Laws or under the fear and penalties of Tribunals And altho' among the Grecians the Athenians alone prohibited Women and Servants the Study of Physick yet is not such a Statute worthy of much praise not to say it deserves much blame Because as hereafter shall be declared the Understanding of worthy Women has been seen contrary to their Expectation to undertake the most sublime Studies and Nature has often granted to Servants Courage and Wit fit for a Philosophick Liberty therefore did they not without Reason a while after revoke this Law Hyginus saying That the practise of Physick was allowed to Midwives for necessity and decency sake Much less ought we to believe that the Sottishness of Seleucus took place for so we may well call his Law whereby as if it had been mortal Poison he prohibited upon pain of Death all the Sick Persons of Locris to drink Wine unless they had at first obtained a Licence from their Physicians If any of the Epizephyrian Locrians drank wine contrary to the Physicians direction tho' he escaped Death was his punishment because he did contrary to what was prescribed him The Roman Commonwealth which far excelled all Greece and the Barbarous Nations not only in Military Government but also in Politicks thought it not convenient to commit without restraint the Care of mens Lives to the Custody of Physicians and therefore by a Plebiscitum first made by Aquilius a Tribune of the People whether it were Gallus or another of that name I know not and afterwards recorded amongst the Roman Laws it was decreed that some punishment should be inflicted on their Failings whereby they might be rendred more circumspect and cautious in their actings We may nevertheless well believe that this Law or Plebiscitum altho' made was never put in Execution otherwise Pliny would have been to blame to cry out in this manner against the Physicians Furthermore no Law punishes capital ignorance no example of Justice done To which he adds They learn by our dangers and gain experience by our Deaths And at length concludes Only the Physician is allowed to kill a man unpunished But there is something yet in the same Author that touches more to the quick The Ignominie of the Physician passes away and Intemperance bears the blame while they that perish are accused of their own misfortunes And for this reason I suppose did those renowned Lawyers that were by command of the Emperor Justinian employed in compiling the Pandects purposely pass by that over-severe and cruel Sentence of Paulus upon the Cornelian Law against Murderers If a man die of the Medicine given him for his health or the recovery of his Distemper he that gave it were he of Quality shall be banished if of meaner Condition let him be put to death Which Sentence in the judgment of that great Soul of the Civil Law Jacobus Cujacius could not properly be reduced to the aforesaid Cornelian Law forasmuch saies he as the Physician sanandi non nocendi animo dedit And altho' the same Lawyers registred both in the Institutes and in the Digests not only the aforesaid Head of the Aquilian Law but also the following words of Vlpian Tho' the event of Mortality ought not to be imputed to the Physician yet what he commits out of ignorance is to be laid to his charge neither is the Deceiver to go unpunished under pretence of humane frailty Yet were these Statutes nevertheless rarely executed altho ' not only Pliny but very many also after him renewing in a more bitter manner the same Complaints brought Accusations against them Amongst whom the most learned Angelus Politianus in an Epistle of his to Leonicenus writes thus I have again bewail'd the folly of mankind that has so long suffered besotted Ignorance to reign and all the while buys the hope of life from them who are the real causes of certain death Ludovicus Vives also cries out thus Their Miscarriages and Errors speaking of the Physicians not only go unpunish'd but are also recompenced with Fees Baptista Mantuanus likewise has these words of them His etsitenebras palpant est facta potestas Excruciandi aegros hominesque impune necandi Tho' blind with ignorance yet scot-free they The Sick torment and men unpunish'd slay And an Italian Satyrist sporting with the Title Doctor saies to the same purpose of the Physician Ma poiche un talci puo donar la morte Senza punizione e senza pena Forzaâ—e che fi gentil titol riporte Since Doctors have free liberty to cause Our death not fearing Punishment or Laws Our Hangman may this noble Title bear And our Academick in his most choice Dialogue saies in like manner of Physicians Hoc tamen ipso securi quod nulla sit lex quae puniat inscitiam capitalem immovero cum mercede gratia referatur And another Carnifici Medicus par est nam caedit uterque Impune merces caedis utrique datur Hangman and Doctor herein alike fare Both kill unpunish'd both rewarded are And another Author Si quaecunque sua plectuntur crimina lege Quas Medici maneant modo vestra piacula poenas Qui plerumque ipso facitis medicamine morbum Et diro ante diem aegros demittitis orco Scilicet hoc vobis indulsit opinio rerum Vna potens Clades inferre impune per orbem Mercedemque alieno obitu laudemque parare If to each Crime its punishment be due What pain Physicians is enough for you Who with your Drugs Diseases frequently Do cause and th' Sick before their time to dy This hath Opinion which the whole World sways Indulg'd to you by others harms to raise Your selves and by their deaths to merit Praise And altho' Maximinus condemned to death all his Physicians because they had neither wholly healed him of his wounds nor eased him of the pain yet cannot the example of such a Tyrant give vigor to any Law nor was he less blamed for this than for