tion in this matter in American minds, we soon found, had
its origin in Dr. Andrew D. White's volumes, "On the History of the
Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom." It is impossible for
anyone to read Dr. White's chapter on from Miracles to Medicine in
this work without coming to the conclusion that the constant policy of
the Church for all the centuries down practically to our own time was
to prevent the progress of medicine as far as possible. The reason for
this policy, presumably, must be taken to be that it was to the
interest of the ecclesiastics to have people apply to them for
healing. Sufferers were to look to miracles rather than to drugs for
their relief from ailments of any and every kind. Prayers were to be
considered as much more efficacious than powders, and Masses much more
likely to do good than the most careful nursing. These ecclesiastical
offices had to be paid for. Accordingly, people had to be discouraged
from applying to physicians, medical schools were kept under an
ecclesiastical ban, "dissection was prohibited," anatomy declared "a
sin against the Holy Ghost," "chemistry forbidden under the severest
penalties," "the medieval miracles of healing checked medical
science," "the practice of surgery was relegated mainly to the lowest
orders of practitioners and confined strictly to them," "as the grasp
of theology upon education tightened, medicine declined," and every
possible means was employed to keep the popular mind in subjection to
the clergy, and to prevent physicians from getting so much knowledge
as would enable them {3} to help free the people from the bondage of
superstition, of which they were the victims and the slaves.

We do not think that we exaggerate the impression likely to be
obtained from Dr. White's book in stating the ordinarily accepted
opinions thus baldly, and as a matter of fact, as the quotation marks
are intended to show, most of the strongest phrases that we have used
are Dr. White's own. For those who can take such statements in good
faith, it must be a very genuine surprise to learn a few facts from
the history of medicine in the Middle Ages. Before the beginning of
the sixteenth century, that is, before the religious revolt in
Germany, which has been dignified by the name of reformation,
altogether some twenty medical schools were founded in various parts
of Europe. Of these, the best known in the order of their foundation
were Salerno, Bologna, Naples, Mo