is all the more surprising under the
circumstances, and very greatly to their credit, that the Popes should
have had as their physicians a list of men whose names are the
brightest on the roll of great contributors to medical literature and
some of the most distinguished among the great discoverers in medical
science.

This fact alone constitutes the most absolute contradiction of the
declarations as to supposed Church opposition to medicine that could
possibly be given. No better means of encouraging, fostering, and
patronizing medical science could be thought of than to give the
prestige and the emoluments of physician to the head of the Church to
important makers of medicine in every generation. The physicians to
the rulers of Europe have not always been selected with as good
judgment, and, as I have already said, there is no list of physicians
to any European Court, nor indeed any list of names of medical men
connected together by any bond in history--no list, for instance, of
any medical faculty of a university--which can be compared for
prestige in scientific medicine with the Papal Physicians.

Before the beginning of the thirteenth century very little is known of
the medical attendants of the Popes. We point out in the following
chapter that the Papacy was closely in touch with the medical school
at Salernum. {205} It seems not unlikely, and indeed there are some
traditions to that effect, that in cases of severe illnesses of the
Popes, important members of the medical faculty were sometimes
summoned from the South of Italy to Rome. The relations of the Popes
to the neighboring abbey of Monte Cassino might, as we have said,
suggest this. We have, however, very few details in this matter. With
the beginning of the great thirteenth century, however, the records of
human achievement in every line are better kept, and at once we begin
to know something definite about Papal Physicians. The first one of
decided prominence was Guy or Guido of Montpelier, who was summoned to
Rome by Pope Innocent III. in order that he might re-establish the
hospital of the Santo Spirito at Rome, in accordance with what were
considered to be the latest ideas in the matter of hospital building
and the enlightened care of the sick. How well he accomplished this
work, and how well he deserves to head the glorious roll of Papal
Physicians, will be seen in the chapter on The Popes and City
Hospitals.

The next of the Papal Physicians of