each one in a sweet hope
and plausible conceit of our health by them. Moreover, this mischief
there is besides, That there is no law or statute to punish the
ignorance of blind Physicians, though a man lost his life by them:
neither was there ever any man knowne, who had revenge of recompence for
the evill intreating or misusage under their hands. They learne their
skill by endaungering our lives: and to make proofe and experiments of
their medicines, they care not to kill us."(35) He says it is hard
that, while the judges are carefully chosen and selected, physicians
are practically their own judges, and that of the men who may give us a
quick despatch and send us to Heaven or Hell, no enquiry or examination
is made of their quality and worthiness. It is interesting to read so
early a bitter criticism of the famous "Theriaca," a great compound
medicine invented by Antiochus III, which had a vogue for fifteen
hundred years.

(34) Bk. VIII, Chap. VII.

(35) Pliny: Natural History (XXIX, 1), Philemon Holland's
version, London, 1601, II, 347.

But we must return to Galen and his works, which comprise the most
voluminous body of writings left by any of the ancients. The great
edition is that in twenty-two volumes by Kuhn (1821-1833). The most
useful editions are the "Juntines" of Venice, which were issued in
thirteen editions. In the fourth and subsequent editions a very useful
index by Brassavola is included. A critical study of the writings is at
present being made by German scholars for the Prussian Academy, which
will issue a definitive edition of his works.

Galen had an eclectic mind and could not identify himself with any
of the prevailing schools, but regarded himself as a disciple of
Hippocrates. For our purpose, both his philosophy and his practice are
of minor interest in comparison with his great labors in anatomy and
physiology.

In anatomy, he was a pupil of the Alexandrians to whom he constantly
refers. Times must have changed since the days of Herophilus, as Galen
does not seem ever to have had an opportunity of dissecting the human
body, and he laments the prejudice which prevents it. In the study of
osteology, he urges the student to be on the lookout for an occasional
human bone exposed in a graveyard, and on one occasion he tells of
finding the carcass of a robber with the bones picked bare by birds and
beasts. Failing this source, he advises the student to go to Alexandria,
where