cine in his native town, devoting himself,
however, at the same time to whatever of physical science was available.
Like many another young man since his time, not satisfied with the
knowledge he could secure at home, he made distant journeys, gathering
medical and scientific information of all kinds wherever he went.
According to a tradition that seems to be well grounded, some of these
journeys took him even into the far East. During his travels he became
familiar with a number of Oriental languages, and especially studied the
Arabian literature of science very diligently.

At this time the Arabs, having the advantage of more intimate contact
with the Greek medical traditions in Asia Minor, were farther advanced
in their knowledge of the medical sciences than the scholars in the
West. They had better facilities for obtaining the books that were the
classics of medicine, and, with any desire for knowledge, could scarcely
fail to secure it.

What was best in Arabian medicine was brought to Salerno by Constantine
and, above all, his translation of many well-known Arabian medical
authors proved eminently suggestive to seriously investigating
physicians all over the world in his time. Before he was to be allowed
to settle down to his literary work, however, Constantine was to have a
very varied experience. Some of this doubtless was to be valuable in
enabling him to set the old Arabian teachers of medicine properly before
his generation. After his Oriental travels he returned to his native
Carthage in order to practise medicine. It was not long, however, before
his superior medical knowledge, or, at least, the many novelties of
medical practice that he had derived from his contact with the East,
drew upon him the professional jealousy of his colleagues. It is very
probable that the reputation of his extensive travels and wide knowledge
soon attracted a large clientele. This was followed quite naturally by
the envy at least of his professional brethren. Feeling became so
bitter, that even the possibility of serious personal consequences for
him because of false accusations was not out of the question. Whenever
novelties are introduced into medical science or medical practice, their
authors are likely to meet with this opposition on the part of
colleagues, and history is full of examples of it. Galvani was laughed
at and called the frogs' dancing-master; Auenbrugger was made fun of for
drumming on people; Harvey is said to