the
premises of fact, writings, and traditions that we have. He does so in a
very striking way. Perhaps no better example of his thoroughly lucid and
eminently logical mode of argumentation is to be found than the
paragraph in which he states the question. It might well be recommended
as an example of terse forcefulness and logical sequence that deserves
the emulation of all those who want to write on medical subjects. If we
had more of these characteristic qualities of Harnack's style, our
medical literature, so called, would not need to occupy so many pages of
print as it does--yet would say more. Here it is:

St. Luke, according to St. Paul, was a physician. When a
physician writes a historical work it does not necessarily
follow that his profession shows itself in his writing; yet it
is only natural for one to look for traces of the author's
medical profession in such a work. These traces may be of
different kinds: 1, The whole character of the narrative may
be determined by points of view, aims, and ideals which are
more or less medical (disease and its treatment); 2, marked
preference may be shown for stories concerning the healing of
diseases, which stories may be given in great number and
detail; 3, the language may be colored by the language of
physicians (medical technical terms, metaphors of medical
character, etc.). All these three groups of characteristic
signs are found, as we shall see, in the historical work which
bears the name of St. Luke. Here, however, it may be objected
that the subject matter itself is responsible for these
traits, so that their evidence is not decisive for the medical
calling of the author. Jesus appeared as a great physician and
healer. All the evangelists say this of Him; hence it is not
surprising that one of them has set this phase of His ministry
in the foreground, and has regarded it as the most important.
Our evangelist need not therefore have been a physician,
especially if he were a Greek, seeing that in those days
Greeks with religious interests were disposed to regard
religion mainly under the category of healing and salvation.
This is true, yet such a combination of characteristic signs
will compel us to believe that the author was a physician if,
4, the description of the particular cases of disease shows
distinct traces o