: From Wellcome's Medical Diary (Copyright) Permission of
Burroughs Wellcome & Co.

Plate III.-FACADE OF TEMPLE OF ASKLEPIOS--RESTORED (Delfrasse).]

The practice of Greek medicine became almost entirely restricted to the
temples of AEsculapius, the most important of which were situated at
Rhodes, Cnidus and Cos. The priests were known as Asclepiadae, but the
name was applied in time to the healers of the temple who were not
priests. Tablets were affixed to the walls of these temples recording
the name of the patient, the disease and the cure prescribed. There is
evidence that diseases were closely observed. The patients brought gifts
to the temples, and underwent a preliminary purification by ablutions,
fasting, prayer and sacrifice. A cock was a common sacrifice to the god.
No doubt many wonderful cures were effected. Mental suggestion was used
greatly, and the patient was put to sleep, his cure being often revealed
to him in a dream which was interpreted by the priests. The expectancy
of his mind, and the reduced state of his body as the result of
abstinence conduced to a cure, and trickery also played a minor part.
Albeit, much of the treatment prescribed was commendable. Pure air,
cheerful surroundings, proper diet and temperate habits were advocated,
and, among other methods of treatment, exercise, massage, sea-bathing,
the use of mineral waters, purgatives and emetics, and hemlock as a
sedative, were in use. If a cure was not effected, the faith of the
patient was impugned, and not the power of the god or the skill of the
Asclepiades, so that neither religion nor the practice of physic was
exposed to discredit. Great was the wisdom of the Greeks! These temples
were the famous medical schools of ancient Greece. A spirit of
emulation prevailed, and a high ethical standard was attained, as is
shown by the oath prescribed for students when they completed their
course of study. The form of oath will be found in a succeeding chapter
in connection with an account of the life of Hippocrates.

[Illustration: Plate IV.--HEALTH TEMPLE--RESTORED (Caton).

_Face p. 20._]

The remains of the Health Temple, or Asklepieion, of Cos were brought to
light in 1904 and 1905, by the work of Dr. Rudolf Herzog, of Tuebingen.
Dr. Richard Caton, of Liverpool, has been able to reconstruct
pictorially the beautiful buildings that existed two thousand years ago.
They were situated among the hills. The sacred groves of cypresses were
on