No More Learning

xiv. p. 657, &c. ), and his perance and chastity, their blameless lives, and love
two sons, Commodus (ibid. c. 12. p. 661, &c. ) and of virtue, in which they equalled or surpassed the
Sextus (ibid. c. 10. p. 65), &c. ). Of the events of philosophers of the age. A few absurd errors and
the rest of his life few particulars are known. On fables are connected with his name, which may be
his way back to Pergamus, he visited the island of seen in Ackermann's Hist. Liter. (pp. xxxix. xlii. ),
Lemnos for the second time (having been disap- but which, as they are neither so amusing in
pointed on a former occasion), for the purpose of themselves, nor so interesting in a literary point of
learning the mode of preparing a celebrated medi- view as those which concern Hippocrates, need not
cine called "Terra Lemnia,” or “ Terra Sigillata ;” be here mentioned. If Galen suffered during his
of which he gives a full account. (De Simplic. Me- lifetime from the jealousy and misrepresentation of
dicam. Temper, ac Pacult. ix. 1. & 2. vol. xii. p. his medical contemporaries, his worth seems to have
172. ) It does not appear certain that he visited been soon acknowledged after his death ; medals
Rome again, and one of his Arabic biographers ex- were struck in his honoar by his native city, Per-
pressly says he was there only twice (Anon. gamus (Montfaucon, L'Antiquité Expliquée, &c. ,
Arab. Philosoph. Billioth. apud Casiri, Biblioth. vol. iii. p. 1. pl. xv. and Suppl. vol. i. pl. lxviii. ),
Arabico-Hisp. Escur. vol. i. p. 253); but it cer- and in the course of a few centuries he began to be
tainly seems more natural to suppose that he called Savudonos (Simplic. Comment. in Aristot.
1
VOL. II.
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210
GALENUS.
GALENUS.
“ Phys. Anscult. ” iv. 3. p. 167. ed. Ald. ), “Medi- | basis of all medical reasoning. In this fundamental
corum dissertissimus atque doctissimus," (S. Hieron. point, therefore, the method pursued by Galen ap-
Comment. in Aoms, c. 5. vol. vi. p. 283), and even pears to have been directly the reverse of that
Sezótatos. (Alex. Trall. De Med. v. 4. p. 77. ed. which we now consider as the correct method of
Lutet. Par. )
scientific investigation ; and yeh, such is the force
of natural genius, that in most instances he at-
11. General History of Galen's WRITINGS, indirect path. He was an admirer of Hippocrates,
tained the ultimate object in view, although by an
COMMENTATORS, BIBLIOGRAPHY, &c:
and always speaks of him with the most profound
The works that are still extant under the name respect, professing to act upon his principles, and
of Galen, as enumerated by Choulant, in the second to do little more than to expound his doctrines, and
edition of his Handluch der Bücherkunde für die support them by new facts and observations. Yet
Aeltere Medicin, consist of eighty-three treatises ac- in reality, we have few writers whose works, both
knowledged to be genuine ; nineteen whose genu- as to substance and manner, are more different from
ineness has, with more or less reason, been doubted; each other than those of Hippocrates and Galen,
forty-five undoubtedly spurious ; nineteen frag- the simplicity of the former being strongly con-
ments; and fifteen commentaries on different works trasted with the abstruseness and refinement of the
of Hippocrates : and more than fifty short pieces latter. " (Hist. of Med. )
and fragments (many or most of which are pro- Alter Galen's time we hear but little of the old
bably spurious) are enumerated as still lying un- medical sects, which in fact seem to have been all
published in different European libraries. (Acker- merged in his followers and imitators. To the
mann, Histor. Liter. pp. clxxxvi. &c. ) Almost all compilers among the Greeks and Romans of large
these treat of some branch of medical science, and medical works, like Aëtius and Oribasius, his
many of them were composed at the request of his writings formed the basis of their labours ; while,
friends, and without any view to publication. Be as soon as they had been translated into Arabic,
sides these, however, Galen wrote a great number in the ninth century after Christ, chiefly by Ho-
of works, of which nothing but the titles have nain Ben Ishak, they were at once adopted through-
been preserved ; so that altogether the number out the East as the standard of medical perfection.
of his distinct treatises cannot have been less than It was probably in a great measure from the influ-
five hundred. Some of these are very short, and ence exercised even in Europe by the Arabic me
he frequently repeats whole passages, with hardly dical writers during the middle ages that Galen's
any variation, in different works ; but still, when popularity was derived ; for, though his opinions
the number of his writings is considered, their in- were universally adopted, yet his writings appear
trinsic excellence, and the variety of the subjects to have been but little read, when compared with
of which he treated (extending not only to every those of Avicenna and Mesue. Of the value of
branch of medical science, but also to ethics, logic, what was done by the Arabic writers towards the
grammar, and other departments of philosophy), explanation and illustration of Galen's works, it is
he has always been justly ranked among the impossible to judge ; as, though numerous trans-
greatest authors that have ever lived. (See Cardan, lations, commentaries, and abridgements are still
De Subtil. lib. xvi. p. 597, ed. 1554. His style extant in different European libraries, none of
is elegant, but diffuse and prolix, and he abounds them have ever been published. If, however, a
in allusions and quotations from the ancient Greek new and critical edition of Galen's works should
poets, philosophers, and historians.
ever be undertaken, these ought certainly to be
At the time when Galen began to devote examined, and would probably be found to be of
himself to the study of medicine, the profession much value ; especially as some of his writings (as
was divided into several sects, which were con- is specified below), of which the Greek text is lost,
stantly disputing with each other. The Dogmatici are still extant in an Arabic translation. Of the
and Empirici had for several centuries been op- immense number of European writers who have
posed to each other ; in the first century B. c. had employed themselves in editing, translating, or il-
arisen the sect of the Methodici ; and shortly lustrating Galen's works, a complete list, up to
before Galen's own time had been founded those of about the middle of the sixteenth century, was
the Eclectici, Pneumatici, and Episynthetici. Ga- made by Conrad Gesner, and prefixed to the
len himself, “ nullius addictus jurare in verba ma- edition of Basil, 1561, fol. : of those enumerated
gistri," attached himself exclusively to none of by him, and of those who have lived since, perhaps
these sects, but chose from the tenets of each what the following may be most deserving of mention :
he believed to be good and true, and called those - Jo. Bapt. Opizo, Andr. Lacuna. Ant. Musa
persons slaves who designated themselves as fol- Brassavolus, Aug. Gadaldinus, Conr. Gesner, Hier.
lowers of Hippocrates, Praxagoras, or any other Gemusaeus, Jac. Sylvius, Janus Cornarius, Nic. Rhe-
man. (De Libr. Propr. c. 1. vol. xiv. p. 13. ) How- ginus, Jo. Bapt. Montanus, John Caius, Jo. Guin-
ever, “ in his general principles," says Dr. Bostock, terius (Andernacus), Thomas Linacre, Theod. Goul-
“ he may be considered as belonging to the Dog-ston, Casp. Hofmann, Ren. Chartier, Alb. Haller,
matic sect, for his method was to reduce all his and C. G. Kühn. Galen's works were first published
knowledge, as acquired by the observation of facts, in a Latin translation, Venet. 1490, fol. 2 vols, ap.
to general theoretical principles. These principles Philipp. Pintium de Caneto; it is printed in black
he indeed professed to deduce from experience and letter, and is said to be scarce. The next Latin
observation, and we have abundant proofs of his edition that deserves to be noticed is that pube
diligence in collecting experience, and his accuracy lished by the Juntas, Venet. 1541, fol. , which was
in making observations ; but still, in a certain reprinted, with additions and improvements, eight
sense at least, he regards individual facts and the (or nine) times within one hundred years. Of
detail of experience as of little value, unconnected these editions, the most valuable are said to be
with the principles which he laid down as the those of the years 1586 (or 1597), 1600, 1609,
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GALENUS.
211
GALENU'S.
and 1625, in five vols. , with the works divided by . It is, however, very far from what it might and
J. Bapt. Montanus into classes, according to their ought to have been, and its critical merits are very
subject-matter, and with the copious Index Rerum lightly esteemed. M. Villiers published a criticism
of Ant. Musa Brassavolus. Another excellent on this edition, entitled, “ Lettre sur l’Edition
Latin edition was published by Froben, Basil
. Grecque et Latine des Oeuvres d'Hippocrate et de
1542, fol. , and reprinted in 1549 and 1561. It Galene," Paris, 1776, 4to.
contains all Galen's works, in eight vols. , divided The latest and most commodious edition is that
into eight classes, and a ninth vol. , consisting of of C. G. Kühn, who with extraordinary boldness, at
the Indices. The reprint of 1561 is considered the age of sixty-four, and at a time when the old
the most valuable, on account of Conrad Gesner's medical authors were more neglected than they are
Prolegomena. The last Latin edition is that pub- at present, ventured to put forth a specimen and a
lished by Vinc. Valgrisius, Venet. 1562, fol. in five prospectus of a work so vast, that any one in the
vols. , edited by Jo. Bapt. Rasarius. Altogether prime of life, and strength, and leisure, might well
(according to Choulant), a Latin version of all shrink from the undertaking. As this scims to be
Galen's works was published once in the fifteenth the most proper place for giving an account of
century, twenty (or twenty-two) times in the six- Kühn's collection, it may be stated that he de-
teenth, and not once since.
signed to publish no less than a complete edition of
The Greek text has been published four times ; all the Greek medical authors whose writings are
twice alone, and twice with a Latin translation. still extant ; a work far too extensive for any
The first edition was the Aldine, published Venet. single man to have undertaken, and which (as
1525, fol. , in five vols. , edited by Jo. Bapt. Opizo might hav been expected) still remains unfinished.
with great care, though containing numerous errors Kühn, however, not only found a publisher rich
and omissions, as might be expected in so large a and liberal enough to undertake the risk and ex-
work.
It is a handsome book, rather scarce, and pense of such a work, but actually lived to see his
much valued ; and contains the Greek text, without collection comprehend the entire works of Galen,
translation, notes, or indices. The next Greek Hippocrates, Aretaeus, and Dioscorides, in twenty-
edition was published in 1538, Basil. ap. Andr. eight thick 8vo. volumes, consisting each of about
Cratandum, fol. , in five vols. , edited by L. Came- eight hundred pages, and of which all but three
rarius, L. Fuchs, and H. Gemusaeus. The text in were edited by himself. But while it is thank-
this edition (which, like the preceding, contains fully acknowledged that Kühn did good service to
neither Latin translation, notes, nor indices) is the ancient medical writers by republishing their
improved by the collation of Greek MSS. and the works in a commodious form, yet at the same time
examination of the Latin versions : the only ad- it must be confessed that the real critical merits
ditional work of Galen's published in this edition of his Collection as a whole are very small. In
is a Latin translation of the treatise De Ossibus. 1818 he published Galen's little work De Optimo
It is a handsome book, and frequently to be met Docendi Genere, Lips. 8vo. , Greek and Latin, as a
with.
specimen of his projected design, and in 1821 the
A very useful and neat edition, in thirteen vols. first volume of his works appeared. The edition
fol. , was printed at Paris, and bears the date of consists of twenty 8vo. volumes (divided into
1679. It contains the whole of the works of twenty-two parts), of which the last contains an
Hippocrates and Galen, mixed up together, and Index, made by F. W. Assmann, and was pub-
divided into thirteen classes, according to the lished in 1833. The first volume contains Acker-
subject-matter. This vast work was undertaken mann's Notitia Literaria Galeni, extracted from the
by René Chartier (Renatus Charterius), a French fifth volume of the new edition of Fabricius's Bite
physician, who published in 1633 (when he had al- liotheca Graeca, and somewhat improved and en-
ready passed his sirtieth year) a programme, en- larged by Kühn. For the correction of the Greek
titled, Inder Operum Galeni quae Latinis duntaxat text little or nothing has been done except in the
Typis in Lucem edita sunt, &c. , begging the loan case of a few particular treatises, and all Chartier's
of such Greek MSS. as he had not an opportunity notes and various readings are omitted. Kühn has
of examining in the public libraries of Paris. The likewise left out many of the spurious works con-
first volume appeared in 1639; but Chartier, tained in Chartier's edition, as also the Fragments,
after impoverishing himself, died in 1654, before and those books which are extant only in Latin ;
the work was completed : the last four volumes but, on the other hand, he has published for the
were published after his death, at the expense of first time the Greek text of the treatise De Muscu-
his son-in-law, and the whole work was at length lorum Dissectione, the Synopsis Librorum de Pul-
finished in 1679, forty years after it had been sibns, and the commentary on Hippocrates De Hue
commenced. This edition is in every respect su- moribus. Upon the whole, the writings of Galen
perior to those that had preceded it, and in some are still in a very corrupt and unsatisfactory state,
points to that which has followed it. It contains a and it is universally acknowledged that a new and
Latin translation, and a few notes, and various critical edition is much wanted.
readings : the text is divided into chapters, and is The project of a new edition of Galen's works
much improved by the collation of MSS. ; it con- has been entertained by several persons, parti-
tains several treatises in Greek and Latin not in- cularly by Caspar Hofmann and Theodore Goul-
cluded in the preceding editions (especially De stone in the seventeenth century. The latter pre-
Jlumoribus, De Ossibus, De Septimestri Partu, De pared several of Galen's smaller works for the
Fusciis, De Clysteribus), several others, much en- press, which were published in one volunie 410.
larged by the insertion of omitted passages (espe- Lond. 1640, after his death, by Thom. Gataker.
cially De Usu Partium, Definitiones Medicae, De Hofmann made very extensive preparations for his
Comate secundum Hippocraten, De Praenotione), and task, and published a copious and valuable com-
a large collection of fragments of Galen's lost works, mentary on the treatise De Usu Partiun. His
extracted from various Greek and Latin writers. | MS. notes, amounting to twenty-seven volumes in
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212
GALENUS.
GALENUS.
1
folio, are said to have come into the possession of the latter of these MSS. seems to have been
Dr. Askew ; they do not, however, appear in the copied from the former by Jac. Golius, and contains
catalogue of his sale, nor has the writer been able only the six last books; the other contains the
to discover whether they are still in existence; whole work. (See London Medical Gazette for
for while the continental physicians universally 1844, 1845, p. 329. ) There were more than one
believe them to be still somewhere in England, no edition of this treatise ; the first was written during
one in this country to whom he has applied knows Galen's first visit to Rome, soon after the beginning
any thing about them.
of the reign of M. Aurelius, about A. D. 164; the
Galen's extant works have been classified in last some time before the same emperor's death,
various ways. In the old edition of his Bibliotheca A. D. 180. (Galen, De Adminstr. Anal. i. 1, vol. ii.
Graeca, Fabricius enumerated them in alphabetical p. 215, &c. ) 5. Nepl 'OOTWY Tols Eloa youévois,
order, which perhaps for convenience of reference De Ossibus' ad Tirones (vol. ii. ). The work con-
is as useful a mode as any. Ackermann in the new tains a tolerably accurate account of the bones,
edition of Fabricius has mentioned them, as far as though in some parts it appears clearly that he was
possible, in chronological order ; which is much less describing the skeleton" of the ape. 6. Περί
practically useful than the alphabetical arrange- Φλεβαν και 'Αρτηριών Ανατομής, De Tenarκm
ment (inasmuch as the difficulty of finding the Arteriarum Dissectione (vol. ii. ). 7. Nepi Neúpwr
account of any particular treatise is very much in- 'Avatouřis, De Nerrorum Dissectione (vol. i. ).
creased), but which, if it could be ascertained com- 8. Nepl Mvwv 'Avatouñs, De Musculorum Dis-
pletely and certainly, would be a far more natural sectione (vol. xviii. pt. 2. ). 9. Tepe Mútpas ’Ara-
and interesting one. In most of the editions of Touns, De Uteri Dissectione (vol. i. ). 10. Ei kata
his works, the treatises are arranged in classes ac- Φύσιν έν 'Αρτηρίαις Αίμα περιέχεται, Αη τη Ar-
cording to the subject-matter, which, upon the teriis secundum Naturam Sanguis contincatur (vol.
whole, seems to be the mode most suitable for the pre- ir. ). 11. Tepl Mvæv Kirhoews, De Musculorum
sent work. The number and contents of the diffe- Motu (vol. iv. ). 12. Nepi L-épuatos, De Semine
rent classes vary (as might be expected) according (vol. iv. ). 13. Tepi Xpelas Twv év 'Avparou
to the judgment of different editors, and the classi- Lauatı Mopíwv, De Usu Partium Corporis Ha-
fication which the writer has adopted does not ex- mani, in seventeen books (vols. ill. and iv. ). This
actly agree with any of the preceding ones. The is Galen's principal physiological work, and was
treatises in each class will, as far as possible, be probably begun about A. D. 165 (Gal. De Libr
arranged chronologically, thus combining, in some | Propr. c. 2. vol. xix. p. 15, 16), and finished after
degree, the advantage of Ackermann's arrange the year 170. (Ibid. p. 20. ) It is no less admirablo
ment; while the number of works contained in for the deep religious feeling with which it is
each class will not generally be so great as to occa- written, than for the scientific knowledge and
sion much inconvenience from their not being acuteness displayed in it; and is altogether a noble
enumerated alphabetically. A8 Kühn's edition work. Theophilus Protospatharius published a sort
of Galen (which is likely to be the one most of abridgment of the work under the title lepi
in use
for many years to come) extends to της του Ανθρώπου Κατασκευής, De Corporis Hu-
twenty-one volumes, it has been thought useful mani Fabrica. (THEOPHILI'S PROTOSPATHARIUS. ]
to mention in which of these each treatise is to be 14. llepi 'Orophoews 'Oprávou, De Odoratus
found.
Instrumento (vol. ii. ). 15. Περί Χρείας 'Αναπνσης,
De Usu Respirationis (vol. iv. ). 16. Tepi Xpelas
III. Works on ANATOMY AND PHTSIOLOGY. Lovy@v, De l'su Pulsuum (vol. v. ). His other
works on the pulse, which treat rather of its use in
1. Tepl Kpágewv, De Temperamentis, in three diagnosis, are mentioned in Class VI. 17. 071
books (vol. i. ed. Kuhn). For the editions of | τα της Ψυχής "Ήθη ταις του Σώματος Κράσεσιν
each separate treatise, and the commentaries that Femal, Quod Animi Mores Corporis Tempera-
have been published, see Choulant's Handbuch der menta sequantur (vol. iv. ). 18. Depi Kvovuévwv
Bücherkunde für die Aeitere Medicin, Haller's Alaaloews, De Foetuum Formatione (vol. iv. ).
Bibliothecue, and Ackermann's Historia Literaria, 19. Ei Zwov tò kata rastpós, An Animal sit,
prefixed to Kübn's edition. The best account of quod est in Utero (vol. xix. ); generally considered
the Arabic, Syriac, Armenian, and Persian trans- to be spurious. 20. De Anatomia Virorum (vol.
lations, will be found in J. G. Wenrich's treatise iv. ed. Chart. ) ; spurious. 21. De Compagine Mem-
De Auctorum Graecorum Versionibus et Commen- brorum, sive De Natura Humana (vol. v. ed.
tariis Syriacis, Arabicis, &c. Lips. 1842. 8vo. Chart. ); spurious. 22. De Natura et Ordine
2. Tepl Menaivns Xoañis, De Atra Bile (vol. v. ). cujuslibet Corporis (vol. v. ed. Chart. ) ; spurious.
3. liepa Avvápewe PUOIKW, De Facultatibus 23. De Motibus Manifestis et Obscuris (vol. v.
Naturalibus, in three books (vol. ii. ). 4. llepied.