Italy the harvest and the
vintage withered on the ground."[31]
The spread of disease from East to West was again exemplified in the
Middle Ages, in the time of the Crusades, when the Crusaders carried
home diseases to their native lands. The Knights of St. John, it is
interesting to observe, superintended hospitals at home, and wore the
white dress which in earlier times had distinguished the Asclepiades.
_Moschion_ probably lived in the sixth century, and was a specialist in
diseases of women. His writings were studied when Soranus was forgotten,
but in course of time it was discovered that Moschion's work was nothing
but an abbreviated translation of the works of Soranus. "Further, it is
held by Weber and Ermerins that even the original Moschion is not based
directly on Soranus, but on a work on diseases of women written in the
fourth century by Caelius Aurelianus, who in his turn drew from
Soranus.... It is interesting to follow the history of this book through
its various stages in the light of these different editions, and we
would suggest that the first Latin version, for the use of
Latin-speaking matrons and midwives, was produced before the fall of the
Western Empire in the fifth century; its Greek sister just fits in with
the development of Eastern or Greek-speaking Empire at Constantinople in
the sixth century; and the version in barbarous Latin points to a later
period, when learning was beginning to make way again in Western
Europe."[32] Moschion's book is a catechism consisting of 152 questions
and answers.
_Paulus AEgineta_ was the last, and one of the most famous, of the Greek
physicians. He was born probably in the seventh century in the island of
AEgina, but there is some doubt as to the exact period in which he lived.
He quotes Alexander of Tralles and AEtius, and therefore lived at a later
period than they did, either in the sixth or seventh century. The works
of Paulus are compilations, but reveal the skill and learning of the
author. He wrote several books, but only one, and that the principal,
remains, and is known by the title of "De Re Medica Libri Septem." Dr.
Adams, of Banchory, translated this book for the Sydenham Society, and
the introduction shows the scope of the work: "In the first book you
will find everything that relates to hygiene, and to the preservation
from, and correction of, distempers peculiar to the various ages,
reasons, temperaments, and so forth; also the powers and use
|