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THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN ROME. 129
Certain material advantages and privileges were granted
to the free doctors as it was recognized how useful and
important the healing art is to the general good. When
C-ESAR, during a famine which fell upon Rome in the year
46 B.C., ordered the expulsion of foreigners he expressly
excepted the doctors and teachers from this general rule
"so that they should be all the more willing to dwell in the
city and even should induce others to come and live there."*
The Emperor AUGUSTUS granted to the doctors in 10.A.D.
immunity from taxes and other burdens, professedly in
recognition of the successful treatment of an obstinate
rheumatic complaint carried out on him by his bodyphysician
MuSA, an enthusiastic advocate of hydrotherapeutics.f
VESPASIAN renewed or confirmed this privilege
and HADRIAN published rules defining the immunities
bestowed on doctors.J
From this ordinance which was renewed under
ANTONINUS PIUS, we learn that they were exempt from
bearing various offices entailing expenditure of time and
money, as that of overseer of the public games, the aedileship,
and the priestly function : they were also free from
having soldiers quartered on them and from military service
: moreover they were not compelled to contribute to
the purchase of grain and oil, when this was done by the
State, to execute the functions of judge or legate or to
perform any military or other public service.§ ANTONINUS
PIUS ordained however at the same time that these extensive
privileges should not be granted to all doctors without
distinction but only to a certain definite number of them.
It was decreed that in smaller towns only five, in middlesized
towns seven, and in larger ones ten doctors should
enjoy this immunity and that at any time on their being
* SUETON : J. Caesar, c. 42.
t DION CASSILS liii, 3O.~SUETON: Augustus, c. 59.—HORAT : Epist. i, 15.
X Digest. 1, tit. 4. de muner. et honor, lex 18, 30.
§ Digest, xxvii. tit. 1. de excusat., c. 6, 8.—E. KUHN : Die stadtische und
burgerl. Verfassung des rom. Reiches, Leipzig 1864, i, S. 69 et seq.
K