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THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY. 153
vations and experiences, made by him in his practice of many
years' duration and shows us in the author a man combining
a correct judgment with extensive knowledge. The
compendium of general medical science composed with
great originality and independence by PAULUS vEGINETA
belongs to the seventh century and, particularly in its
surgical sections, is of great value, since the operative
attainments of the surgeons of that period are fully
described therein.*
The medical writings of the Byzantines bore almost
without exception the stamp of superficiality and consisted,
like the works of MELETIUS, THEOPHANES NONNUS, SIMON
SETH, NIKETAS, DEMETRIUS PEPAGOMENUS, NICOLAUS
MYREPSUS and others, to a large extent of compilations
made without judgment, and collections of receipts. A
tendency to encyclopaedic literature developed itself
about the same time, finding representatives in PHOTIUS,
MICHAEL PSELLUS and others: the same inclination
was shown also in the Origines of ISIDORE of Seville and
the Elementa Philosophise of the monk BEDA. The
Encyclopaedists skimmed over all sciences, discoursed of
God and the world, of heaven and earth : they began with
theology and ended with the art of cooking. They drew
even medicine into the field of their observation ; but they
seldom did more than furnish a catalogue of names for
things with which they were really but slightly acquainted.
The medicine of the Byzantines came to a worthy conclusion
in the person of JOHANNES ACTUARIUS whose
writings on the urine and on the physiology and pathology
of the mind are allied both in substance and form to the
best literary performances of the Greeks.t He appeared
as HAESER says "like the last flickerings of a dying flame "
shortly before the Turks erased for centuries the glorious
name of the Greeks from the history of nations.
* F. ADAMS: The seven books of PAULUS ,/EGINETA, London 1844-47.
t J. L. IDELER : Physici et medici Graeci minores, Berlin 1841-42, i, pp. 312-
386. ii, 1-193, 353-463.