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l88 THE MIDDLE AGES. ..v., ,-
Lombards, Franks, Burgundians, and other German races,
from their homes into the countries subdued by them soo$
became mingled with all which had been bequeathed tQ
these countries by former periods of civilizatiq|. The
readiness with which the conquerors took to the higher
education of the conquered shows that they were sufficiently I
prepared and ripe to receive the same. Their medical
science grew up into that system of medicine, which the
Greeks and Romans had established. * Only among the
people were certain traces preserved of the therapeutic |
lore of the Celtic, Basque, Gaelic, Gothic, and Anglo- |
Saxon races.
In the laws of the Visigoths, which, partly committed ;
to writing in the fifth century, contained without doubt
much matter of Roman origin, it was laid down* how
much the doctor should demand for different cases e.g. J
the operation for cataract. Before undertaking such a
case, he made an agreement with the patient or his %
relatives, in which the professional fee was fixed ;^but he
could only claim it if the treatment proved successful' 1
In the other case he had to answer for an unfortunate
issue. If the death of a slave resulted from his,treatment
he was obliged to replace the loss; if it was a
question of injury inflicted on the health or life of a free- J
born citizen, he was condemned to a corresponding fine or
given over for punishment to the relatives of the injured
or dead. It is indicative of the social position of the
doctor that he might see and examine females of the
position of freewomen only in the presence of their
relatives, for fear he should misuse such occasions by :•
improper behaviour.
The Visigothic law contains also rules concerning moral J
responsibility, as to the punishment for crimes against the
person e.g., wounding and mutilation, about cases of procuring
abortion, and in regard to sexual transgressions^
* Leg. Wisigoth, lib. xi, tit. i, de medicis et segrotis.—F. DAHN : Westgothische
Studien, Wurzburg 1874, S. 3, 61, 145, 220, 222, 230 etc.