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MEDICINE AMONG THE GERMANS. 195
astronomy, and music. These were called the Trivium and
the Quadrivium. The conceptions formed of these subjects
of education did not however by any means correspond
with those of to-day; thus, in rhetoric, for example, not
only the elementary principles of oratory were taught, but
the Latin official style was practised, for the priests of that
time drew up documents and attended to the affairs of
government offices. The study of jurisprudence and of
the laws was frequently added to this. By geometry was
understood chiefly geography and physical geography, a
knowledge of which HRABANUS MAURUS considered
especially useful for doctors, since they might thus be able
to learn the special climatic conditions of different localities
and the position of particular places, and to make use of
such knowledge in giving directions to their patients*
Instruction in the natural sciences was combined with
these subjects, the most important of the matters
known at that time in the three natural kingdoms, in
anthropology, and in meteorology, being taught. Later
on, schools were founded wherever there was a parish.
The instruction was limited to elementary subjects. When
towns began to come into a flourishing state, at the end of
the 12th century, town-schools arose, aiming at the same
objects in education as the monastic and religious schools
and even surpassing them in performance.
Such was the preliminary training, which the educated
doctors of that time possessed, especially when they
belonged to the priestly order. That alongside of these
there were many practitioners who were devoid of such
admits of no doubt. The great majority of empirics had
no knowledge of medical literature and learned medicine
as a handicraft. Scientific work in medicine was in an
extremely low state. The treasures of knowledge,
inherited from ancient times were not increased, nay,
were not even preserved intact. No experimental investi-
* SPECHT op. cit. S. 145.—ST. FELLNER: Compendium der Naturwissenschaften
an der Schule zu Fulda im 10 Jahrhundert, Berlin 1879, s - 28.