登陆注册
5463700000044

第44章 CHAPTER IV THE RENAISSANCE AND THE RISE OF ANATOMY

THE "reconquest of the classic world of thought was by far the most important achievement of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It absorbed nearly the whole mental energy of the Italians.... The revelation of what men were and what they wrought under the influence of other faiths and other impulses, in distant ages with a different ideal for their aim, not only widened the narrow horizon of the Middle Ages, but it also restored self-confidence to the reason of humanity."[1]

[1] J. A. Symonds: The Renaissance in Italy; the Revival of Learning, 1877, p. 52.

Everywhere throughout the Middle Ages learning was the handmaid of theology. Even Roger Bacon with his strong appeal for a new method accepted the dominant mediaeval conviction--that all the sciences did but minister to their queen, Theology. A new spirit entered man's heart as he came to look upon learning as a guide to the conduct of life. A revolution was slowly effected in the intellectual world. It is a mistake to think of the Renaissance as a brief period of sudden fruitfulness in the North Italian cities. So far as science is concerned, the thirteenth century was an aurora followed by a long period of darkness, but the fifteenth was a true dawn that brightened more and more unto the perfect day. Always a reflex of its period, medicine joined heartily though slowly in the revolt against mediaevalism. How slowly I did not appreciate until recently. Studying the earliest printed medical works to catch the point of view of the men who were in the thick of the movement up to 1480-- which may be taken to include the first quarter of a century of printing-- one gets a startling record. The mediaeval mind still dominates: of the sixty-seven authors of one hundred and eighty-two editions of early medical books, twenty-three were men of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, thirty men of the fifteenth century, eight wrote in Arabic, several were of the School of Salernum, and only six were of classical antiquity, viz., Pliny (first 1469), Hippocrates (1473) [Hain [*]7247], Galen (1475) [Hain 7237], Aristotle (1476), Celsus (1478), and Dioscorides (1478).[**]

[*] This asterisk is used by Hain to indicate that he had seen a copy.--Ed.

[**] Data added to a manuscript taken from the author's summary on "Printed Medical Books to 1480" in Transactions of the Bibliographical Society, London, 1916, XIII, 5-8, revised from its "News-Sheet" (February, 1914). "Of neither Hippocrates nor Galen is there an early edition; but in 1473 at Pavia appeared an exposition of the Aphorisms of Hippoerates, and in 1475 at Padua an edition of the Tegni or Notes of Galen." Ibid., p. 6.

Osler's unfinished Illustrated Monograph on this subject is now being printed for the Society of which he was President.--Ed.

The medical profession gradually caught the new spirit. It has been well said that Greece arose from the dead with the New Testament in the one hand and Aristotle in the other. There was awakened a perfect passion for the old Greek writers, and with it a study of the original sources, which had now become available in many manuscripts. Gradually Hippocrates and Galen came to their own again. Almost every professor of medicine became a student of the MSS. of Aristotle and of the Greek physicians, and before 1530 the presses had poured out a stream of editions. A wave of enthusiasm swept over the profession, and the best energies of its best minds were devoted to a study of the Fathers. Galen became the idol of the schools. A strong revulsion of feeling arose against the Arabians, and Avicenna, the Prince, who had been clothed with an authority only a little less than divine, became anathema. Under the leadership of the Montpellier School, the Arabians made a strong fight, but it was a losing battle all along the line. This group of medical humanists--men who were devoted to the study of the old humanities, as Latin and Greek were called-- has had a great and beneficial influence upon the profession. They were for the most part cultivated gentlemen with a triple interest--literature, medicine and natural history. How important is the part they played may be gathered from a glance at the "Lives" given by Bayle in his "Biographic Medicale" (Paris, 1855) between the years 1500 and 1575. More than one half of them had translated or edited works of Hippocrates or Galen; many of them had made important contributions to general literature, and a large proportion of them were naturalists: Leonicenus, Linacre, Champier, Fernel, Fracastorius, Gonthier, Caius, J. Sylvius, Brasavola, Fuchsius, Matthiolus, Conrad Gesner, to mention only those I know best, form a great group. Linacre edited Greek works for Aldus, translated works of Galen, taught Greek at Oxford, wrote Latin grammars and founded the Royal College of Physicians.[*] Caius was a keen Greek scholar, an ardent student of natural history, and his name is enshrined as co-founder of one of the most important of the Cambridge colleges. Gonthier, Fernel, Fuchs and Mattioli were great scholars and greater physicians. Champier, one of the most remarkable of the group, was the founder of the Hotel Dieu at Lyons, and author of books of a characteristic Renaissance type and of singular bibliographical interest. In many ways greatest of all was Conrad Gesner, whose mors inopinata at forty-nine, bravely fighting the plague, is so touchingly and tenderly mourned by his friend Caius.[2] Physician, botanist, mineralogist, geologist, chemist, the first great modern bibliographer, he is the very embodiment of the spirit of the age.[2a] On the flyleaf of my copy of the "Bibliotheca Universalis" (1545), is written a fine tribute to his memory. I do not know by whom it is, but I do know from my reading that it is true:

[*] Cf. Osler: Thomas Linacre, Cambridge University Press, 1908.--Ed.

[2] Joannis Caii Britanni de libris suis, etc., 1570.

[2a] See J. C. Bay: Papers Bibliog. Soc. of America, 1916, X, No. 2, 53-86.

同类推荐
  • 襄阳记

    襄阳记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Biographical Study of A. W. Kinglake

    Biographical Study of A. W. Kinglake

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 信佛功德经

    信佛功德经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洪恩灵济真君事实

    洪恩灵济真君事实

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 辽海丛书附录

    辽海丛书附录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 孙中山与中国同盟会的建立

    孙中山与中国同盟会的建立

    《孙中山与中国同盟会的建立》旨在传播中华五千年优秀传统文化,提高全民文化修养。该书在深入挖掘和整理中华优秀传统文化成果的同时,结合社会发展,注入了时代精神。书中优美生动的文字、简明通俗的语言、图文并茂的形式,把中国文化中的物态文化、制度文化、行为文化、精神文化等知识要点全面展示给读者。
  • 逆天系统之农女修仙

    逆天系统之农女修仙

    顾青青摔了一跤,这一摔直接摔到了前世,回到了几千年前的古代,同时还得到了一个系统。作为一个爹娘疼爱,还有两个哥哥的她表示很幸福,可却发现这个家穷的叮当响,还好她有系统能赚钱!然而……原来这个世界可以修仙?怎么一个个的极品全都冒了出来?更重要的是,那个男人,对就是你,你到底是是哪里来的自信啊?“娘子,我会对你好的。”男人有些羞意的说道。“等等,谁是你娘子了?”“娘子,不要生气,我会负责的,你放心,我明天就去提亲。”“等等,我又要你负责吗?”“娘子你放心,我会早点让你有孩子的。”“等等,我要孩子了吗?不对,是我跟你有关系吗?”【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 凶尸实录

    凶尸实录

    白龙桥诡事引出往事重重,她是新手凶尸,艰难的求存都市,守着永生的秘密,只为等到一个答案。本文又名《为了生活我们无所不能》不着调师兄工地搬砖、贫穷剑修在线打错人、妖界代购嘤嘤怪……为了生活,陆归途捡起学业,埋头苦干。毕竟,生活它还得继续。
  • 七里樱

    七里樱

    年少时,我们,似乎成为了世界的主角,遗憾过,苦恼过,伤心心过,但庆幸的是在那个即将逝去的青春里,你世界的男主随着四季辗转在你身旁,陪你笑,陪你哭……终有一天,你发现他只是喜欢你身边的那个人而已…“你知道的,我喜欢她哎。”“没事…”至少我的青春,你来过就好。
  • 生活的序列号

    生活的序列号

    《生活的序列号》是一部散文集,共收作品40篇,包括《第四类痛觉》、《声声慢——昆曲》、《人间已千年》、《舟山之舟普陀潮》等。文章内容涉及身边琐事、生活细节、日常情景,反映了象山半岛的风物、风情及各行各业的基层劳动者的生活状态。
  • 摩诃般若波罗蜜经

    摩诃般若波罗蜜经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 圈子圈套1:战局篇

    圈子圈套1:战局篇

    洪钧从一个底层的销售人员成为著名跨国公司的中国区代理首席代表,在即将被扶正,事业情感都志得意满的时候,掉入俞威设计的圈套,跌入职场与情场的双重深渊。两个昔日好友因为同在一个圈子,而成为夙敌。
  • 拜见观主大人

    拜见观主大人

    醒来就成为一观之主,但这个道观却只有一个观主。所幸上天可怜,赠送系统,剑指巅峰。但狗血的是得到系统的同时,被限制活动范围。这百万门徒宏愿,岂不是遥遥无期?
  • 丧尸策划者

    丧尸策划者

    (不定时更新)主角于晓流,是个感染后却变化不大的感染者。嘴上说着无情,但心底却是善良的。感染者们对他没兴趣,但被他身边的几位女感染者吸引。他们一起结识了很多感染后的同类,大家多多少少都有了些理智。病毒多点爆发,南方建立了安全区守了下来。这是个有希望的末世,于晓流幸运的留下了人的思维,天然的成为了这场灾难中的亮点。随着感染者的理智恢复,构建人和感染者之间的继续生存。是推动抗体的研发,恢复到正常的人,还是继续自由自在的闲游,帮助一波人过起惬意的田园生活?普通感染者特征:肤白,体能人类极限,咬人,红眸,心跳平时缓慢,伤口修复缓慢,不是活死人。——安全区疫苗研制,回归和丧尸,双结局选择。这是个有希望的末世。欢迎加入QQ阅读《丧尸策划者》书友群≧﹏≦,群聊号码:661557675(正版在QQ阅读,其他的都是盗版,请大家懂得支持正版,有正版意识。)
  • 好日子离不开理财学

    好日子离不开理财学

    老百姓居家过日子,讲究细水长流,用金融专业人员的说法这就叫理财。到底怎么理财,有什么好的方法来理财,相信大家各有各的高招。经常会听到很多人说,自己不善于理财。其实,在日常生活中,每天与柴米油盐打交道,就已经在理财了。过日子理财要从点滴做起,只要留心。时时处处都能省下银子。