Note 98 — L. THE PERSISTENCE OF FILTH REMEDIES

Hippocrates did not believe that epilepsy was a “divine” disease, sent by the gods; such an idea was, in his opinion, fostered by quacks for personal advantage.—(See the edition of his work by Francis Adams, Sydenham Society, London, 1849.)

“Nothing could tend more to retard the progress of medicine, and paralyze all efforts for its improvement, than the opinion, once so generally entertained, of the celestial origin of disease, which, if admitted, appears necessarily to demand divine interposition for its relief. Religion and medicine were both brought into contempt by the adoption of sacrifices and incantations and the mercenary practices of the priests to insure intercession with the gods.”—(“Medic. Superstitions,” Pettigrew, p. 45.)