Note 379 — Chapter I · THE MEDICINE OF THE GREEKS BEFORE THE TIME OF HIPPOCRATES.

Dr. Puschmann, in his History of Medical Education, p. 42, translates this passage: “Castration will I not carry out even on those who suffer from stone, but leave this to those people who make a business of it.” The words in the Greek are οὐ τεμέω δὲ ουδὲ μὴν λιθιῶντας, and much controversy has been excited by them. Some commentators of great authority think the passage forbids castration, as disgraceful things are being spoken of, such as giving poisons and procuring abortion. Certainly there is no reason for supposing that the doctors of the period would object to perform lithotomy though it is the fact that there was a class of operators who were a sort of unscientific specialists in the practice.