12 S. I. FEB. 12, 1916. J
NOTES AND QUERIES.
123
entered directly into their religious observ-
ances brought the science of botany within
their ken. The first-hand technical know-
ledge derived from inducting infants into
the Covenant, and from Taharns, or the
ritual process of killing animals for food,
opened the road to the study of anatomy and
diseases. The various injunctions in the
Scriptures regarding women created gynae-
cology. In osteology and in embryology the
Rabbins made remarkable discoveries, having
regard to the prevailing level of scientific
possibility in those remote times. They
counted the bones, and made them equal to
the number of affirmative precepts in the
Torah. The disciples of one Rabbi actually
procured the body of a woman to practise
upon for research work. They insisted
on original work only (Chulin, 94 a). The
result was that ? long before modern
science had noted the laws of morphological
and biological developments in internal
structures and their direct associations with
the pathology of tissues and external sur-
faces, the Hebrew physicians in Talmudic
times had already built up a sound body of
reliable data out of their daily experiments
in Millah (initiation) and in Tahurus
(hygienic science). Autopsy of slaughtered
beasts, which is a religious duty of cardinal
importance, led to the detection of degene-
racy in the meat in its initial stages, and
animals so affected were (and are to-day)
rejected as trifa (unfit). Opportunities of
directly acquiring knowledge of medicine
were obviously circumscribed. Science won
in the long ran, as can be shown from the
identical sources whence illustrations of
dragon-lore, &c., were obtained, viz., from
the pages of the Talmud itself. Much of the
foregoing is the embodiment of passages
in Tractate Chulin and elsewhere; but many
others might be quoted. Autopsy or bedikka,
and the act of examining the lungs, called
riah (Chulin, 47 b), provide the nuclei of
Kosher and Trifa. If the lungs adhere in
the minutest degree to the ribs ; if they are
abnormal in number and size ; or if any foreign
substance, such as a nail, is found in any
part of the carcase, the animal is immediately
condemned by the schouchet (operator).
This rigid autopsy makes meat prepared
more Judai.o an expensive business ;
but it has immeasurable advantages in
promoting the general hygiene and the
longevity of the people. Again, too, the
Abraham ic rite showed the way to the attain-
ment of proficiency in pathology, for it is
directed in the Gemara that the operation
shall be postponed sine die in the case of
infants suffering from incipient symptoms of
haemophilia, ophthalmia, tetanus, or jaundice^
The pathological diagnoses and experiments
of earlier times with regard to these
dangerous complaints have been the means
of saving many lives, notwithstanding that
this order is in direct contravention of one of
the three cardinal tenets of Judaism.
The doctors of the Talmud started out with one dominant principle. Prevention they rated higher than the cure of disease. . For instance, they are scrupulous about sanitation : "A fine dwelling, a handsome wife, and fine furniture raise a man socially ' r (Berachoth). They made a point of dieting patients (Pesachim, 42 a and 42 b). They directed persons suffering from heart trouble to be sparing in starchy foods and wine. Certain others were put off melons and nuts (Berachoth). They wrote about zayvel (diarrhoea) and haemorrhage (dom harbei), and gave instructions as to dieting accord- ingly. Honey and similar substances were administered by the Rabbins (Yoma, 83 bj- in boluses, &c., to persons prostrated by starvation.
The Hebrew ladies were permitted on the Day of Atonement to bring with them to the Temple services salt lozenges (galgal maylach) (Shobbos, 64 b and 65 a). The men were allowed on that day to have with them bags of pepper or ginger to freshen up their nerves (Yoma, 81 b). Salt lozenges and pepper were used as tooth powders (Shobbos r 65 a).
Many of the rules and ordinances aforesaid were more or less empirical, no doubt ; but the Rabbins had to square the end to the means, and they did. They gave directions how to treat retching, giddiness,, and headache, mainly with change or sus- pension of diet, and modern practice has followed on their lines, more or less. They understood all about the Caesarean operation, and invented various instruments, such as splints and crutches, for the relief of suffering humanity and even of animals, as the follow- ing anecdote shows. Rabbi Shimmon ben Chalafta had a very valuable hen that dis- located its thigh-bone. After consultation with his medical friends he constructed a splint of bamboo cane, and it recovered (gnassa shefouffress shel konay, vechoiyesah). They had an elementary knowledge of anaes- thetics and administered sleeping draughts. They practised vivisection on animals ; they had some theories on psychology (Yebamoth, 9 a). Reference is made to* diseases of the ear in Tractate Sabbath. They insisted on medical examinations, and
