Page:The growth of medicine from the earliest times to about 1800.djvu/138

Erasistratus, the contemporary of Herophilus and his associate in the work of establishing at Alexandria a great anatomical and clinical medical school, was a native of Julis, in the Island of Ceos, not far from the coast of Attica. In the earlier part of his professional career he spent some time at the Court of Seleucus, the founder of the Syrian monarchy (312-280 B. C.). This monarch, who had been one of Alexander the Great's distinguished generals, consigned the government of the eastern part of his vast kingdom to his son Antiochus. The latter fell ill about this time, and the most distinguished physicians of the Court were then called in to determine what was the nature of his malady and to decide upon the proper treatment. The patient grew more and more languid, showed complete indifference to all that took place about him, and steadily lost flesh. Erasistratus, who was one of the physicians summoned, observed his behavior very closely and soon noted the fact that, whenever Stratonice, his young and attractive stepmother, entered the sick room, Antiochus became agitated; his face being flushed, his voice subdued, his pulse more rapid, and his eyes brighter, all of which signs of excitement disappeared when Stratonice left the room. From these phenomena this shrewd observer drew the inference that the patient was deeply but hopelessly in love with his father's second wife. Accordingly he informed Seleucus that his son's illness was simply the result of having lost his heart to one who was unable to return his affection. Seleucus, who was much astonished, asked with deep interest who was the lady. "My wife," replied Erasistratus, without an instant's hesitation. "But tell me then," asked Seleucus, "would you be willing to cause the death of my son, who is so very dear to me, by refusing to give up your wife to him?" "Would you, yourself, my lord, under similar circumstances," replied the physician, "be willing to give up Stratonice to the Prince, if it had been she with whom he had fallen in love?" Seleucus having already vowed that he would not hesitate for a moment to do so, Erasistratus declared the whole truth to him, and of course there was nothing left for the