Reference: Medicine
Fausets
The physicians in Genesis 1 were Egyptian embalmers. Physic was often associated with superstition; this was Asa's fault, "he sought not unto Jehovah but to the physicians" (2Ch 16:12). Luke "the beloved physician" practiced at Antioch, the center between the schools of Cilicia (Tarsus) and Alexandria. Ecclesiastes (Ec 12:6) uses language which under the Spirit (whatever Solomon knew or did not know) expresses scientific truth: "the silver cord" is the spinal marrow, white and precious as silver, attached to the brain which is "the golden bowl." The "fountain" may mean the right ventricle of the heart, the "cistern" the left, the "pitcher" the veins, the "wheel" the aorta or great artery. The "wheel"' however may mean life in its rapid motion, as Jas 3:6, "the wheel of nature." The circulation of the blood is apparently expressed.
The washing's, the restriction in diet to clean animals and the prohibition of pork, the separation of lepers, the laws of marriage and married intercourse (Leviticus 15), the cleanliness of the camp (De 23:12-14), and the comprehension of all varieties of healthful climate in Palestine, account for Israel's general exemption from epidemics and remarkable healthiness. The healing art in the Old Testament seems mainly to consist in external applications for wounds, etc. balm abounded in Gilead, and therefore many physicians settled there. Jer 8:22, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health (lengthening out) of the daughter of my people gone up (Hebrew)?" i.e., why is not the long bandage applied? or why is not the health come up again, as skin coming up over a wound in healing? (See BALM.)
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And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity! The tongue among our members is that which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of life, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Hastings
Palestine was probably a comparatively healthy country in Bible times, as it is now. Its natural features in most localities would protect it from the usual endemic diseases of Oriental lands, and its want of harbours would to a great extent prevent the importation of epidemics (contrast the reputation of Egypt, as attested by De 7:15; 28:50; Am 4:10); moreover, the legislation of the Priestly Code, if it was ever observed, would have operated to prevent the spread of disease, and the existence of far-reaching destitution. These provisions, and the common occurrence of external and internal warfare, must also have tended to eliminate overcrowding as a cause of disease; but the ratio of population to area in ancient times is very difficult to estimate; the figures in 1Ch 21:5 and 2Sa 4:9 are clearly untrustworthy.
1. Jews believed in a definite connexion between health and virtue (cf. Isa 58:8; Jer 8:15,22). Disease was popularly regarded as penal (Joh 9:2), and as sent by God either directly (Ex 4:11; De 32:39) or permissively by means of others (Job 2:7; Mr 9:17,25). It might also be caused by human envy (Job 5:2), or by bodily excess (Sir 37:30-31), but even so its vera causa was God's direct authorization.
Under these circumstances healing was treated as a token of Divine forgiveness (Ex 15:26). And the connexion of priest with physician was correspondingly close. On the whole, the medical knowledge of the Bible peoples was very defective; nor are there any traces of medical education in Palestine. Jacob was embalmed by Egyptian physicians (Ge 50:2), but there must probably have been some Jewish practitioners at the time when Ex 21:19 was compiled. The word in Jer 8:22 means a 'bandager.' The writer of 2Ch 16:12 seems to take the extreme view that it was a sin to consult physicians, but saner ideas are represented in Sir 38:2. Still, it may be doubted whether medical duties were not usually performed by priests (as in early Egypt), at any rate in the earlier OT times; certainly the priests had the supervision in the case of certain diseases, e.g. leprosy; and prophets also were applied to for medical advice (cf. 1Ki 14:2; 17:18; 2Ki 4:22; 20:7). And even in Sir 38:14 the physician is regarded as having certain priestly duties, and the connexion between religion and medicine is seen in the counsel, given in that same chapter, that repentance and an offering shall precede the visit of the physician. In the NT we have St. Luke described as a physician (Col 4:14), and a somewhat depreciatory remark on physicians in Mt 5:26, which, however, is much toned down in Lu 8:43.
It is therefore probable that up till late times medicine was in the charge of the priests, whose knowledge must have been largely traditional and empirical. The sacrificial ritual would give them some knowledge of animal morphology, but human anatomy can scarcely have existed as a science at all, since up to about a.d. 100 the ceremonial objections to touching or dissecting the dead prevailed. Thus Bible references to facts of anatomy and physiology are very few in number. Blood was tabooed as food (Ge 9:4; Le 17:11)
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But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
And his fame went forth into all Syria; and they brought to him all that were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were possessed by demons, and lunatics, and those who were struck with palsy; and he healed them.
And his fame went forth into all Syria; and they brought to him all that were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were possessed by demons, and lunatics, and those who were struck with palsy; and he healed them.
Truly do I say to thee, Thou wilt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the last farthing.
and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home palsied, sorely tormented.
And, lo! a great tempest arose on the lake, so that the boat was almost covered by the waves; but he was sleeping.
But when he heard that, he said, They who are well do not need a physician, but they who are sick.
And, lo! a woman, who had had an issue of blood for twelve years, came up behind, and touched the fringe of his garment.
And as they were going out, lo! they brought to him a dumb man, possessed by a demon.
And, lo! there was a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might accuse him.
Then was brought to him one possessed by a demon, blind and dumb; and he healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw.
How can ye, evil as ye are, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Lord, have compassion on my son; for he is a lunatic, and is sorely afflicted; for he often falleth into the fire, and often into the water.
For there are eunuchs, who were so born from their mothers womb; and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs, who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
And the blind and lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them.
Serpents, brood of vipers! how can ye escape the punishment of hell?
naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came to me.
they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall; and when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
And one of them immediately ran and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink.
And he entered again into a synagogue; and there was a man there having a withered hand;
and had undergone much at the hands of many physicians, and spent all that she had, and was not at all benefited, but rather grew worse,
And they bring to him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech, and beseech him to lay his hand upon him.
And they come to Bethsaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him.
And one of the multitude answered him, Teacher, I have brought to thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit. And wherever it seizeth hold of him, it throweth him down; and he foameth and gnasheth his teeth; and he pineth away. And I spoke to thy disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.
And Jesus seeing that the multitude came running together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, Dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
And Jesus seeing that the multitude came running together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, Dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
And they gave him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it.
And one ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, Hold! Let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.
they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.
And on coming out, he was not able to speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he was beckoning to them, and remained speechless.
And Zachariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
He said therefore to the multitudes that came forth to be baptized by him, Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach glad tidings to the poor; he hath sent me to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty the oppressed,
And he said to them, Ye will doubtless say to me this proverb, "Physician, heal thyself;" whatever things we have heard of as having been done in Capernaum, do here too in thy own country.
And he arose and went from the synagogue into the house of Simon. And Simons wifes mother was seized with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man having the withered hand, Rise, and stand up in the midst. And he arose, and stood up.
And a woman who had had an issue of blood twelve years, and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be cured by any one,
And a woman who had had an issue of blood twelve years, and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be cured by any one,
And her spirit returned, and she immediately arose. And he ordered food to be given to her.
And lo! a man from the multitude cried out, saying, Teacher, I beseech thee, look upon my son, for he is my only child;
Lo! I have given you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the might of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and setting him on his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And he was casting out a demon, and it was dumb; and it came to pass, when the demon had gone out, that the dumb man spoke. And the multitudes wondered.
And lo! there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was bent together, and wholly unable to lift herself up.
And he laid his hands on her; and immediately she stood upright, and gave glory to God.
And lo! there was a certain man before him, who had the dropsy.
And a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores,
And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly. And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground.
And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And he answering said to him, I am.
Jesus saith to her, I who speak to thee am he.
In these were lying a multitude of diseased persons, blind, lame, withered.
The diseased man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another goeth down before me.
And as he was passing along, he saw a man who had been blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Having thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay with the spittle, and anointed his eyes with the clay,
But there was a certain man sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
A vessel was brought full of vinegar; and putting a sponge filled with vinegar upon a stalk of hyssop, they raised it to his mouth.
And a certain man lame from his birth was carried along, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of those who entered the temple;
And the young men arose, and wrapt him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. read more. Peter said to her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yes, for so much. And Peter said to her, Why is it that ye agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? Lo! the feet of those who have buried thy husband are at the door, and they will carry thee out. And she fell down immediately at his feet, and expired; and the young men, when they came in, found her dead, and carried her out, and buried her by her husband.
And he arose and went; and lo! a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a high officer of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one. And Saul arose from the earth; but when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing; and they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
And immediately there fell off from his eyes as it were scales; and he received sight, and arose, and was baptized.
And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had lain on a bed eight years, and was palsied.
And it came to pass in those days, that she fell sick, and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber.
But immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten by worms, and expired.
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou wilt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness; and going about he sought to find some who would lead him by the hand.
And there sat on the window a certain young man named Eutychus, having fallen into a deep sleep; and as Paul was discoursing at great length, he sank down with sleep, and fell from thee third story, and was taken up dead.
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid it on the fire, there came forth a viper by reason of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
And it happened that the father of Publius was lying sick with a fever and dysentery; to whom Paul went in, and, when he had prayed, laid his hands on him, and healed him.
We then who are strong ought to hear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and some are falling asleep.
How great then was your boasting of happiness! for I bear you witness, that if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have given them to me.
For indeed he was sick near to death; but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, salute you.
Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. read more. Meditate on these things, give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest to all. Give heed to thyself, and to thy teaching; continue in them; for in doing this thou wilt save both thyself and them that hear thee.
No longer drink water only, but use a little wine for thy stomachs sake, and thy frequent infirmities.
Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left at Miletus sick.
Is any sick among you? let him call to him the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
I advise thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayst be rich; and white garments, that thou mayst be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not be made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayst see.
Morish
On the banks of the future river that will flow from the sanctuary, trees will grow, of which it is said, "The fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine." Eze 47:12. This agrees with Re 22:2. The prophet Jeremiah twice observes that when God brings His judgements upon a people, no medicine will cure them. Jer 30:13; 46:11. Pr 17:22 says, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine," or 'promoteth healing.'
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Between the street of the city and the river, on one side and on the other, is the tree of life, hearing twelve kinds of fruit, and yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Smith
Medicine.
Egypt was the earliest home of medical and other skill for the region of the Mediterranean basin, and every Egyptian mummy of the more expensive and elaborate sort involved a process of anatomy. Still we have no trace of any philosophical or rational system of Egyptian origin; still medicine in Egypt was a mere art or profession. Compared with the wild countries around them, however, the Egyptians must have seemed incalculably advanced. Representations of early Egyptian surgery apparently occur on some of the monuments of Beni-Hassan. Those who have assisted at the opening of a mummy have noticed that the teeth exhibited a dentistry not inferior in execution to the work of the best modern experts. This confirms the statement of Herodotus that every part of the body was studied by a distinct practitioner. The reputation of Egypt's practitioners in historical times was such that both Cyrus and Darius sent to that country for physicians or surgeons. Of midwifery we have a distinct notice,
and of women as its Practitioners, which fact may also be verified from the scriptures. The scrupulous attention paid to the dead was favorable to the health of the living. The practice of physic was not among the Jews a privilege of the priesthood. Any one might practice it, and this publicity must have kept it pure. Rank and honor are said to be the portion of the physician, and his office to be from the Lord. Ecclus. 38:1,3,12. To bring down the subject to the period of the New Testament, St. Luke, "the beloved physician," who practiced at Antioch whilst the body was his care, could hardly have failed to be convenient with all the leading opinions current down to his own time. Among special diseases named in the Old Testament is ophthalmia,
which is perhaps more common in Syria and Egypt than anywhere else in the world; especially in the fig season, the juice of the newly-ripe fruit having the power of giving it. It may occasion partial or total blindness.
The "burning boil,"
is merely marked by the notion of an effect resembling that of fire, like our "carbuncle." The diseases rendered "scab" and "scurvy" in
may be almost any skin disease. Some of these may be said to approach the type of leprosy. The "botch (shechin) of Egypt,"
De 28:27
is so vague a term as to yield a most uncertain sense. In
De 28:35
is mentioned a disease attacking the "knees and legs," consisting in a "sore botch which cannot be healed," but extended, in the sequel of the verse, from the "sole of the foot to the top of the head." The Elephantiasis gracorum is what now passes under the name of "leprosy;" the lepers, e.g., of the: huts near the Zion gate of modern Jerusalem are elephantissiacs. [LEPROSY] The disease of King Antiochus, 2 Macc. 9:5-10, etc., was that of a boil breeding worms. The case of the widow's son restored by Elisha,
See Leper, Leprosy
was probably one of sunstroke. The palsy meets us in the New Testament only, and in features too familiar to need special remark. palsy, gangrene and cancer were common in all the countries familiar to the scriptural writers, and neither differs from the modern disease of the same name. Mention is also made of the bites and stings of poisonous reptiles.
Among surgical instruments or pieces of apparatus the following only are alluded to in Scripture: A cutting instrument, supposed a "sharp stone,"
the "knife" of
The "awl" of
was probably a surgical instrument. The "roller to bind" of
was for a broken limb, and is still used. A scraper, for which the "potsherd" of Job was a substitute.
is a prescription in form. An occasional trace occurs of some chemical knowledge, e.g. the calcination of the gold by Moses,
the effect of "vinegar upon natron,"
; comp. Jere 2:22 The mention of "the apothecary,"
and of the merchant in "powders,"
shows that a distinct and important branch of trade was set up in these wares, in which, as at a modern druggist's, articles of luxury, etc., are combined with the remedies of sickness. Among the most favorite of external remedies has always been the bath. There were special occasions on which the bath was ceremonially enjoined. The Pharisees and Essenes aimed at scrupulous strictness in all such rules.
River-bathing was common but houses soon began to include a bathroom.
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Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
then the Pharisees and scribes ask him, Why do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with defiled hands?
And the Pharisee, seeing it, wondered that he did not bathe before dinner.