The healing gods of ancient civilizations / by Walter Addison Jayne.

  • Jayne, Walter Addison, 1853-1929.
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The healing gods of ancient civilizations / by Walter Addison Jayne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PREFACE LL studies of civilizations preceding the Christian era must be considered as tentative only, and as subject to repeated revisions in the future. Many original documents giving first-hand information regard¬ ing the political, religious, and social life of the early Orient have come into our possession quite recently, and a large number of them have not been critically examined or even translated; while the terms and the language used in some are not understood, nor has any key to their interpretation yet been found. Excavations yielding rich archeological returns are still in progress, others of equal promise are projected, and further important in¬ formation concerning these peoples will undoubtedly be obtained in the near future. These remarks apply equally to the medicine of the ancients. Although sufficient is known from classical literature and from studies of newly discovered archeological documents to justify gen¬ eral conclusions regarding the therapeutic theories and practices of the ancient East, many extant medical trea¬ tises, especially of Mesopotamia and Egypt, have not been translated or adequately studied, and may easily contain statements which will materially alter our pres¬ ent views. The following volume on the ancient methods of reli¬ gious healing and the pagan healing gods is, therefore, presented as an introductory historical study. This par¬ ticular phase of the religious and social life of the an¬ cients is seldom considered independently, but rather in connection with an introduction to the general history of