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tr. of a different word, but is probably another form of the same disease (cf. Is 3").

Scall or scurf ol the head and beard (Lv 13"°) is another parasitic disease of similar nature.

Freckled spot (Lv 13™, RV tetter) may be psoriasis, a non-contagious eruption.

The botch o£ Egypt (Dt 28"- ^). The same word is used in Job 2', Ex 9», 2 K 20', Is 38^1. It is probably a general term for a swelling of the skin. In Ex 9'° Mains, perhaps pustules containing fluid, are stated to have accompanied the boils. The disease in Dt 28=5 affected especially the knees and legs. Job's disease appears to have been one of itching sores or spots all over the body, which disfigured his face (2U), caused great pain and a feeling of burning (6'), made his breath fetid (19"), and were infested with maggots (7'). Various names for the exact nature of the disease have been suggested, such as elephantiasis, leprosy, smallpox, etc. Some authorities, however, suppose the symptoms to agree better withthoseor the ' Biskra button ' or Oriental sore, sometimes called ' Aleppo sore' or 'Baghdad sore,' which begins with papular spots, which ulcerate, become crusted over, are slow in granulation, and often multiple. This complaint is probably due to a parasite. Lazarus ' sores (Lk 16'") were probably old varicose ulcers of the leg.

Spot (Dt 325, Job Ills, ca 4') and blemish (Lv 21", Dn 1') seem to be general terms for skin disease. Wen (Lv 22^2) means a suppurating sore.

The bloody sweat of our Lord (Lk 22") is difficult to explain. Some regard the passage as meaning merely that His sweat dropped, as blood drops from a wound. Instances of bloody sweat have been quoted in com-parison, but it seems that none is satisfactorily authenti-cated.

Poisonous serpents are mentioned in Nu 21' (where they are miraculously cured by the erection of a brass model of a serpent), Dt 325", Job 20"- '», Is 11* 142» 30» 695, Jer 8", Mt 3' (metaphorically, as also in Mt 12M 23", Lk 3'), Mk 16i8, Lk 10", Ac 28'. There are several poisonous serpents in the desert of the Exodus narrative, whose bites are often fatal; but it has been suggested that the fiery serpents of Nu 21« were really the parasitic worms called guinea-worms, which are not uncommon in the desert region. Scorpion bites are common and often fatal to children in Egypt, but not in Palestine.

Worms (Ac 122") is the description of the disease of which Herod died. One authority suggests that it was acute peritonitis set up by the perforation of the bowel by an intestinal worm. Josephus states that Herod suffered from a violent abdominal pain which in a few days proved fatal. Thus it cannot have been a case of phihiriasis. The death of Antiochus Epiphanes (2 Mac 9*-') is described as preceded by a violent pain of the bowels; then he was injured by a violent fall, and 'worms rose up out of his body' — in all probability a case of compound fractures, in which blow-flies laid their eggs and maggots hatched, owing to neglect of the injuries.

The third plague of Egypt (Ex 8") is called one of lice, but the margin of the RV suggests 'sand -flies' or ' fleas.' It is possible that they were mosquitoes or sand fleas, the latter of which generate in the dust.

Discharges or issues of a certain nature caused cere-monial impurity; cf. Lv IS^-®. Some of these were natural (Dt 23"), others probably were the result of impure practices, but it is doubtful how much the ancients knew of the physical consequences of vice. Cf., how-ever, Ps 107"- '8, Pr 2i» 5"-22 7^- 2».

Blindness is exceedingly common among the natives of Palestine; the words describing this affliction are of frequent occurrence in the Bible, sometimes in the literal, sometimes in the metaphorical, sense. Appar-ently only two forms of blindness were recognized: (1) that which arose from the ophthalmia so prevalent

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in Oriental lands, a highly infectious disease, aggra-vated by sand, sun-glare, and dirt, which damages the organs, and often renders them quite useless; (2) that due to old age, as in the case of Eli (1 S 3^), Ahijah (1 K 14«), Isaac (Gn 27i). Cf. also Dt 34'. Blindness was believed to be a visitation from God (Ex 4"), it disqualified a man for the priesthood (Lv 21"); but compassion for the blind was prescribed (Lv 19"), and offences against them were accursed (Dt 27"). Leah probably suffered from a minor form of ophthalmia (Gn 29"). In Lv 26'« we see ophthalmia accompanying malarial fever. The bUnding of Elymas in Ac 13" may have been hypnotic, as also possibly the blinding of the Syrian soldiers in 2 K 6".

The cases of blindness which were cured by our Lord are usually given without special characterization; the two of most interest are that of the man born blind (Jn 9'), and that of the man whose recovery was gradual (Mk S'''). In the latter case we do not know whether the man was bUnd from birth or not; if he was, the stage in which he saw 'men as trees walking' would be that in which he had not yet accustomed himself to interpret and understand visual appearances. Our Lord's cures as described were all miraculous, in the sense that the Influence of a unique personality must be postulated in order to explain the cure; but He used various methods to effect or symbolize the cure in various cases.

St. Paul's blindness (Ac 9*) was probably a temporary amaurosis, such as may be caused by looking at the sun. The 'scales' (Ac 9") need not necessarily have been material; the words suggest a mere simile. One of the theories as to his ' thorn in the flesh ' is that it was a permanent 'weakness of eye' remaining after his experience (cf. Gal 4"). But other explanations have been suggested. The blindness of Tobit and its cure may also be mentioned (To 2" 11"); the remedy there adopted has a parallel in Pliny (HN xxxii. 24). Eye -salve is recommended in Rev 3", but the context is metaphorical.

Old age. Under this heading should be mentioned the famous passage in Ec 12, where the failure of powers consequent on growing years is described in language of poetic imagery.

Child-birth. The special cases of child-bearing which are mentioned in the Bible are mostly quoted to illustrate the 'sorrow' of conception, which was regarded as the penalty of Eve's transgression (Gn 3"). There are two cases of twins, that of Esau and Jacob (Gn 25^2), and that of Perez and Zerah (Gn 38™). The latter was ' a case of spontaneous evolution with perineal laceration, probably fatal to the mother.' Rachel's case (Gn 35") was one of fatal dystocia, and the phrase in Gn Sl'^ may hint at some long-standing dehcacy. Phinehas' wife (1 S 4") was taken in premature labour, caused by shock, and proving fatal. Sarah (Gn 21^), Manoah's wife (Jg 13"), Hannah (1 S V>), the Shunam-mite woman (2 K 4"), and EUsabeth (Lk 1") are in-stances of uniparcB at a late period. Barrenness was regarded as a Divine judgment (Gn 20" 30^), and the forked root of the mandrake was used as a charm against it (Gn 30"); fertility was correspondingly regarded as a proof of Divine favour (1 S 2', Ps 113'), and mis-carriage is invoked as a token of God's displeasure in Hos 9". 'The attendants at birth were women (Gn 36", Ex 1", midwives). The mother was placed in a kneeling posture, leaning on somebody's knees (Gn 30"), or on a labour-stool, if such be the meaning of the diflScult passage in Ex li". After child-birth the mother was unclean for 7 days in the case of a male, for 14 days in the case of a female, child. After this she con-tinued in a state of modified uncleanness for 33 or 66 days, according as the child was boy or girl, during which period she was not allowed to enter the Temple. The reason for the different lengths of the two periods was that the lochia was supposed to last longer in the