MEDICINE
case
of
a
female
child.
Nursing
continued
for
2
or
3
years
(2
Mac
7"),
and
in
1
K
ll^"
a
child
is
taken
by
a
relative
to
wean.
The
legislation
for
the
menstrual
period
and
tor
menorrhagia
is
given
in
Lv
15"^-.
A
rigid
purification
was
prescribed,
including
everything
which
the
woman
had
touched,
and
everybody
who
touched
her
or
any
of
those
things
(see
Clean
and
Unclean).
Menorrhagia
(EV
issue
of
blood)
was
considered
peculiarly
impossible
of
treatment
(Mt
9">,
Mk
5™,
Lk
8"),
and
magical
means
were
resorted
to
for
its
cure.
In
Ezk
16*
is
a
description
of
an
infant
with
undivided
umbilical
cord,
neither
washed
nor
dressed.
The
skin
of
infants
was
usually
dressed
with
salt
to
make
it
firm.
The
meta-phorical
use
of
terms
derived
from
child-labour
is
ex-ceedingly
common
in
the
Bible.
Infantile
diseases
seem
to
have
been
very
severe
in
Palestine
in
Bible
times,
as
at
the
present
day.
We
hear
of
sick
children
in
2
S
12i6,
i
K
17",
and
Christ
healed
many
children.
Among
cases
of
unspecified
diseases
may
be
men-tioned
those
of
Abijah
(1
K
14i),
Benhadad
(2
K
8'),
EUsha
(2
K
13"),
Joash
(2
Ch
242*),
Lazarus
(Jn
11'),
Dorcas
(Ac
9"),
Epaphroditus
(Ph
^")_
Trophimus
(2Ti420).
4.
Methods
of
treatment.
—
The
Bible
gives
us
very
few
references
on
this
point.
We
hear
of
washing
(2
K
5'");
diet
perhaps
(Lk
8");
the
application
of
saliva
(Ju
9');
unction
(Ja
5");
the
binding
of
wounds
and
the
application
of
soothing
ointment
(Is
1');
the
use
of
oil
and
wine
for
wounds
(Lk
lO**);
a
plaster
of
figs
for
a
boil
(Is
38");
animal
heat
by
contact
(1
K
1^
1721,
2
K
4M).
Balm
of
Gilead
or
balm
is
mentioned
in
Gn
372=
43U,
Jer
S^
46"
51«,
Ezk
27".
It
appears
to
be
re-garded
as
a
sedative
application,
and
was
probably
an
aromatic
gum
or
spice
(see
art.
Balm).
Mandrakes
(Mandragora
offlcinalis)
were
used
as
a
stimulant
to
conception
(Gn
30"),
and
the
fruit
as
a
medicine.
Mint
(.MetUha
silvestris),
anise
(Anethum
graveolens),
cummin
iCuminum
sativum)
were
used
as
carminatives;
salt
for
hardening
the
skin,
nitre
(Jer
2*2)
to
cleanse
it.
The
caper-berry
(Capparis
spinosa)
is
mentioned
in
Ec
12*;
it
was
regarded
as
an
aphro-disiac.
The
wine
offered
to
Christ
at
His
crucifixion
was
probably
intended
as
a
narcotic
(Mt
2T*-
",
Mk
1523-
»,
Lk
23"',
Jn
ig^').
Most
of
the
remedies
were
dietary
in
the
Jewish
as
in
the
Egyptian
pharmacopoeia,
e.g.
meal,
milk,
vinegar,
wine,
water,
almonds,
figs,
raisins,
pomegranates,
honey,
etc.
We
have
a
mention
of
amulets
in
Is
3™
and
perhaps
Gn
36*.
The
apothecary's
art
is
mentioned
in
Ex
3025-35
3729_
Ec
10',
2
Ch
16",
Neh
38,
Sir
38»
49>.
But
in
all
these
passages
the
reference
is
to
makers
of
perfumes
rather
than
compounders
of
medicines.
It
is
probable
that
medicines
were
compounded
by
those
who
prescribed
them.
Hygienic
enactments
dealing
with
food,
sanitation,
and
infectious
diseases
are
common
in
the
Levitical
Code.
With
regard
to
food,
herbivorous
ruminant
animals
were
permitted
to
be
eaten;
all
true
fishes
also
were
allowed;
but
birds
which
lived
on
animal
food
were
for-bidden,
and
aU
invertebrates
except
locusts.
The
fat
and
the
blood
of
animals
were
prohibited
as
food,
and
regulations
were
given
for
the
inspection
of
animals
slaughtered
for
eating.
The
origin,
however,
of
many
of
these
regulations
probably
hes
in
primitive
taboo
laws
(see
Clean
and
Unclean).
Fruits
could
not
be
used
for
food
until
the
tree
had
been
planted
for
four
years
(Lv
192»-25).
The
provisions
repeated
in
Ex
12"
13',
Dt
16'
for
the
periodic
destruction
of
leaven,
what-ever
their
historical
origin,
must
have
been
of
service
for
the
maintenance
of
pure
bread-stuffs.
The
agricultural
sanitary
laws
are
directed
chiefly
to
prohibit
the
mixing
of
different
species,
e.g.
the
sowing
of
different
seeds
in
a
field
at
the
same
time,
the
cross-
MEEKNESS
grafting
of
fruit-trees,
the
cross-breeding
or
yoking
to-gether
of
dissimilar
cattle.
And
periodic
rest
for
man
and
beast
was
preicribed.
No
mixture
of
hnen
and
woollen
materials
in
garments
was
permitted
(Lv
19",
Dt
22"),
as
such
garments
cannot
be
so
easily
or
thoroughly
cleansed
as
those
of
one
material.
There
were
also
various
regulations
as
to
domestic
sanitation;
thus
the
covering
with
earth
of
excreta
and
of
blood
was
ordered;
possibly
the
fires
of
the
Valley
of
Hinnom
were
intended
to
consume
the
offal
of
the
city.
Houses
were
to
be
built
with
parapets
to
prevent
accident
(Dt
22»).
Isolation
in
suspected
cases
of
infectious
disease
was
prescribed
(Lv
13*),
and
the
washing
of
body
and
clothes
(Nu
19")
was
obligatory
on
those
who
had
touched
unclean
things.
f
Uncleanness
was
in
many
cases
merely
ceremonial
in
nature.
But
the
regulations
must
often
have
served
to
diminish
the
chances
of
propagating
real
infection.
Various
grades
of
uncleanness
are
recognized
in
the
Talmud,
and
different
periods
of
lustration
and
isolation
were
ordained,
in
accordance
with
the
different
grade
of
uncleanness
contracted.
5.
Surgical
instruments.
A
fiint
knife
was
used
for
circumcision
(Jos
5'),
but
in
later
times
steel
knives
were
employed.
An
awl
for
boring
the
ear
is
men-tioned
in
Ex
21«.
The
most
important
surgical
operation
was
the
performance
of
circumcision.
Its
original
idea
may
have
been
that
of
imposing
a
tribal
mark
on
the
infant
(unless
it
was
at
first
performed
in
early
manhood
and
subsequently
transferred
to
the
time
of
infancy);
but
it
came
to
be
regarded
as
^.n
operation
of
purification.
The
exclusion
of
eimuchs
from
the
service
of
God
(Dt
23>)
may
have
been
due
to
the
dread
of
importing
heathen
rites
into
Israel.
But
they
were
important
officials
in
the
time
of
the
kingdom,
as
in
Oriental
courts
generally
(1
K
22»,
2
K
8»
9»
24",
Jer
29^
34"
38'
41i»),
and
there
were
eunuchs
at
the
court
of
the
Herods,
as
elsewhere
(cf.
Ac
8^').
The
passage
in
Is
56*
implies
that
eunuchs
were
then
under
no
special
religious
disabiUty;
cf.
also
our
Lord's
reference
in
Mt
19"'.
Of
course
we
must
admit
that
in
many
cases
the
use
of
remedies,
the
sanitary
laws,
the
prescriptions
as
to
food,
the
regulations
as
to
uncleanness,
and
so
forth,
did
not
necessarily
originate
in
any
theory
as
to
their
value
for
the
preservation
of
pubUc
health.
Primitive
taboo
customs,
folk-lore,
magic,
superstition,
are
no
doubt
responsible
for
the
existence
of
much
that
has
been
here
placed
under
the
heading
of
medicine.
And
it
is
quite
hkely,
too,
that
up
to
a
late
period
the
popular
Jewish
view
of
the
majority
of
these
rules
and
customs
was
enlightened
by
no
very
clear
conception
of
their
hygienic
value.
The
more
educated
minds
of
tne
nation
may
possibly
in
time
have
come
to
see
that
enactments
which
had
originated
in
crude
or
mistaken
notions
of
religion
might
yet
be
preserved,
and
valued
as
important
precautions
for
the
prevention
of
disease
and
its
cure.
'
But
it
may
be
doubted
whether,
even
in
late
times,
the
vulgar
opinion
about
them
was
at
all
sdentiflc.
At
the
same
time,
it
is
necessary
to
recognize
tiat
tflany
of
the
laws,
begotten,
perhaps,
of
primitive
superstition,
did
nevertheless
serve
a
medical
purpose,
and
so
may
without
untruthfulness
be
included
in
a
treatment
of
Bible
medicine.
A.
W.
F.
Bltjnt.
MEEDDA
(1
Es
5'^)
=.Mehida,
Ezr
2=2,
Neh
7".
MEEKNESS.
—
In
the
eariier
literature
of
revelation
meekness
is
simply
an
excellent
virtue.
Moses
is
de-scribed
as
'very
meek,'
above
all
the
men
which
were
upon
the
face
of
the'earth'
(Nu
12"),
and
his
character
illustrates
the
Hebfew
ideal
of
meekness
in
those
days.
There
was
no
weakness
or
cowardice
about
him.
He
was
'a
still,
strong
man,'
patient
and
pitiful.
Subsequently
the
word
acquired
a
peculiar
significance.
In
the
days
of
Israel's
conflict
the
men
of
pride
and
violence
came
to
the
front,
while
the
godly
were
thrust
into
the
background.
