ble, his Commentaries on the Bible, his Polemical works against Christianity, his Hebrew Grammar, and his Moral and Sacred Poems. Many of these writings which we have seen in manuscript, deserve to be better known, particularly his works on grammar, which are often quoted by his son, the celebrated David Kimchi.*

With regard to the school of Montpelier, Benjamin of Tudela, who visited it when on his tour in France, in speaking of the Rabbis of that city, does not mention any one of them as being a physician; probably at that period the practice of this art was interdicted by the intrigues of the priests. It is not until 1180, that William VIII, Lord of Montpelier, passed an edict' for their protection; by which, privileges were granted to all persons without exception, to profess the science of medicine in the university of Montpelier. Therefore, from that period, Jewish physicians became numerous in that city, as we shall see in the following paragraphs.

§ XXXII.

CHANANEL, SALOMON HA MIZRI, ELIE BEN JEHUDA.

We have just spoken of Benjamin of Tudela, and his travels, in reference to the physicians of France. As this traveller mentions other Jewish physicians, we shall follow him into Italy and Greece. In Italy he first visited Ponzoles, where there are warm baths. "Whoever bathes there," says he, "will find himself cured or relieved; therefore, all the sick of Lombardy came thither during the summer." He then went to Salernum, where he visited the celebrated medical school. He found many learned Rabbis in that city; but none of them, as far as he could discern, taught medicine any longer.

It was only at Amalfi, a half day's journey from Salernum, that he met with a Rabbi who practised medicine, named Chananel.

* MICHOL. Venice edition, 1645. Pages 55, 68 and 167.

Benjamin, (while he presents him to us as the only Rabbi profess ing the healing art in Italy at that period,) preserves silence in reference to the works of which he is the reputed author. Nor does he give us more copious details in reference to the literary works of Solomon ha Mizri, physician of the Emperor Manual Comnena; all that he tells us is, that this physician was in great favor with the emperor, and that owing to his influence, the Jews of Constantinople enjoyed a great amelioration in their servitude, which was then very severe, particularly in Greece. For example, no Jew dared to mount a horse, except the imperial physician.

Another physician of Constantinople, of the time of Benjamin of Tudela, was Elie ben Jehuda, chief of the Karaite community of that city. He is probably the son of the celebrated Jehuda ben Elie Hadassi, author of a great work, written at Constantinople in 1140, on the Precepts of the Karaites.*

The Karaites, as is known, are those Jews who profess their belief only in the text of the holy Scriptures, and consider it the sole rule of faith for their guidance. They consequently reject all the dogmas and traditionary rites and laws. This Jewish sect has produced many distinguished physicians, principally during the third and fourth century. Their doctors imitated in that respect the Rabbis, who were frequently in the habit of uniting to their rabbinical duties the practice of medicine, because the profession of a Rabbi did not afford them any means of support.

§ XXXIII.

MOUSA BEN MAIMOUN.

Finally, we have to speak of a physician who brought to the study of the Hippocratic art all the elevation of a great genius, and who has been called by an Arabian author by the just title of

* See MARDOCHEE BEN NISIM, Dod. Mordechai, chap ii, p. 13. Vienna edition.

Phoenix of his age, in the art of medicine. We mean Mousa ben Maimoun. Moses, son of Maimoun, or rather as he is called by the Arabians, Abou Amran Mousa ben Maimoun, Abou Amran ben Abdallah; better known by the name of Maimonides, was born at Cordova, the 14th Nisan, 4895th year of the creation, which corresponds with 31st March, 1135, of the common era. His education was carefully directed by his father Maimoun, celebrated for his knowledge, and who took care to instruct him at an early age. He was judge of Cordova, and this office, which he discharged with great credit, was almost hereditary in his family.*

The young Maimoun did not confine himself to the study of the Mosaic law, he desired also to unite with it the study of philosophy and medicine, which were then taught in other Jewish schools of Spain. If we can credit Leo Africanus, he also frequented the Arabic schools, and attached himself especially to Abou-Djafar Ebn Thofaïl, who perceiving his decided taste for the sciences, and his happy qualities for their cultivation, advised him to put himself under the care of the celebrated Ebn Rochd, to whom he recommended him. But no Jewish biographers mention this particular; on the contrary, they say that it was Maimoun that taught the Arabs.

However that may be, Maimonides at a very early age, composed many commentaries upon the Talmuds of Babylon and Jerusalem, a work on the calendar, and an apologetical discourse in favor of those coreligionists, who were forced in 1160 to embrace Islamism.†

Having been himself compelled publicly to acknowledge the religion of Mohammed, he determined to leave his country. He took refuge in Egypt, and there passed the remainder of his days, from whence he obtained the surname of the Egyptian. He in this country first engaged in commerce, ‡ but his talents were soon discovered and appreciated; and he was appointed phy

* Pocock. Prefect ad Portam Mosis, p. 2.

† De Medicis et Philosophis Arabibus et Hebræis, chap. xxviii. ABOU FARADJ, Histor Dynastiar, p. 298.

sician to Alfadl-al-Rahim. More recently in 1179, he was invited to the court of Sallah-Eddin, who appointed him his first physician. Maimonides had great influence with this prince and his successor, on account of his profound knowledge of the healing art. Ebn-Abi-Osaïba, (who dedicates to him an article in his history of physicians,) says, that he held the first rank among the physicians of his time for theory, as well as the practice of his art. He was also, he asserts, very learned in the sciences, and had a profound knowledge of philosophy. The Sultan Melikal Naser Sallah-Eddin made it a great point to have his services as a physician he was also physician of Melik-Alaf Ahal, son of this prince.

This employment occupied much of his time, as he testifies by a letter addressed to Samuel Aben Tybbon.* It was his duty to go daily in the morning to visit the Sultan, and if this prince, or any one of his children, or females were sick, he was not permitted to leave the palace. But the greatest inconvenience to him was caused by his delay at Fostan, which was three quarters of a league from Cairo where the Sultan resided. He generally did not return to his own house until in the evening. He found on his way home a great multitude of Mohammedans and Jews of all conditions, that awaited his return.† He received them kindly, listened attentively to all the particulars of their diseases, and prescribed such remedies as he judged most suitable for a cure. These consultations detained him until night, and often he was so exhausted that he was scarcely able to articulate. It sometimes happened that he was overcome with sleep through excessive fatigue.

After having fulfilled a career so active, and so beneficial, he died 20th Tebat, 4963, or the 13th of December, 1204, aged about seventy years, full of glory, honor and learning; for, if the practice of his profession occupied much of his time, he

*IGHERET HA RAMBAM, Prague Edition, 1726, p, 15.

+ This is doubtless the prince known in the history of his crusades, by the name of Saladdin.

made up for it, by an energy and industry which triumphed over all difficulties.* His works are numerous; we intend to speak only of those which have been composed on medicine.

§ XXXIV.

HIS MEDICAL WORKS.

The following is an account of the medical works of Maimonides.

1. Medical Aphorisms, extracted from the works of Hippocrates, Galen, Al-Razi, Ebn-Masoué and Al-Suzi, a work divided into twenty-five books, translated from the Arabic into Hebrew, by Nathan Hamaati, a copy of which is found among the Hebrew MSS. in the Royal Library of Paris.† This Hebraic version which bears the title of Perki Moscheh had been published some years before at Lenberg in quarto.

There was a Latin translation of it which appeared for the first time at Bologne, in 1489, in quarto, and subsequently at Béle, in 1570, in octavo. Imanuel Aboab testifies that he heard a skilful physician of his time, and particularly Mercurials say, that the Aphorisms of Maimonides were not inferior to those of Hippocrates. This was doubtless, observes De Boissi, the finest eulogy that could have been pronounced. Réné Chartier has inserted in his edition of the works of Galen some fragments in Latin, extracted from the aphorisms of our doctor. It is perhaps the same as the following work.

* Maimonides was called by the Jews the doctor, the great sage, the glory of the west, the light of the east, and rated only second to Moses; they often designated him by the four letters, R. M. B. M.-Rabbi, Moses, Ben-Maimoun, whence the name Rambam.-Vide, Encyc. Americana Transl.