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〃learned in the wisdom of the Egyptians〃 drew it up。 As Neuburger briefly
summarizes：
〃The commands concern prophylaxis and suppression of epidemics；
suppression of venereal disease and prostitution； care of the skin； baths；
food； housing and clothing； regulation of labour； sexual life； discipline of
the people； etc。 Many of these commands； such as Sabbath rest；
circumcision； laws concerning food （interdiction of blood and pork）；
measures concerning menstruating and lying…in women and those
suffering from gonorrhoea； isolation of lepers； and hygiene of the camp；
are； in view of the conditions of the climate； surprisingly rational。〃＇23＇
＇23＇ Neuburger： History of Medicine； Oxford University Press； 1910；
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Vol。 I； p。 38。
Divination； not very widely practiced； was borrowed； no doubt； from
Babylonia。 Joseph's cup was used for the purpose； and in Numbers； the
elders of Balak went to Balaam with the rewards of divination in their
hands。 The belief in enchantments and witchcraft was universal； and the
strong enactments against witches in the Old Testament made a belief in
them almost imperative until more rational beliefs came into vogue in the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries。
Whatever view we may take of it； the medicine of the New Testament
is full of interest。 Divination is only referred to once in the Acts （xvi； 16）；
where a damsel is said to be possessed of a spirit of divination 〃which
brought her masters much gain by soothsaying。〃 There is only one
mention of astrology （Acts vii； 43）； there are no witches； neither are there
charms or incantations。 The diseases mentioned are numerous： demoniac
possession； convulsions； paralysis； skin diseases；as leprosy；dropsy；
haemorrhages； fever； fluxes； blindness and deafness。 And the cure is
simple usually a fiat of the Lord； rarely with a prayer； or with the use of
means such as spittle。 They are all miraculous； and the same power was
granted to the apostles〃power against unclean spirits； to cast them out； to
heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease。〃 And more than this；
not only the blind received their sight； the lame walked； the lepers were
cleansed； the deaf heard； but even the dead were raised up。 No question of
the mandate。 He who went about doing good was a physician of the body
as well as of the soul； and could the rich promises of the Gospel have been
fulfilled； there would have been no need of a new dispensation of science。
It may be because the children of this world have never been able to
accept its hard sayingsthe insistence upon poverty； upon humility； upon
peace that Christianity has lost touch no less with the practice than with
the principles of its Founder。 Yet； all through the centuries； the Church has
never wholly abandoned the claim to apostolic healing； nor is there any
reason why she should。 To the miraculous there should be no time limit
only conditions have changed and nowadays to have a mountain…moving
faith is not easy。 Still； the possession is cherished； and it adds enormously
to the spice and variety of life to know that men of great intelligence； for
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example； my good friend； Dr。 James J。 Walsh of New York； believe in the
miracles of Lourdes。＇24＇ Only a few weeks ago； the Bishop of London
followed with great success； it is said； the practice of St。 James。 It does not
really concern us muchas Oriental views of disease and its cure have had
very little influence on the evolution of scientific medicineexcept in
illustration of the persistence of an attitude towards disease always widely
prevalent； and； indeed； increasing。 Nor can we say that the medicine of our
great colleague； St。 Luke； the Beloved Physician； whose praise is in the
Gospels； differs so fundamentally from that of the other writings of the
New Testament that we can claim for it a scientific quality。 The stories of
the miracles have technical terms and are in a language adorned by
medical phraseology； but the mental attitude towards disease is certainly
not that of a follower of Hippocrates； nor even of a scientifically trained
contemporary of Dioscorides。＇25＇
＇24＇ Psychotherapy； New York； 1919； p。 79； 〃I am convinced that
miracles happen there。 There is more than natural power manifest。〃
＇25＇ See Luke the Physician； by Harnack； English ed。； 1907； and W。 K。
Hobart； The Medical Language of St。 Luke； 1882。
CHINESE AND JAPANESE MEDICINE
CHINESE medicine illustrates the condition at which a highly
intellectual people may arrive； among whom thought and speculation were
restricted by religious prohibitions。 Perhaps the chief interest in its study
lies in the fact that we may see today the persistence of views about
disease similar to those which prevailed in ancient Egypt and Babylonia。
The Chinese believe in a universal animism； all parts being animated by
gods and spectres； and devils swarm everywhere in numbers incalculable。
The universe was spontaneously created by the operation of its Tao；
〃composed of two souls； the Yang and the Yin； the Yang represents light；
warmth； production； and life； as also the celestial sphere from which all
those blessings emanate； the Yin is darkness； cold； death； and the earth；
which； unless animated by the Yang or heaven； is dark； cold； dead。 The
Yang and the Yin are divided into an infinite number of spirits respectively
good and bad； called shen and kwei； every man and every living being
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contains a shen and a kwei； infused at birth； and departing at death； to
return to the Yang and the Yin。 Thus man with his dualistic soul is a
microcosmos； born from the Macrocosmos spontaneously。 Even every
object is animated； as well as the Universe of which it is a part。〃＇26＇
＇26＇ J。 J。 M。 de Groot： Religious System of China； Vol。 VI； Leyden；
1910； p。 929。
In the animistic religion of China； the Wu r