Law and Medical Men-Robert Vashon Rogers

The first medical practitioners in England, of whom we have any record, were the Druids.

These philosophers, theologians, and soothsayers also practiced medicine and surgery, and were skilled in anatomy and physic.

To add to the veneration in which they were held, to impress the ignorant masses with the idea that they had power with the gods and could prevail, and perhaps to cultivate a belief in the efficacy of the remedies provided, they mingled incantations and charms with their medicaments and nostrums.

Their panacea was the mistletoe, cut from the sacred oak with a consecrated hook of gold held in holy hands.

On a mysterious night, when the propitious beams of the waxing moon fell upon it, wrapped for a while in a sanctified cloth and treasured up in the holy of holies of the woodland god, this strange parasitic growth was deemed possessed of many virtues and was named all heal.

Two other herbs, the selago and sammulas, were also in those days highly valued for their medicinal efficacy.

To every healing herb, a divinity was assigned by the Druids, and the good gods were ever ready to help suffering humanity against the evil genii who presided over the poisonous and unwholesome.

These priests also considered the creeping through dolmens, or perforated stones, good for many diseases.

Their best charm, however, was the anguinium, or snake's egg, produced, it's said, from the saliva and frothy sweat of a cluster of snakes writhing in a tangled mass, tossed in the air by the fierce hissings of the serpents, and caught ere it fell to the ground in a clean white cloth.

A genuine egg, though encased in gold, would float against a running stream and do many other marvel.

The Druid seems to have been a herbalist, a believer in the faith or prayer cure, as well as a homeopathist, for in taking the diseased plant, the mistletoe, to cure diseases, he anticipated the doctrine of similia similibus curantur.

Even in those old days, according to Tacitus, there were female physicians who competed with the practitioners of the other sex.

The wives of the Druids exercised the calling of sorceresses, causing considerable evil by their witchcrafts, but caring for warriors wounded in battle.

Later on, women seemed to have enjoyed a preeminence as physicians and surgeons in England.

Thus, we are told that a maid treated a wounded squire.

Quote, "Meekly she bowed down to weet if life, yet in his frozen members did remain, and feeling by his pulses beating rife, that the weak soul her seat did yet retain.

She cast to comfort him with busy pain.

Into the woods thenceforth in haste she went to seek for herb that mote him remedy, for she of herbs had great intendment.

There, whether it divine tobacco were or panacea of polygamy, she frowned and brought it to her patient dear, who all this while lay bleeding out his heart blood near.

The sovereign weed betwixt two marbles plain she pounded small and did in pieces bruise.

And then atween her lily hands twain into his wound the juices thereof did screwse.

And round about, as she could well it use, the flesh therewith she suppled and did seek to bate all spasm and soak the swelling bruise.

And having searched the intues deep, she with her scarf did bind the wound from cold to keep." End quote.

Of fair Nicolette, we read, quote, "Her strength alone thrust deftly back the dislocated bone.

Then culling various herbs of virtue tried, while her white smock the needful bands supplied.