Athothis : a satire on modern medicine / by Thomas C. Minor.

given the world astronomy, astrology, mathematics, arithmetic, music, painting, drawing, sculpture, and architecture, in addition to systems of theology, medi- cine, and law, the Jews unconsciously absorbed a love for knowledge. Besides, like all other races kept in cap- tivity, the Israelities combined ideality with natural acuteness in observation, inherent dissimulation, craft and cunning, all advantageous qualifications in days when oppression ruled; so that they became the money-lend- ers and really learned doctors of the world, and an ordinary saying a hundred years ago was, ' To be a Jew is to be reputed a good physician.' The skill of the child of Abraham in both these branches of business is still proverbial. 'T is true that very few Jewish doctors have left distinguished names; but name me even a few Christian moderns whose works are liable to survive the wreck of time ? You have mentioned Pythagoris, Hip- pocrates, Herodotus, and Plato. Name me a living author of to-day whose fame will be as lasting? Know that the original teachers and discoverers of truths are never forgotten, but their disciples and imitators are lost in the mists of obscurity, shedding some faint glimpses of reflected light as they pass, but finally disappearing forever." "Yet these Jews never had any particular skill!" exclaimed Paulus Androcydes, impatiently. "Are you ignorant of the fact that laws were frequently passed in continental Europe prohibiting Jewish doctors from practicing in Christian families, and that they were pun- ished and driven out of many countries ? " Athothis laughed loudly, and replied: " Such enact- ments were indeed passed; but the Jew, as he has always done, no matter how heavy the penalty, continued to