Claudius F. Mayer: From Plato to Pope Paul / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 17. (Budapest, 1989)
NOTES 1 For a brief outline of the genesis of genetics, see C. F. MAYER (1961): History of Genetics. In L. GEDDA's " De Genetica Mediça". Roma, Part I. p. 5-68, where the historians, and some of the sources of the history of genetics are also described, with 91 pertinent bibliographical references. 2 Although the field is inexhaustible, a huge amount of source material was made available for my research in original publications, microfilms, and photostats by the kind cooperation of the largest Washington libraries (Library of Congress, D. C. Public Library, National Medical Library) and particularly by the enthusiastic help of the Army Library's Interlibrary Loan System and its devoted staff in the Pentagon. Needless to say that I owe them many thanks for their professional services. 3 POLYBIUS: Histories, I, 14: "for just as a living creature which has lost its eyesight is wholly incapacitated, so if History is stripped of her truth, all that is left is but an idle tale". 4 Imre MADÁCH Hungarian playwright, born at Alsó-Sztregova (1823-1864), author of a great dramatic poem, The Tragedy of Man. 5 Many beautiful poetic, sometimes satyrical descriptions were written by the classics about the origin of the human race, and the picture of the primitive state of man (See HORACE, Satires, Lib. I, Sat. 3; LUCRETIUS, De rerum natura, Lib V.; DIODORUS SICULUS, Lib. I, Cap. 8, and 43; CICERO in "For Publius Sextus "; EURIPIDES in the "Suppliants"). "...They commended to mercy children, and the race of women, when with cries and gestures they taught by broken words that 'tis right for all men to have pity on the weak. Yet not in all ways could unity be begotten, nor could breeding have prolonged the generations till now..." (LUCRETIUS). 6 Among the peoples of the Orient there is an old belief that all children of Adam, except Seth were twins, and although it was necessary for brothers to marry their sisters, they carefully refrained from marrying a twin sister, but took one born at another time, avoiding twin sisters (Cf : S. PUFENDORF (1688): De jure naturae et gentium. Oxf., 902). 7 On the pile dwellings of eastern Switzerland see HERODOTOS History, V. 16. First the piles were fixed by the whole body of citizens. Each man drove in three piles for each wife he married. The man have many wives apiece, each has his own hut wherein he dwells upon one of the platforms. Their wont is to tie their baby children by the foot with a string to protect them from rolling into the water. 8 See J. GILL Ņ, et al. (1943): Social Problems, 3. ed., N. Y. 146. 9 On the primitive races see also the following publications : ASHE T. : Travels in America. Lond., 1808. BANCROFT, H. H. : The native races of Pacific States of North America. Lond., 1875. BEECHAM, J.: Ashantee and the Gold Coast. Lond., 1841. CATLIN, G.: North American Indians. Lond., 1842. CORDINGTON, R. H.: The Melanesians. Oxf., 1891. DALL, W. H. : Alaska and its resources. Lond., 1870. DAVID, Mrs E.: Funafuti. Lond., 1899. DUNCAN, J. M. : Fecundity, etc. Edinb., 1866. EAST, E. M. : Inbreeding and outbreeding. Phila., 1919. ELLIS, W. : History of Madagascar. Lond., 1838. Also his: Polynesian researches. Lond., 1832. HARTLAND, E. S.: Primitive paternity. Lond., 1909. 47
