Claudius F. Mayer: From Plato to Pope Paul / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 17. (Budapest, 1989)

difference of religion is a worthy cause of hostility; that obstinate unbelievers may be slain or subdued by the champions of the cross; and that grace is the sole fountain of dominion as well as for mercy." 238 In the medieval epidemics, the Jews suffered less from the diseases than from the rest of the population. Cf. HAESER, v. 3, 153. 239 They were expelled from England (1290), France (1305), Hungary (1360), Spain (1492). The Spanish exodus amounted to 800,000 heads.

—During the Crusades, Jewish fathers and mothers often slew their own children to save them from baptism. Their sacrifice was regarded as similar to that of Abraham. Cf. JEWISH ENCYCL., v. 1, p. 144.—A decree of Markgraf Albrecht von Brandenburg, published in 1462, declared that any newly crowned emperor of the Reich can take the goods of Jews, and kill as many of them for commemoration as he wants:

"... denn so ein jeder Römische König oder Kaiser gekrönet wird, mag er den Juden allenthalben im Reich alle ihr güt nehmen, dazu ihr leben und sie töten bis auf ein anzal, de lutzel ( =klein) sein soll, zu einer Gedeçĥ rns zu enthalten." Cf. TĤEILHABER, 1. c. footnote 123, 44. 240 In Iceland, once in time of famine, it was decided by solemn resolution that all the old and unproductive should be killed. This was part of a system of legislation by which the society wa3 protected against superfluous and dependent memebers. Cf. WEILHOLD, K. (1882): Die deutschen Frauen

, Wien, vol. 2, 92.—There was a "holy mawle" which hung behind the church door in Wales (?) which, when the father was seventy, the son might fetch to knock his father on the head as "effete and of no more use". In the National Museum, at Stockholm, there is a large collection of flat clubs from all the churches in Sweden the use of which is described with discretion. That the clubs were kept in churches denotes that the act was put under religious sanction. Cf. SUMNER, 1. c. footnote 213, 327. 241 AETIOS, of Amida (502-575), suggested this in case a vornan had a small uterus, or a narrow cervix, when it should be preferred to a Caesaream section. Several Arab physicians opposed abortion, e.g., ABULCASIS (11. ct.) Cf. MUELLER, 1. c. footnote 67,—AETIOS also mentions anticonceptive and abortifacient agents in Bk. XVI of his latrika Biblia. Cf. also ILBERG, 1. c. footnote 184,—In the opinion of GENTILE DA FOLIGNO (fl348) a pregnant woman could be phlebotomized in spite of the danger of accidental abortion: ".. .Ego vero, cum talis accidit casus, dico ista flebotomia propter matrem convenit... faciatis quod placet vobis.

.. (In Cod. Vat. Lat. No. 2470, F. 240; repr. by AMERIO A. (1966): Pag. stor. med., 10 (2): 87-92). 242 In ancient Arabia, the father had the right of burying newborn daughters alive, since it was a disgrace to the father to have a daughter. Yet, the KORAN forbids infanticide committed from fear of starvation.

— BŅ SINA (979-1037) recommended coitus interruptus, or coughing and sneezing after intercourse to remove the semen. 243 MATTHEW VII

: 18-20: "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, or a poor tree good fruit. And when a tree does not yield good fruit, it is cut down and burnt." 244 So the DIDAKHE, BASILIUS (f379), AUGUST Ņ (354-430), TERTULLIAN (2. ct.) and many others. Already the Councils of the 4th cent. A. D. punished abortion with excommunication, or orther severe penalties. See also CANON LA W (The new Code was promulgated in 1917). 245 Codex Justinianus (534 A. D.); also Codex Theodosianus (438 A. D.) 246 Lex Romana Visigothorum (Breviárium Alaricianum) Cf. also Las SIETE partidas (Part VII, Law VIII) where abortion is identified with homicide. 247 The first recorded foundling hospital in Europe was opened in 789. A. D. in Milano by DATHEUS. Cf. MILLAR, 1. c. footnote 65, p. 278. 248 PAUL, 1 Corinth. VII: 1 etc: "It is a good thing for a man to have nothing to do with women; but because there is so much immorality, let each man have his own wife.

.. Better be married than burn with vain desire." Also: "... The unmarried man cares for the Lord's business; his aim is to please the Lord. But the married man cares for worldly things.

.." There are also many other references to Christian celibacy in the Gospel, and in the letters of the Apostles. Church fathers also left an extensive literature. 249 The Manicheans, Eucratists, Docetists, Marcionites, etc. 250 DIONYSIUS EXIGUUS (6th ct. A. D

.): Libri

de Creatione hominis, c. 23, states that the divine command ("Crescite et multipl

icamini et implete terram") had been already fulfilled and men now can live without marrying and begetting children. 61