Claudius F. Mayer: From Plato to Pope Paul / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 17. (Budapest, 1989)
251 Religious celibacy was disapproved by the satyrist JEAN DE MEUN (1225-1305) in his story Le romañ de la rose (ca. 1270). Soon afterwards, statements unfavourable to sexual continence were condemned at Paris (in 1277; cf. SPENGLER, 1. c. footnote 233). 252 The most important factor in Merovingian degeneration was the excessive use of alcoholic beverages by adolescent rulers after CLOVIS (|511). Cf. MENETRIER, P. (1920): Bull. Soc.fr. hist, med., 14: 301-9.—The Carolingian and Merovingian nobility disappeared with the Crusades. 253 BOECE, X: 15: "Uoung childrin sal be refrenit fra all lustis, and nurist with rude meit; and sail eit bot anis in the day; and abstene fra al thingis that may mak thaim drunkin. Anechild, or ane madin, that is funcing drunkin, sal be punist to the deith." 254 ALBERTUS MAGNUS : História animalium. For details see MAYER, C. F. (1961): History of Genetics, Roma, 17. 255 Ibid., IX: 1,6, 62; X: 2, 1,39; III: 2, 8. 256 Although he knew that the "genotype" (i. e. the hereditary part of the constitution) is somewhat labile and variable, the only positive measure he mentions for changing the genotype is the influence of the mother's phenotype, including her diet. Ibid., V: 2, 1, 57. See also MAYER, C. F. (1928): Die Personallehre von Albertus Magnus, Kyklos, Leipzig. 257 THOMAS of Aquino: De regimineprincipum, IV: 9. 258 This is the question of viability. Two opposite opinions existed: 1.) immediate animation from the moment of conception (BASILIUS, TERTULLIAN, GREGORY OF NYSSA, ALBERTUS MAGNUS (1193-1280), 2.) successive animation, an Aristotelian idea further developed by Thomas of Auino (1225-1274).—An old statute in England held that a child in utero was not a "reasonable creature in being and under the King's peace"; and it argued that it was only a child in "posse", but not in "esse". Cf. MILLAR, 1. c. footnote 65, 276.—Yet, biologically taken, life is continuous; it exists in the sperm and egg before conception. 259 Cf. BOECE: History of Scotland, Bk 1. See also MAYER, 1. c. footnote 254,16: "If any were visited with the falling sickness, madness, gout, leprosy, or any such dangerous disease, which was likely to be propagated from father to son, he was instantly gelded; a woman kept from all company of men; and if by chance having some such disease, she was found to be with child, she with her brood were buried alive; and this was done for the common good, less the whole nation should be injured or corrupted." Cf. also BURTON: Anatomy of Melancholy. 260 See his SUMMA Theologica, Suppl. Part III, Quest. LXIV, Art. I. Conclusio : "Uxor viro leproso tenetur reddere debitum. .. Et quamvis proles generetur infirma, tamen melius est ei sic esse, quam penitus non esse." 261 In France it was punished as homicide. Cf. NONIUS MARCELLUS (4th ct. A. D.) De compendiosa doctrina: "Whoever destroys his country, his greater parent, is guilty of crime. And any one does this, so far as he can, if he emasculates himself, or in any way puts off children, that is, defers procreating children." 262 Such a political castration was ordered in Hungary in 1099 A. D. by King Coloman. He told the "magicus minister " that first his brother Almos be castrated, then the brother's little son Béla, and afterwards they were to be made blind. The "physician" performed the operation on Álmos first, but he only made the small child blind, without castration, and he showed the King the testicles of a young dog. The miniature of this event is depicted in the CHRONICA de rebus gestis Hungarorum of MARCUS (written in the 14th ct.) 263 They excelled especially in horse breeding. They recognized the importance of the selection of parent animals. They also knew of the art of plant hybridization. Many medieval Arabic and Persian works exist on breeding of various animals, asses, camels, horses, etc. Cf. MAYER,. 1. c. footnote 254. p. 16. 264 Lived 1180-1249 A. D. In his De legibus (Op. omn., Venez, 1591) he tells that man has tried to produce, and believed to have produced, human life in other ways than by means of regular generation. — ROGER ŲS BACON (1214-1294) also expected to produce a new human breed which would live for 300-400 years (Cf. his Treatise on Delaying old age). Similar utopistic ideas can be found in medieval alchymistic writings, and in works or Arab poets (e. g., ABU BACR). Cf. OSBORN, 1. c.—See later the 16th ct. efforts of PARACELSUS. 265 PETRUS DE BOSCO (=Dubois): De recuperatione terrae sacrae (1305-7). 266 Most of the related contemporary literature was collected by W. W. PRESCOTT: History of 62
