MEDICINE or PHYSIC (m6d'i-sin), (Heb. il;-.1,:,geh-/hrw'), is ascribed by Jesus, son of Sirach, to God himself (Eccles. xxxviii:i, etc.).
Scripture makes no mention of physicians be fore the time of Joseph, who commanded his serv ants, the physicians of Egypt, to embalm the body of Jacob (Gen. 1:2). The art of medicine, however, was very ancient in Egypt. They ascribed the invention of it to Thaut, or to Hermes, or to Osiris, or to Isis; and some of the learned have thought that Moses, having been in structed in all the learning of the Egyptians, must also have known the chief secrets of medicine. It does not appear that physicians were com mon among the Hebrews, especially for internal maladies, but for wounds, fractures, bruises, and external injuries, they had physicians, or sur geons, who understood the dressing and binding up of wounds, with the application of medico..., ments. (See Jer. viii :22 ; I ; Ezek. xxx:21). Asa, being diseased in his feet, and having ap plied to physicians, is upbraided with it, as con trary to that confidence which lie ought to have had in the Lord ( Kings xv :23; 2 Citron. xvi: 12). Hezekiah, having a boil, probably a malig nant one, was cured by Isaiah, on the applica tion of figs (2 Kings xx :7 ; Is. xxxviii :21). The low state of the art of medicine, with the persua sion that distempers were effects of God's anger, or were caused by evil spirits, was the reason that in extraordinary maladies the sufferers applied to diviners, magicians, enchanters, or false gods.
Sometimes they applied to the prophets of the Lord for cure; or, at least, to know whether they should recover or not. When Ahaziah, king of Israel, by a fall from the roof of his house, was greatly hurt. he sent to consult the false god Baal-zebub at Ekron (2 Kings :2, etc.). Jere miah (viii :17) speaks of enchantments used against the biting of serpents, andother venomous animals. Hazael was sent by the king of Syria to consult Elisha the prophet as to the issue of his disease (2 Kings viii :8). Naaman the Syrian came into the land of Israel, to obtain from Elisha a cure for his leprosy (2 Kings v :5, 6). And when our Savior appeared in Palestine, al though there can be no doubt that there were physicians in the country, it is evident that the people placed but little confidence in them (comp Mark v:26 ; Luke viii :43). They brought to our Savior and his Apostles multitudes of diseased ,,e from all parts of the land, and he laid his lids upon them and healed them. Calmet.