1. The founder of the ancient medical sect of the Methodici, and one of the most eminent
physicians of his time, was a native of Laodiceia in Syria (Pseudo-Gal. Introd. 100.4. vol. xiv. p. 684). He was a pupil of Asclepiades of Bithynia (Pliny,
Plin. Nat. 29.5), and must have lived, therefore, in the
first century B. C. Augustin, in his
Gesch. der Med. in tabellarischer
Form, says he was born B. C. 123, and died B. C. 43, which may possibly be quite correct, though he has not stated
his reasons for giving such exact dates. Nothing more is known of the events of his life,
except that he seems to have travelled a good deal; as he mentions Crete and Milan, apparently
as an eye-witness (ap. Cael. Aurel. De Morb. Acut. 3.18, p. 252). Neither
is it certain whether he ever visited Rome, though it is perhaps more probable
that he did so. He differed from his tutor on several points in his old age, and became the
founder of a new sect called the "Methodici," which long exercised an extensive influence on
medical science. (Cels. De Med. i. praef. p. 5 ; Galen, De Meth. Med. 1.4, 7. vol. x. pp. 35, 52 ; Cramer's Anecd. Graeca
Paris. vol. i. p. 395, where he is called by an obvious mistake Μεθήσων).
Works
He wrote several medical works, but in what language is not mentioned; of these only the
titles and a few fragments remain, preserved principally by Caelius Aurelianus : e. g.-- 1. Libri Periodici.2. Epistolae, in at least nine books.The passage
quoted by Paulus Aegineta (3.15. p. 426), from Epist. lib. x. is
quoted by Caelius Aurelianus (De Morb. Chron. 1.3. p. 288), from lib.
ii.3. Celeres Passiones, in at least two books4. Tardae Passiones, in at least two books.5. Liber Salutaris.6. De Plantagine. (Plin. Nat. 25.39; Macer Flor. De Vir. Herb. 100.6. 5.265.) To these works Fabricius adds one,
De Elephantiasi (Bibl. Gr. vol. xiii. p. 432, ed. vet.), but
this is probably a mistake (see Cael. Aurel. De Morb. Chron. 4.1. p.
493). An account of the doctrines of the Methodici is given in the Dictionary of
Antiquities, and his medical opinions on different subjects (so far as they can be
ascertained) may be found in Haller's Biblioth. Medic. Pract. vol. i.,
or in Sprengel's Hist. de la Méd. vol. ii. The only points worth
noticing here, are, that he is perhaps the first physician who made use of leeches (Cael.
Aurel. De Morb. Chron. 1.1. p. 286); and that he is said to have been
himself attacked with hydrophobia, and to have recovered (id. De Morb.
Acut. 3.16. p. 232; Dioscor. De Venen. Animal. 100.1. vol. ii. p.
59). Eudemus and Proculus are said to have been followers (" sectatores") of Themison, but
this probably only means that they belonged to the sect of the Methodici (Cael. Aurel. De Morb. Acut. 2.38, De Morb. Chron. 3.8. pp. 171,
469). Besides the passages in ancient authors relating to Themison that are referred to by
Haller, Sprengel, and Fabricius (Bibl. Gr. vol. xiii. p. 431, ed. vet.),
the is also quoted by Soranus (De Arte Obstetr. pp. 12, 21,210, 212,
240, 290.)