Miraculous ophthalmological therapies in Byzantium

Abstract

A series of cures for ophthalmological diseases practised by saints are described, particularly the Saints Cosmas and Damian and the Saints Cyrus and John, the famous 'Anargyroi'. In the xenones of the Byzantine churches and in the hospitals connected to these, therapeutic regimes, cures and surgical interventions took place at night during incubation, following the example of the ancient Asclepieia. This conclusion stands in spite of the fact that the authors describing the lives of the saints were often clergy who frequently cloak the true therapeutical cures by presenting them in a supernatural manner in order to stress the divine intervention of the saints. From the operations mentioned, it is clear that cataract surgery was among the operations most frequently practised.

The First Cataract Surgeons in the British Isles

“…34 Historians have sometimes attributed miraculous cures of blindness during the medieval period to cataract couch-ing in the British Isles 35 and elsewhere. 36 Such miraculous cures do survive in the biographical literature. Hamelin de Warenne, Earl of Surrey (ca 1130-1202) was said to be cured of his blindness from a white spot ("albugo") 37 in 1 eye by touching a covering from the tomb of Thomas Becket, 38 who was murdered in 1170.…”

Saints and Ophthalmology: A Pattern for Emulation, A Model of Healing, and Physicians in Action

“…Experienced physicians and surgeons took on the form of the saints and proceeded to real treatment or operations during the incubation of the patients at night in infirmaries adjacent to the churches. Based on the hagiographical texts, some operations like cataract surgery [12,13] were carried out.…”

“…The individuals honored as patron saints of medicine were practicing physicians who served their patients and their community well [12][13][14]. It is their role as saints to represent the spiritual element in the healing process as well as personifying the charitable idealism of the good physician, and therefore are models for humanitarian physicians, with the ultimate model of healing being Jesus Christ.…”

“…After Christianity took over, the work and activities of the healing gods of the national pantheon, such as Asclepius, Amphiaraos, Dioskouroi and others were replaced by various saints, such as Theodore, Artemios, Febronia, Minas, Demetrius, Therapon, Pantelaeimon, Nicholas, Thecla and others [12]. Faith in healing shrines, laying on of hands, saintly relics, prayer, making the sign of the cross, exorcism, and shrines dedicated to the appropriate saints were the accepted paths to healing.…”

“…Faith in healing shrines, laying on of hands, saintly relics, prayer, making the sign of the cross, exorcism, and shrines dedicated to the appropriate saints were the accepted paths to healing. Lascaratos, et al [12,13] presented evidence that in medieval times, skillful physicians took on the form of the saints and proceeded to real treatment or operations during the incubation of the patients at night in infirmaries adjacent to the churches. This was also supported by Willam [8] and Bischoff and Speiser [11].…”