Page:The growth of medicine from the earliest times to about 1800.djvu/305

 acceptably that his colleagues bestowed upon him the name of "Master of Physicians." Before this time arrived, however, his lack of funds was sorely felt, for he was obliged, in order to support himself, to offer consecrated wax candles for sale at the entrance of the church. He is reported to have been not merely a most learned physician, but also a very successful practitioner. He was called into consultation from all parts of the country, so highly was his opinion valued by other physicians; and thus in due time he accumulated a large fortune. His charges were by no means small. It is related, for example, that Pope Honorius IV. sent for him to come to Rome, and, after the treatment was completed, paid him a fee of 10,000 gold pieces —but not until after he had expressed surprise that Thaddeus should have charged as much as 100 gold pieces per day for his services. To this demurrer on the part of the Pope, Thaddeus replied that the petty princes and even the simple nobles made no objection to paying him 50 or more gold pieces per day. It is scarcely necessary to add that the Holy Father did not wish to be outdone by his inferiors.

Alderotti died 1303 A. D.

Among the writings of Thaddeus Alderotti which have come down to our time there are to be found a number of autobiographical references which are not without interest. In one place, for example, he mentions the fact that he occasionally walks in his sleep, and then proceeds (in Latin) to discuss the phenomenon of sleep-walking as observed in his own case. I give here a free translation of the text printed in Neuburger's History:—

The fourth question which suggests itself is this: Can the senses during sleep come into active operation? Touching this fourth question I reason thus: It appears as if, when one is asleep, the senses must act, for a person may move about without incurring any harm when he is in that state, as is often observed in the case of those who, like myself, walk in their sleep Furthermore, it has been remarked that these people are able to harness a horse and then to ride the animal safely,—acts which it is not