The superstitious credulity of modern Orientals as to curative means is proverbial, and has been noticed by all travellers. The Arabs are ready to put faith in al- most any Frank as a professional "medicine man" or hakim (literally "wise man"), as they term all physi- cians. Prescriptions of all sorts are at once taken by them, however absurd ; but they are generally unwill- ing to exercise the patience, care, self-restraint, and es- pecially the cleanliness necessary to a real cure. They expect sudden and immediate restoration, and invaria- bly prefer extraordinary to simple remedies. All this is in keeping with the supernatural character of the nos- trums ordinarily employed by them. Indeed, fatalism being the basis of Mohammedanism, a resort to direct divine power might naturally be expected. See Su- perstition.
"It is a very prevalent notion among the Christians of Europe that the Muslims are enemies to almost every branch of knowledge. This is an erroneous idea; but it is true that their studies, in the present age, are confined within very narrow limits. Very few of them study medicine, chemistry (for our first knowledge of which we are indebted to the Arabs), the mathematics, or as- tronomy. The Egyptian medical and surgical practi- tioners are mostly barbers, miserably ignorant of the sciences which they profess, and unskilful in their prac- tice; partly in consequence of their being prohibited by their religion from availing themselves of the advantage of dissecting human bodies. But a number of young men, natives of Egypt, are now receiving European in- struction in medicine, anatomy, surgery, and other sci- ences, for the service of the government. Many of the Egyptians, in illness, neglect medical aid, placing their whole reliance on Providence or charms. Alchemy is more studied in this country than pure chemistry, and astrology more than astronomy" (Lane, Mod. Egypt. i, 239). "
Physiognomy (from (pwig., nature, and yvuifwv, an index), a method, rather than a science, of discover- ing the human character by means of the features, es- pecially of the countenance. To some extent this is instinctively practiced, as all have learned to read the natural language of the tones, expression, gesture, etc., which spontaneously accompany our emotions. There can be no doubt also that passions or states of mind ha- bitually indulged imprint themselves upon the linea- ments of the face, and so become an indication of char- acter. But when it is claimed that this is invariably the case, and that it may be reduced to fixed rules of interpretation which will serve as an unerring guide, the principle becomes proverbially deceptive. Lavater is especially famous for his fanciful scheme on this basis; and by Campe the so-called " facial angle" was relied on for determining the comparative intellectual capaci- ty of individuals; but experience has demonstrated the fallacy of all such arbitrary systems of physiognomy.
Physiology (from Qvmc, nature, and Xoyoc, a discouise), the science of the animal constitution, espe-
cially in man. This branch of self-knowledge is evi- dently of the highest temporal importance, and lies at the basis of the practice of medicine. Modern educa- tion has recognised its claims by incorporating it among the common-school studies; and few of the coming gen- eration, it is hoped, will be so ignorant as to labor under the popular delusions and superstitions to which its neg- lect in former ages has led.
Piaggia, Tebamo or Erasmo (also called Teramo di Zoagli), an Italian painter, was born at Zoagli, in the Genoese state, near the beginning of the 16th cen- tury. He was a pupil of Lodovico Brea, and painted at Genoa in 1547. In conjunction with Antonio Semini he painted several pictures for the churches at Genoa, the most esteemed of which is an altar-piece of the Martyrdom of St. Andrea, in the church of that saint. Lanzi highly commends this work, and says, " None can witness this very beautiful altar-piece without seeing traces of Brea's style, already enlarged and changed into oue more modern." He also painted several pieces by himself, at Genoa and at Chiavari. See Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine Arts, ii, 689.
Piales, Jean Jacques, a French canonist, was born in 1720 at Mur-de-Barrez (Avevron). Being received as a lawyer in the Parliament of Paris (1747), he formed a connection with Claude Mey, one of the supporters of Jansenism, and both gave a great number of consulta- tions and took a very active part in the affairs of the appellants. While one treated of the great questions of public law and jurisdiction, the other gave himself entirely to practice relating to benefices. Although Pi- ales lost his sight in 1763, he lost nothing of his zeal for the cause which he maintained, and M. Dupin says, " There is no counsellor in the world who dictated more consultations." He died in Paris Aug. 4, 1789. Un- foreseen changes in ecclesiastical matters have rendered his works useless; they are. Traite de la Collation des Benefices (Par. 1754 and 1755, 5 vols. 12mo) : — De la Provision de la Cour de Rome a litre, de Prevention (2 vols. 12mo) : — De la Devolution, du Devolu et des Va- cances de plain Droit (3 vols. 12mo): — De VExpectative des Gradues (1758, 6 vols. 12mo) : — Des Commendes et des Reserves (3 vols. 12mo) :—Des Reparations et Re- constructions des Ef/lises (Par. 1762,4 vols. 12mo; 1788, 5 vols. 12mo, ed. given by Camus). The first volume (the only one which appeared) of the Histoire de la Fete de la Conception is attributed to Piales. See Jour- nal Chretien (1758 and 1759) ; Camus et Dupin, Biblioth. choisie des Lirres de Droit ; Picot, Memoires Eccles. torn, iv; Feller, Diet. Hist. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generate, xl, 32.