54 A Short History of Nursing saltation, relief-giving, and administration. This group system was adopted by the monasteries, and was usual until toward the twelfth century, when it became customary to separate hospitals from other branches of relief and build them singly. About that time towns and cities began to found hospitals as a civic obligation. A famous example of the early hospital was the Basilias, founded and directed by Basil, Bishop of there was a notable example of an emergency hospital- pure ■ and simple, created by St. Ephrem at Edessa at the time of a severe plague. Fabiola's hospital in Rome has been mentioned. It seems to have been strictly a hospital, without almshouse features, for it is called in early writings, a "nosocomium" or place for the sick. It is often popularly mentioned as the "first hospital." Rome had had military hos- pitals in pagan days, so it would be more accurate to call it the first Christian hospital in Rome. We do not know whether it was the first anywhere. Charity in the Eastern church was developed earlier than in Rome, and there may have been hospitals there, now forgotten. One of the earliest hospitals of which mention is made was founded Hospitals of this early period Cesarea, about 370 a.d. It was like a small city. Still earlier, about 350 A.D.,
