ANTHONY, or Knights of St Anthony, a military order instituted by Albert duke of Bavaria, Holland, and Zealand, when he designed to make war against the Turks in 1382. The knights wore a collar of gold made in form of a hermit's girdle, from which hung a stick cut like a crutch, with a little bell, as they are represented in St Anthony's pictures.
St Anthony also gives the denomination to a religious order founded in France about the year 1095, to take care of those afflicted with St Anthony's fire (see the next article). It is said that in some places these monks assume to themselves a power of giving, as well as removing, the ignis sacer, or crysipelas; a power which stands them in great stead, for keeping the poor people in subjection, and extorting alms.
St Anthony's Fire, a name properly given to the crysipelas. Apparently it took this denomination, as those afflicted with it made their peculiar application to St Anthony of Padua for a cure. It is known that, anciently, particular diseases had their peculiar saints. Thus, in the ophthalmia, persons had recourse to St Lucia; in the toothache, to St Apollonia; in the hydrophobia, to St Hubert, &c.