on ancient medicine-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　400　BC
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　ANCIENT　MEDICINE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Hippocrates

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Translated　by　Francis　Adams


　　WHOEVER　having　undertaken　to　speak　or　write　on　Medicine；　have
first　laid　down　for　themselves　some　hypothesis　to　their　argument；　such
as　hot；　or　cold；　or　moist；　or　dry；　or　whatever　else　they　choose
（thus　reducing　their　subject　within　a　narrow　compass；　and　supposing
only　one　or　two　original　causes　of　diseases　or　of　death　among
mankind）；　are　all　clearly　mistaken　in　much　that　they　say；　and　this
is　the　more　reprehensible　as　relating　to　an　art　which　all　men　avail
themselves　of　on　the　most　important　occasions；　and　the　good
operators　and　practitioners　in　which　they　hold　in　especial　honor。
For　there　are　practitioners；　some　bad　and　some　far　otherwise；　which；
if　there　had　been　no　such　thing　as　Medicine；　and　if　nothing　had　been
investigated　or　found　out　in　it；　would　not　have　been　the　case；　but　all
would　have　been　equally　unskilled　and　ignorant　of　it；　and　everything
concerning　the　sick　would　have　been　directed　by　chance。　But　now　it
is　not　so；　for；　as　in　all　the　other　arts；　those　who　practise　them
differ　much　from　one　another　in　dexterity　and　knowledge；　so　is　it　in
like　manner　with　Medicine。　Wherefore　I　have　not　thought　that　it
stood　in　need　of　an　empty　hypothesis；　like　those　subjects　which　are
occult　and　dubious；　in　attempting　to　handle　which　it　is　necessary　to
use　some　hypothesis；　as；　for　example；　with　regard　to　things　above　us
and　things　below　the　earth；　if　any　one　should　treat　of　these　and
undertake　to　declare　how　they　are　constituted；　the　reader　or　hearer
could　not　find　out；　whether　what　is　delivered　be　true　or　false；　for
there　is　nothing　which　can　be　referred　to　in　order　to　discover　the
truth。
　　2。　But　all　these　requisites　belong　of　old　to　Medicine；　and　an　origin
and　way　have　been　found　out；　by　which　many　and　elegant　discoveries
have　been　made；　during　a　length　of　time；　and　others　will　yet　be
found　out；　if　a　person　possessed　of　the　proper　ability；　and　knowing
those　discoveries　which　have　been　made；　should　proceed　from　them　to
prosecute　his　investigations。　But　whoever；　rejecting　and　despising　all
these；　attempts　to　pursue　another　course　and　form　of　inquiry；　and　says
he　has　discovered　anything；　is　deceived　himself　and　deceives　others；
for　the　thing　is　impossible。　And　for　what　reason　it　is　impossible；　I
will　now　endeavor　to　explain；　by　stating　and　showing　what　the　art
really　is。　From　this　it　will　be　manifest　that　discoveries　cannot
possibly　be　made　in　any　other　way。　And　most　especially；　it　appears
to　me；　that　whoever　treats　of　this　art　should　treat　of　things　which
are　familiar　to　the　common　people。　For　of　nothing　else　will　such　a　one
have　to　inquire　or　treat；　but　of　the　diseases　under　which　the　common
people　have　labored；　which　diseases　and　the　causes　of　their　origin　and
departure；　their　increase　and　decline；　illiterate　persons　cannot
easily　find　out　themselves；　but　still　it　is　easy　for　them　to
understand　these　things　when　discovered　and　expounded　by　others。　For
it　is　nothing　more　than　that　every　one　is　put　in　mind　of　what　had
occurred　to　himself。　But　whoever　does　not　reach　the　capacity　of　the
illiterate　vulgar　and　fails　to　make　them　listen　to　him；　misses　his
mark。　Wherefore；　then；　there　is　no　necessity　for　any　hypothesis。
　　3。　For　the　art　of　Medicine　would　not　have　been　invented　at　first；
nor　would　it　have　been　made　a　subject　of　investigation　（for　there
would　have　been　no　need　of　it）；　if　when　men　are　indisposed；　the　same
food　and　other　articles　of　regimen　which　they　eat　and　drink　when　in
good　health　were　proper　for　them；　and　if　no　others　were　preferable
to　these。　But　now　necessity　itself　made　medicine　to　be　sought　out
and　discovered　by　men；　since　the　same　things　when　administered　to
the　sick；　which　agreed　with　them　when　in　good　health；　neither　did
nor　do　agree　with　them。　But　to　go　still　further　back；　I　hold　that
the　diet　and　food　which　people　in　health　now　use　would　not　have　been
discovered；　provided　it　had　suited　with　man　to　eat　and　drink　in　like
manner　as　the　ox；　the　horse；　and　all　other　animals；　except　man；　do
of　the　productions　of　the　earth；　such　as　fruits；　weeds；　and　grass；　for
from　such　things　these　animals　grow；　live　free　of　disease；　and　require
no　other　kind　of　food。　And；　at　first；　I　am　of　opinion　that　man　used
the　same　sort　of　food；　and　that　the　present　articles　of　diet　had
been　discovered　and　invented　only　after　a　long　lapse　of　time；　for　when
they　suffered　much　and　severely　from　strong　and　brutish　diet；
swallowing　things　which　were　raw；　unmixed；　and　possessing　great
strength；　they　became　exposed　to　strong　pains　and　diseases；　and　to
early　deaths。　It　is　likely；　indeed；　that　from　habit　they　would
suffer　less　from　these　things　then　than　we　would　now；　but　still　they
would　suffer　severely　even　then；　and　it　is　likely　that　the　greater
number；　and　those　who　had　weaker　constitutions；　would　all　perish；
whereas　the　stronger　would　hold　out　for　a　longer　time；　as　even
nowadays　some；　in　consequence　of　using　strong　articles　of　food；　get
off　with　little　trouble；　but　others　with　much　pain　and　suffering。　From
this　necessity　it　appears　to　me　that　they　would　search　out　the　food
befitting　their　nature；　and　thus　discover　that　which　we　now　use：　and
that　from　wheat；　by　macerating　it；　stripping　it　of　its　hull；
grinding　it　all　down；　sifting；　toasting；　and　baking　it；　they　formed
bread；　and　from　barley　they　formed　cake　（maza）；　performing　many
operations　in　regard　to　it；　they　boiled；　they　roasted；　they　mixed；
they　diluted　those　things　which　are　strong　and　of　intense　qualities
with　weaker　things；　fashioning　them　to　the　nature　and　powers　of　man；
and　considering　that　the　stronger　things　Nature　would　not　be　able　to
manage　if　administered；　and　that　from　such　things　pains；　diseases；　and
death　would　arise；　but　such　as　Nature　could　manage；　that　from　them
food；　growth；　and　health；　would　arise。　To　such　a　discovery　and
investigation　what　more　suitable　name　could　one　give　than　that　of
Medicine？　since　it　was　discovered　for　the　health　of　man；　for　his
nourishment　and　safety；　as　a　substitute　for　that　kind　of　diet　by　which
pains；　diseases；　and　deaths　were　occasioned。
　　4。　And　if　this　is　not　held　to　be　an　art；　I　do　not　object。　For　it
is　not　suitable　to　call　any　one　an　artist　of　that　which　no　one　is
ignorant　of；　but　which　all　know　from　usage　and　necessity。　But　still
the　discovery　is　a　great　one；　and　requiring　much　art　and
investigation。　Wherefore　those　who　devote　themselves　to　gymnastics　and
training；　are　always　making　some　new　discovery；　by　pursuing　the　same
line　of　inquiry；　where；　by　eating　and　drinking　certain　things；　they
are　improved　and　grow　stronger　than　they　were。
　　5。　Let　us　inquire　then　regarding　what　is　admitted　to　be　Medicine；
namely；　that　which　was　invented　for　the　sake　of　the　sick；　which
possesses　a　name　and　practitioners；　whether　it　also　seeks　to
accomplish　the　same　objects；　and　whence　it　derived　its　origin。　To
me；　then；　it　appears；　as　I　said　at　the　commencement；　that　nobody　would
have　sought　for　medicine　at　all；　provided　the　same　kinds　of　diet　had
suited　with　men　in　sickness　as　in　good　health。　Wherefore；　even　yet；
such　races　of　men　as　make　no　use　of　medicine；　namely；　barbarians；
and　even　certain　of　the　Greeks；　live　in　the　same　way　when　sick　as　when
in　health；　that　is　to　say；　they　take　what　suits　their　appetite；　and
neither　abstain　from；　nor　restrict　themselves　in　anything　for　which
they　have　a　desire。　But　those　who　have　cultivated　and　invented
medicine；　having　the　same　object　in　view　as　those　of　whom　I　formerly
spoke；　in　the　first　place；　I　suppose；　diminished　the　quantity　of　the
articles　of　food　which　they　used；　and　this　alone　would　be　sufficient
for　certain　of　the　sick；　and　be　manifestly　beneficial　to　them；
although　not　to　all；　for　there　would　be　some　so　affected　as　not　to
be　able　to　manage　even　small　quantities　of　their　usual　food；　and　as
such　persons　would　seem　to　require　something　weaker；　they　invented
soups；　by　mixing　a　few　strong　things　with　much　water；　and　thus
abstracting　that　which　was　strong　in　them　by　dilution　and　boiling。　But
such　as　could　not　manage　even　soups；　laid　them　aside；　and　had　recourse
to　drinks；　and　so　regulated　them　as　to　mixture　and　quantity；　that　they
were　administered　neither　stronger　nor　weaker　than　what　was　required。
　　6。　But　this　ought　to　be　well　known；　that　soups　do　not　agree　with
certain　persons　in　their　diseases；　but；　on　the　contrary；　when
administered　both　the　fevers　and　the　pains　are　exacerbated；　and　it
becomes　obvious　that　what　was　given　has　proved　food　and　increase　to
the　disease；　but　a　wasting　and　weakness　to　the　body。　But　whatever
persons　so　affected　partook　of　solid　food；　or　cake；　or　bread；　even
in　small　quantity；　would　be　ten　times　and　more　decidedly　injured
than　those　who　had　taken　soups；　for　no　other　reason　than　from　the
strength　of　the　food　in　reference　to　the　affection；　and　to
whomsoever　it　is　proper　to　take　soups　and　not　eat　solid　food；　such　a
one　will　be　much　more　injured　if　he　eat　much　than　if　he　eat　little；
but　even　little　food　will　be　injurious　to　him。　But　all　the　cau