Greek Medicine 97 



had waned before the doctrine of the humours which had then 

 lasted for at least twenty-two centuries became obsolete, and 

 perhaps it still survives in certain modern scientific develop- 

 ments. Moreover, the finest and most characteristic of the 

 Hippocratic works either do not mention or but casually refer 

 to these theories which are not essential to their main pre- 

 occupation. Their task of observation of symptoms, of the 

 separation of the essentials from the accidents of disease, and of 

 generalization from experience could go on unaffected by any 

 view of the nature of man and of the world. Even treatment, 

 which must almost of necessity be based on some theory of 

 causation, was little deflected by a view of elements and humours 

 on which it was impossible to act directly, while therapeutics 

 was further safeguarded from such influence by the doctrine of 

 Nature as the healer of diseases, vovcru>v (pvatis t??rpot,the vis medi- 

 catrix naturae of the later Latin writers and of the present day. 

 Diseases are to be cured, in the Hippocratic view, by restoring 

 the disturbed harmony in the relation of the elements and 

 humours. These, in fact, tend naturally to an equilibrium and 

 in most cases if left to themselves will be brought to this state 

 by the natural tendency to recovery. The process is known as 

 pepsis or, to give it the Latin form, coctio, and the turning- 

 point at which the effects of this process exhibit themselves 

 is the crisis, a term which, together with some of its original 

 content, has still a place in medicine. Such a turning-point 

 does in fact occur in many diseases, especially those of a zymotic 

 character, on certain special days, though undue emphasis was 

 laid by the Greek physicians upon the exact numerical character 

 of the event. It was no unimportant duty of the physician to 

 assist nature by bringing his remedies to bear at the critical 

 times. If the crisis is wanting, or if the remedies are applied at 

 the wrong moment, the disease may become incurable. But 

 diseases were only immediately or proximately caused by dis- 

 turbances in the balance or harmony of the humours. This 



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