THE HIPPOCRATICS 



hypotheses, which the true scientist or the good 

 physician holds himself in readiness to abandon, 

 are the most serviceable and least fatal. 



We return to our illustrations of Hippoc- 

 rates. Very typical is the treatment of the 

 patient's regimen. Its method and humane 

 wisdom are shown in the tract On Regimen in 

 Acute Diseases. It opens somewhat warmly 

 in a polemic against the Cnidian school for 

 their fine-spun diagnoses and meticulous dis- 

 tinctions between diseases, which went beyond 

 their knowledge of the course and nature of 

 disease and far beyond their too restricted 

 remedies. Not every variation of symptom 

 means a different disease; and the Cnidians 

 fail to consider those profounder indications 

 of which the patient is not aware, but the 

 physician must discern and understand if he 

 would foresee the course and crisis of the sick- 

 ness with which he must cope. Diet is most 

 important in acute diseases, and has not been 

 sufficiently determined; its effect upon the sick 

 must be carefully considered and compared. 

 The tract proceeds to do this specifically and 

 most wisely; comparing, for instance, the re- 

 sults obtained from a diet of barley broth with 

 those from strained barley water, and discuss- 



[21] 



