More Hippocratic Aphorisms

Aphorism is a short, pithy statement of an evident truth concerned with life or nature. Hippocrates wrote a series of aphorisms on medical practice. They became handy hints for the physicians of the time (400 BCE). Perhaps they represented a tool analogous to what medical interns have carried around in their pockets—the Merck Manual. Many aphorisms dealt with the art of purging since very few other treatments were available then. Prognostication between curable and incurable conditions was a common issue in the aphorisms. The first Hippocratic aphorisms was the topic of the last posting. Here are some more aphorisms of a general nature as extracted from http://classics.mit.edu. To read a translation of them all go to the link.

Aphorisms by Hippocrates and translated by Francis Adams

Section II-19.-In acute diseases it is not quite safe to prognosticate either death or recovery.

Section II-33. In every disease it is a good sign when the patient's intellect is sound, and he is disposed to take whatever food is offered to him; but the contrary is bad.

Section II-44. Persons who are naturally very fat are apt to die earlier than those who are slender.


Section II-52 When doing everything according to indications, although things may not turn out agreeably to indication, we should not change to another while the original appearances remain.

Section VII-43. A woman does not become ambidextrous.

Section VII-87. Those diseases, which medicines do not cure, iron (the knife?) cures; those which iron cannot cure, fire cures; and those which fire cannot cure, are to be reckoned wholly incurable.

Any comments on your interpretation of the significance of these views of Hippocrates? ..Maurice.