1st Edition

Greek Medicine From the Heroic to the Hellenistic Age A Source Book

Edited By James Longrigg Copyright 1998

    The Greeks were the first to use rational systems of medicine, based upon belief in natural causation, rather than magical and religious elements, which resulted in a new conception of disease, accounting for causes and symptoms of illness. "Greek Medicine" places ancient Greek medicine, from Homer to the Alexandrians, within its historical and intellectual context by presenting a selection of source material in translation.
    The book provides a chronological account on the most important aspects of ancient medicine, and includes chapters on specific areas of medicine, such as gynecology, dietetics, pharmacology and surgery.

    Introduction; Abbreviations; Chapter 1 I Pre-rational and irrational medicine in ancient Greece and neighbouring cultures; Chapter 2 II The rise and development of rational medicine in ancient Greece; Chapter 3 III Philosophy and medicine in the fifth century I: Alcmaeon and the Presocratic philosophers; Chapter 4 IV The Hippocratic Corpus and the Hippocratic question; Chapter 5 V Philosophy and medicine in the fifth century II: Presocratic philosophy and the Hippocratic Corpus; Chapter 6 VI Philosophy and medicine until the fourth century: ‘Sicilian’ medicine and its influence; Chapter 7 VII Early Alexandrian medical science; Chapter 8 VIII Hippocratic deontology; Chapter 9 IX Disease and human physiology; Chapter 10 X Epidemic disease; Chapter 11 XI Prognosis and diagnosis; Chapter 12 XII Dietetics and regimen; Chapter 13 XIII Pharmacology; Chapter 14 XIV Anatomy; Chapter 15 XV Surgery; Chapter 16 XVI Gynaecology; Chronological Table; Glossary of Technical Terms; Bibliography; Concordance of Quoted Passages General Index;

    Biography

    James Longrigg is Reader in Ancient Philosophy and Science at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He is author of Greek Rational Medicine (Routledge 1993).

    "...Longrigg's decades of scholarly research are apparent in his commentaries and synopses, for he has mastered all the sources." -- Isis
    "An important source book not only for specialists but for anyone desiring an overview of medical issues reflected in Greek medical texts and literature from Homer to the Alexandrians. The chpater divisions reflect the extant themes of the ancient medical treatises, especially those attributed to Hippocratic authors, such as physiology, regimen, surgery, gynecology and anatomy. There is a very useful glossary of terms included in an appendix. This text will be a great adjunct to readings of the Hippocratic texts." -- Religious Studies Review