Classifications of diseases (2)

Text
A Greek medical text, preserved in Galen, probably represents an older form of Greek medicine, since it appears in the rather unusual format (for a Greek text) of listing clusters of symptoms according to parts of the body. This kind of list, although not typical of Greek medical writing, is certainly reminiscent of Babylonian medical literature and merits our attention. Galen quotes the following passage from an unknown source, although it is assumed to represent ‘Cnidian’ medicine because the language is Ionian Greek, listing disease according to organs which are associated with the diseases, and other classifications:
7 diseases of the gall, 12 diseases of the bladder, 4 diseases of the kidneys, from the bladder, 4 diseases of urine retentions, 3 tetani, 4 jaundices, 3 consumptions.

Bibliography

Mark Geller

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