The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 1 (of 3) : $b translated from the Greek: with a commentary embracing a complete view of the knowledge possessed by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabians on all subjects connected with medicine and surgeryPaulus, Aegineta
History
The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 1 (of 3) : $b translated from the Greek: with a commentary embracing a complete view of the knowledge possessed by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabians on all subjects connected with medicine and surgery
Paulus, Aegineta
Medicine; Medicine, Arab; Medicine, Greek and Roman
The ancients were also of opinion that the brain is the coldest viscus
in the animal frame, being in this respect the antagonist of the heart,
the heat of which they supposed that it counteracts. See Aristot. (De
Part. Anim. ii, 7); and Pliny (Hist. Nat. xi, 49.) There appears to be
some foundation for this opinion, since, as is remarked by Haly Abbas,
those parts of the body which are vascular, and contain much blood, are
naturally hot; whereas such as contain little blood are comparatively
cold. Of this latter class are the brain, nerves, and fat. (Theor. i.)
The later Greek authorities, as, for example, Theophilus Protospatharius
and Nemesius, adopt a division of the brain as regards its connexion with
mind, to which Galen and his immediate followers appear to have been
strangers. According to it, Fantasy is connected with the anterior part
of the brain; Cogitation, or the _discursus mentis_, with the middle; and
Memory with the posterior. See, in particular, Theophilus (p. 184, ed.
Greenhill.) This hypothesis was received by all the Arabian writers on
medicine. See, for example, Averrhoes (Collig. ii, 20.) It was evidently
an approach to the arrangement adopted by the phrenologists of the
present day, who maintain that intellect is seated in the anterior part
of the brain; the moral feelings in the middle; and the animal appetites
in the posterior.
SECT. LXIV.—THE MARKS OF THE TEMPERAMENTS OF THE STOMACH.
The marks of a preternatural dryness of the stomach are, that those
affected with it are liable to thirst, but little drink satisfies them;
and they feel heavy with much drink, as the superfluity occasions
gurgling in the stomach, or floats upon it; of those of a more humid,
that they are not addicted to thirst, and bear readily much liquids,
and rejoice in humid food. A stomach preternaturally hot has a better
digestion than appetite, particularly with regard to those things which
are hard and difficult to digest; it delights in much food and drink;
neither is it hurt by the moderate use of cold things. A preternaturally
cold stomach has a good appetite but not a good digestion, in particular
with regard to such things as are of difficult digestion, and are of a
cold nature, which therefore are apt to turn acid in it. And it delights
indeed in cold things, but is readily hurt by the immoderate use of them.
The intemperaments proceeding from disease differ from the congenital
in this, that they long for opposite things, and not always alike. If
the stomach then digests properly, it is of a moderate temperament; and
if it does not it is of a bad; but if its eructations are fetid, its
heat is inordinate and inflammatory; but if acid, the contrary. And in
those who digest properly things of difficult digestion, the heat of the
stomach is inordinate, and weak in those who cannot digest those things,
but digest fishes. It must also be observed, whether or not the symptom
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account