Edema in the Corpus Hippocraticum.
In this paper, we analyze the collection of ancient Greek treatises ascribed to Hippocrates (460; between 371 and 350 BC), in order to determine whether or not edema can be traced. As a result of reading these works on the Greek text, we recognize some symptoms of edema in those called oidêma (swelling) and udrôps (dropsy) in the oldest treatises of the Corpus; in some cases, it seems also possible to recognize its description as the uremic coma. The dysfunction of edema had not been identified as such, however, even though the phenomena associated with the above symptoms received a specific explanation, which was fully hypothetical. This theoretical explanation also justifies the therapies prescribed for the treatment of the phenomena among which edema appears. Significantly enough, the treatment changed during a period which corresponds to that of Hippocrates' life: it changes from the four-quality system to that one of the four humors, but not necessarily under the influence of Hippocrates himself.
Touwaide
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A
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Filología, Madrid, Spain.
De Santo
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NG
D004487:Edema / Q000266:history*; D000076145:Greece, Ancient; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008374:Manuscripts, Medical as Topic / Q000266:history*