Galen's Commentaries on the Aphorisms of Hippocrates

...to perform the evacuation. For every individual humor exceeding in the body has its own indications, concerning which we shall speak more fully hereafter; nevertheless, for the sake of perfect knowledge, one must inspect the current time of year, the region in which the sick dwell, their age, and the type of sickness. For should there be, for instance, signs of yellow bile abounding in the body, one must simultaneously inspect whether it be the summer season, whether the region be hot, and whether the patient be in the prime of life. In the same manner, one must also consider in the case of

.iii.

Ornamental woodcut initial H with floral motifs.The habit of athletes who reach the highest point of excellence is dangerous if they remain at the extreme; for they can neither remain in the same state, nor rest; and since they do not rest, they cannot improve. It remains, therefore, that they fall into a worse state. For these reasons, it is expedient to dissolve a good habit immediately, so that the body may begin to be nourished again...

phlegm whether it be winter, whether the region be cold, and whether the man be old. And besides all these things, one must inspect the type of disease itself. For example, that a tertian [fever] (if such occurs) arises from yellow bile exceeding measure, a quartan from black bile, a quotidian from phlegm, a cancer from black bile, erysipelas from yellow bile, and each of the other types of diseases in the same way. For if we distinguish all these things, we shall arrive more firmly and steadily at the evacuation of the harmful humor. Those commentators, however, are to be rejected above others (as speaking absurdities) who think that he is speaking solely of fasting (which is applied in fevers), since he has not named fevers, and the discourse concerns everything that is contrary to nature, the indications of which he teaches us; regarding these, we must discover not the quantity, but the quality of the evacuation, for the following aphorism will treat of quantity. At what time of the disease one ought to undertake the evacuation, and in what manner it should be done, he will say hereafter in other aphorisms. Wherefore it is not necessary for me to speak of these things now; for thus our teaching would not be any wiser, and our commentaries would reach an immoderate and least necessary prolixity.

.iiii.

Ornamental woodcut initial I with floral motifs.We have taught that the preceding discourse was about the quality of those things that are evacuated. In this and the following ones, however, he wishes to teach about quantity, and he takes his beginning from immoderate repletion and evacuation, setting forth a certain example in this aphorism as well, just as in the preceding one, and directing his discourse toward it, as is his custom. His example is the good habit of athletes. Now, he calls the "good habit of athletes" that of those whose whole purpose in life is to give constant labor to exercises, so that they might cast others down after the manner of wrestlers. For that which is simply called a "good habit," which many farmers possess—occupied in digging the earth, reaping crops, and other labors of life—does not reach immoderate repletion. But the good habit of athletes has this no small fault: that they strive to add a mass of bulk to the body, and, as may be clear, a multitude of humors. For these are certain preparations for the nutrition of the whole body. And unless they be present, it is impossible for bodies to be brought to immoderate bulk. Wherefore it is necessary that a disposition of this kind be dangerous. For when the vessels have been filled beyond measure with food and drink, there is danger lest they be burst, or the innate heat be suffocated or extinguished. Just as several athletes who reached immoderate repletion have died of sudden death from this same cause. But the good habit of body which is useful for the works of nature...