BOOK 1.

Ed. Chart. X. [346.] Ed. Bas. IV. (197, 198.)
...they err so significantly that they actually produce man-made diseases original Greek: "cheiropoiēta" (χειροποίητα); Latin: "manu factos." Galen refers to "iatrogenic" illnesses, or conditions caused by the doctor's own errors or incorrect treatments.. The treatment for these types of fevers is readily available, but (198) the diagnosis requires greater precision. No one before us has written about these matters as thoroughly as was necessary. Therefore, it is not surprising that many people make as many mistakes in their cures as they do in their diagnoses.

Often, some people fall into serious illnesses by some coincidence. For example, they might become drunk, or overexposed to the sun, or chilled, or exhausted by labor, or suffer from insomnia, or be stirred by rage. They might be affected by any other cause that is naturally capable of causing harm. Then, believing that the whole condition is due only to the initial cause that preceded it, they do not realize that another internal state disposition: the Greek "diathesis" refers to the specific physical condition or "set" of the body's tissues and humors at a given time. has developed. Because of this, they follow a careless regimen diet: in this context, the Greek "diaita" refers to the patient's entire lifestyle, including food, activity, and environment.. By doing so, they throw themselves into an incurable or, at the very least, a dangerously difficult disease to treat.

Therefore, one must apply foresight in all these matters. As Hippocrates advises, a doctor should foreknow not only what is to come, but also what has happened in the past and what is present Galen refers to the Hippocratic work "Prognostic," which emphasizes that understanding the patient's history is as vital as predicting the outcome of the disease.. What we are now proposing belongs to that part of the medical art. We shall explain it as clearly as possible...

...they err so much that they certainly induce man-made diseases. For these fevers, the cure is prompt, but the diagnosis demands greater diligence. Before us, no one has written about this as much as the subject required. Therefore, it is not a wonder that many people hallucinate so much in their cures, just as they err in their diagnosis.

For some have often fallen into serious diseases by some chance, such as those who are intoxicated, or burned by the sun, or chilled, or worn out by labor, or have suffered through sleepless nights, or are driven by fury. They are affected by any other cause that is suitable for causing harm on its own. Then, thinking that everything happened because of the cause that came before, and not judging that another internal affection is underlying, they establish a negligent system of living. They do not understand that they are rushing into an incurable or certainly a difficult to heal disease.

Because of this, diligence must be applied in every way, just as Hippocrates warns, so that we may not only foresee future things, but also recognize the past and the present. Indeed, what we now propose pertains to that part of the art, and we shall set it out as clearly as we are able...