GALEN: HOW TO DETECT THOSE WHO FEIGN ILLNESS

Ed. Chartier Vol. VIII [916.]; Ed. Basel Vol. III (368. 369.)

Physicians must judge based on the symptoms that arise from the body itself. For example, they must distinguish blood spat from the mouth from blood that originates in the stomach, the belly, or one of the respiratory organs.

Indeed, some people have been caught intentionally coughing. At the end of the cough, they spit out blood. These individuals have a vein near their gums that opens easily. Whenever they wish, they suck on the vein with their tongue and then cough. They spit the blood out as if it had been brought up from deep within. Some people have even pretended to be delirious or to have lost their minds to make others look foolish. The public believes it is the duty of physicians to discover all these tricks and to distinguish them from real illness.

In these cases, a pain is often faked that is so intense it seems unbearable. I knew a certain man who was called by the citizens to a public assembly. He faked colic In Greek, "koliken." This refers to severe, localized abdominal pain thought to originate in the colon. so that he would not have to attend. He believed this was to his advantage. At the time, I suspected the man was lying. Later, he confessed the truth to me. I had ordered warm compresses The original text uses "pyriamata" in Greek and "fomenta" in Latin. These were hot applications or poultices used to treat internal pain. to be applied to him, but [he refused them].