Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/229

Rh GALENUS. tinn of the book, he has found nothing to prove thut Galen was not the writer ; whereas several passages seem to agree exactly with the circum- stances of his life ; as, for instance, where he speaks of Avhat he had himself seen at Alexandria (c. 8. p. 237.) Compare also the mention of Demetrius (c. 12. p. 261.) with what is said of him. {De Aritid. i. 1. vol. xiv. p. 4.) The work (unless it be a wilful forgery, which is not likely) was certainly written by a contemporary of Galen, and m fact between the years 199 — 211, as the author mentions (c. 2. p. 217) two emperors as reigning at the time, which can only refer to Severus and Caracalla. Upon the whole, as the work has not been proved to belong to any other author, and as there is both external and internal evidence in its favour, the writer is inclined to think its genuineness at least as probable as its spuriousness ; and the question is of some import- ance, because (as has been mentioned above), if Galen really did write the book, he must have lived some years later than is commonly supposed. 76. Tlepl TTJs &T]piaKrjs Trpos naficpiAiavov, De T/ieriaca ad PamphUianum (vol. xiv.). This is also considered by some critics to be of doubtful genu- ineness, but (in the writer's opinion) without suffi- cient reason, as mention is made in it of Galen's visiting Rome (p, 295.), and of his tutor, Aelianus Meccius (p. 299). 77. Liber Secretorum ad Mon- teum (vol. X. ed. Chart.), spurious. 78. De Me- dicinis Eo'periis (vol. x. ed Chart.), spurious. 79. Uepl Merpcav Ka ^TadfMwv AiSocr/caAto, ^e Pon- deribus et Mensuris £)odm2a (vol. xix.), spurious. 80. Tlepl ^AvTefM§aXoiui.4i'0}v, De Succedaneis (vol. xix.), spurious. 81. Z>e Simplicibus Medicamentis ad Paternianum (vol. xiii. ed. Chart,), spurious. 82. De Plantis (vol. xiii. ed. Chart.), spurious. 8.3. De Virtute Centaureae (vol. xiii. ed. Chart.), spurious. 84. De Clysteribus (vol. xiii. ed. Chart.), spurious. 85. De Catharticis (ap. Spuria, in ed. Junt.), spurious. In Materia Medica Galen's authority was not so high as that of Dioscorides : he placed im- plicit faith in amulets, and is supposed by CuUen to be the author of the anodyne necklace, which was 80 long famous in England. In Galen's works, De Compositioiie Medicamentorum secun- dum Genera and De Compos. Medicamentorum secundum Locos, we have a large collection of compound medicines ; and the number of com- positions for the same disease, and the number of ingredients in most of the compositions, sufficiently show the great want of discernment in the nature of medicines that was then felt. This want of discernment is also very apparent in Galen himself ; for, although he frequently expresses his own opi- nion, yet certainly it would appear that from his own observation or experience he had not arrived at any nice judgment in the subject of Materia Medica, as these works are almost entirely com- piled from the writings of Andromachus, Archigenes, Asclepiades Pharmacion, Dioscorides, and a number of other authors who had gone before him. After the time of Galen no change in the plan of the Materia Medica was made by any of the Greek physicians ; for, although in Aetius, Oribasius, and some others, there are large compilations on the subject, yet they are nothing more than compila- tions, conspicuous for the same imperfections which are so remarkable in the writings of Galen himself. See Cullen's " Treatise of the Materia Medica." GALENUS. 215 VIII. Works on Therapeutics, including Surgery. 86. QepaTrcvTLKTJ MedoSos, Medendi Methodus, (vol. x.) This is one of Galen's most valuable and celebrated works, and was written when he wag advanced in years. 87. TcJ Trpos FKavKuva 0e/)a- ircvTiKa, Ad Glauconem de Medendi Methodo (vol. xi.). 88. Ilepl ^AeSoTO/xias irpos 'EpaaiarpaTou, De Venae Sectione, adversus JErasistratum (vol. xi.). 89. Uepl ^e§0T0iJ.ias irpos 'EpaaiaTpaTeiovs rovs ev 'Pc^fJ-rj, De Venae Sectione adversus Eror sistrateos Romae degentes (vol. xi.). 90. ITepl ^KeSoTOjxias QepairevTiKdv Bi€iou, De Curandi Ratione per Ve?iae Sectionem (vol. xi.). 91. UepX Mapaa-fMov, De Marasmo (vol. vii.). 92. T^ 'ETrt- XrtiTTiK^ TlaiSl 'T7ro075K;7j, Pro Puero Epileptico Consilium (vol. xi.). 93. Uepl B^eKKwp, 'Avrtcnrei- aeus, StKuas, 'E7xafa|e«s, koX KaToo-xao-yuou, D& Hirudinibus, Revtdsione, Cucurbitula, Incisione et Scarifications (vol. xi.). 94. Tep rijs r£v Kadai- p6vT(av ^apfx-aKwy Avvdfxews, De Purgantium Medicamentorum Facidtate (vol. xi.), of doubtful genuineness. 95. TiepX twv "E.Tn'^eajxwv^De Fasciis (vol. xviii. pt. i.), of very doubtful genuineness. 9Q. Uepl ^XeSoTOjxias, De Venae Sectione (vol. xix.), spurious. 97. Uepl ttjs toJc ev Nec^pols Uadwv Aiayvwcrews Kol ©epaTreias, De Renum. Affectuum Dignotione et Curatione (vol. xix. ), spu- rious. 98. De Colico Dolore (vol. x. ed. Chart.), spurious. 9Q. Introductorius Liber Varias Morbo- rum Curas complectens, spurious. 100. De Cura Icteri (vol. x. ed. Chart.), spurious. 101. UepX NeKayxoXlas e/c rcou TaXrivov, Kal 'Fov}V TLvHv, De Melancholia ex Galeno, Rufo, et aliis quibusdam (vol. xix). 1 02. De Oculis (vol. xi. ed. Chart.), spurious. 103. De Gynaeceis, i. e. De Pasaionibus Mulierum. (vol. vii. ed. Chart.), spurious. 104. De Cura Lapidts (vol. x. ed. Chart.), spurious. 105. De Dynamidiis (vol. x. ed. Chart.), spurious. 106. Timy dei iKKudaipeip, /coi TToloLS KaQaprriplois, koL irore, Quos quibus Cor tharticis Medicamentis, et quando purgare oporteat (vol. X. ed. Chart.). To give a complete account of Galen's system of Therapeutics would be in this place impracticable ; some remarks on the general principles by which he was guided is all that can be here attempted. He did not depend solely upon experience, like the Empirici, nor on mere theory, but endeavoured judiciously to combine the advantages of both methods. His practice is based on the two funda- mental maxims : 1. That disease is something con- trary to nature, and is to be overcome by that which is contrary to the disease itself; and 2. That nature is to be preserved by that which has relation with nature. From these two maxims arise two general indications of treatment ; the one taken from the affection contrary to nature, which affection requires to be overcome ; the other from the strength and natural constitution of the body, which requires to be preserved. As a dis- ease cannot be entirely overcome as long as its catise exists, this is (if possible) to be in the first place removed ; the symptoms, in general, not re- quiring any particular treatment, because they will disappear with the disease on which they depend. The strength of the patient is to be considered before we proceed to the treatment ; and when this is much reduced, we shall often be forced to omit the exhibition of a remedy which would otherwise P 4.