A focus on food; Traditions in Medicine, Hippocrates

 Why you might read Traditions in Medicine?

Hippocrates is generally known as the father of medicine. In this work, he explains why he doesn't hold to the belief of the time that sickness is related to four attributes. As such he interacts with the beliefs of the day and shows us how he can see they are wrong and what he looks to instead. This gives us insight into his understanding. As well as the general understanding of those he disputes.

It is important to my Self-Education project for the reasons above. It is also essential for the collective understanding of Hippocrates. To read only a few of his works would leave me with a less complete understanding. I also expect ideas to be reoccurring and building on each other. So I see this work as a stepping stone to other works of his.

The Content of Traditions in Medicine

Hippocrates starts by proving that Medicine is a science. At least that medicine is discovered by experimentation. As it has everything to do with what we eat, he steps us through the discovery of what foods suited man. He contrasts this with what would happen if we ate what was good for the horse for example.

He spends time discussing how the postulate of health is determined by Hot vs cold and wet vs dry. He shows it to be slightly ridiculous by giving examples. In these examples, it is impossible to tell which of these four attributes the food that is given is. He then leads us back towards his understanding. This is that what we eat determine our health and recovery from sickness.

He spends time talking about the strength of some foods and the weakness of others. He explains that gruel was created as the weakest of foods. But he also goes on to say that gruel will not work for all sicknesses. Where gruel works, it would make the sick person miserable to give them bread. Which is much stronger and hence harder to digest.

He goes on to again speak against those who treat based on the four attributes. He goes so far as to say that they probably recommend the same things as those who practice based on food. They give different reasons for these treatments.

Hippocrates rounds out the book by discussing what causes disease. He says that there is not enough evidence to say he someone got sick because they changed their routine. like they got rained on while they walked. He instead suggests that disease comes from the overabundance of the forms. Things like salt or sweet or astringent. 

Reflections on Traditions in Medicine

While he is said to be the father of modern medicine his ideas still differ from those of the modern-day. We have gone away from the idea that food is medicine. We may still have the old saying "feed a fever, starve a cold" but we do not put much stock in it. Hippocrates, on the other hand, sees it as the only remedy available to him. His views on strong and weak foods are also things we have moved passed.

His discussion on the causes of disease I found most interesting. He shies away from the idea that it is an unusual activity that brings on the disease. He gives examples like taking a cold bath when you do not normally. These days we might see these acts as affecting our immune system and so they have some effect. But we now have germ theory which Hippocrates was writing before we had arrived at that.

Speaking of immunity his theory on food does have some basis as what we eat does affect our immunities. So I guess Hippocrates did know something about what he was on about at least.

What others have to say about Traditions in Medicine

WHS Jones Ed. reminds us Hippocrates said, "that empiric medicine was in his day an old art, and that the attempt to foist the method of philosophy upon it was comparatively modern." and this is precisely what Hippocrates is arguing against.

Comparisons with other texts

Traditions in Medicine is the first of Hippocrates' works where we have seen a focus on the patient. In The Oath or The Cannon, he is writing about the attributes of the Physician himself. As such, this is the first time, we start to see his mind about what disease is. As well as how it is caught and how to treat it. We also see how Hippocrates interacts with the medical profession. In this text, he argues against the new view in favour of what he can test.

Conclusion

In this work, Hippocrates defends medicine as a Science. He does so by taking it to first principles and observation. He argues against the new view of medicine around him that is based on philosophy. His understanding of medicine orbits around the food we eat and how that helps us recover. He talks about the origin of disease as being based on imbalance but does not go into too much detail.

By comparison to his first two works that we have looked at, this one is focused on the patient. It focuses on medicine to be practised rather than the attributes of the physician.

Have you read Traditions in Medicine? If so what did you think of it? 
 
Want to read Traditions in Medicine but haven't? Please leave me a comment and let me know why you want to read it.

Hopefully, this post inspires you to take the time to loo
k into it on your own journey of Self Education.

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