Dreams as a diagnostic tool; Dreams, Hippocrates

 Why you might read Dreams?

Dreams is a quick look into the idea that dreams are indicative of health. 

In my Self Education project, it serves to round out the corpus as well as being an interesting dive into early medical practices and what they thought was important.

The content of Dreams

Dreams details the meaning of dreams as it applies to health and illness. Hippocrates states that for religious readings go and see religious people. Most of the prescriptions are very similar to reduce food and increase exercise. This is only when the sign of the dreams is bad. It is not the first time we have seen food decreased. In this case, it is to be slowly increased over five days. This is the first time we have seen exercise prescribed.

Reflections on Dreams

It is interesting that Hippocrates does not see walking as exercise. Instead, he sees it as a thing to be done after the exercise has been done. He mainly prescribes running. He does differentiate between running around a track and heading out on a trail. He prescribes each at different times.

Most interesting is that Hippocrates thinks that dreams can diagnose health problems at all. He knows that they are the subconscious, though he calls it the soul. I guess it is an extrapolation on the dreams have spiritual significance idea. We now know that while dreams can tell us some things if they recur or themes recur. Mostly they are our subconscious processing things of the mind not diseases of the body.

What others have to say about Dreams

"Perhaps this was the first time a man came to realize that dreams do not have a divine source, and may come from human thoughts." From the sleep blog

Comparisons with other texts

Like Aphorisms, Dreams is a book of diagnostics. Aphorisms deals with almost every situation that is not dreams. Dreams fills in this gap.

The regimens we see in dreams are very different from what we see in Epidemics. In Epidemics, we are dealing with life-threatening illness'. By contrast, Dreams is almost preventative as there are no physical symptoms as yet.

Conclusion

Dreams is a book of Dream interpretations. Hippocrates links dreams with physical health and makes treatments based on them. Most of these treatments are similar when the dream is negative. This book compliments what is covered in Aphorisms but is not as robust.

Have you read Dreams? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read Dreams 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 look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

Get a copy of Dreams.

Disease of the mind; The Sacred Disease, Hippocrates

 Why you might read The Sacred Disease?

The Sacred Disease is Hippocrates continuing to insist that medicine be a science. It carries on the trend previously set by works like Science in medicine. 

In my Self Education project, it serves to continue expanding my understanding of Hippocrates minds set toward medicine. As well as building on the foundations of his other works.

Content of the Sacred Disease

The sacred disease seems to be any disease acting on the brain. From Epileptic fits to strokes. From madness to sleepwalking. Hippocrates spends the book both describing these ailments and rebutting those who would call them Sacred. He describes them as standard diseases that have physical causes. Even if some of those causes have been since proven wrong. He calls those who treat them as sacred, charletons and faith healers. He tries to prove that the gods coming over someone would produce a blessing, not a curse. He points out that these so-called healers also use the basic principles of medicine to help the patient. 

Reflections on the Sacred Disease

Hippocrates idea of how air enters the body is a bit surprising. He thinks that air goes first to the brain, then to the stomach and then to the lungs. Of course, we know that now not to be true. His reasoning though is interesting. He thinks that air is cooling and so does not go to the lungs until it is warm. He has got the order of most important organs right though. His areas are those the body will priorities if we are short.

He also spends some time discussing the blood vessels and how they proceed through the body to the brain. He does not have a heart centric view like we do now. Instead says that one side comes from the liver and the other the spleen.

What others have to say about the Sacred Disease

"a Hippocratic inquiry into the so-called ‘sacred disease’ of epilepsy" From Portland State University

Comparisons with other Texts

Like Regimen in Acute Diseases Hippocrates does spend some time on how to treat the diseases of the mind. It is not his primary focus though, that is disputing Faith healers.

In some ways, it is a subset of what is discussed in the Science of Medicine. Both try to show the given diseases as having natural causes.

Conclusion

Hippocrates spends most of the book debating against those who would call these diseases sacred. That is from the gods. Once he is done with that he moves on to what he believes are the causes of these diseases. He closes with some discussion on how to treat them. This is an extension on his previous works and again shows us his focus on the science of medicine.

Have you read The Sacred Disease? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read The Sacred Disease 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 look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

Get a copy of The Sacred Disease.

Pithy diagnostics; Aphorisms, Hippocrates

 Why you might read Aphorisms?

Aphorism isn't what you expect from the title. Instead, it is a series of diagnostic, treatment and prognosis statements. As such it has much to teach about illness and how it was treated in Ancient Greece. It may even be the most prescriptive text in the Corpus.

In my Self Education project, this hold pride of place in Hippocrates works. It is not the most well known by any stretch. Yet it covers the most ground about treatment and prognosis.

Content of Aphorisms

The book is broken into seven sections. These sections cover slightly different topics, from weather effects to age effects. Overall the book covers what symptoms mean in different illnesses. What symptoms mean death and which mean life. As well as how to treat given diseases with given symptoms. It gives specific instructions on how to proceed depending on symptoms. While it is presented as a series of Aphorisms the Aphorisms often flow together into a series of related comments.

Reflections on Aphorisms

Like I said in the content section, this book does not feel like a series of Aphorisms. Rather it is a much more useful medical text. It spends all its time explaining sicknesses and treatments. None of these Aphorisms are easily quotable as most require the context of those around them.

What others have to say about Aphorisms

"The Aphorisms are the most important works of the Hippocratic Corpus." From euphoriatric

Comparisons with other texts

Compared to the other works of the Hippocratic Corpus. This text is the most straight forward diagnostic we have seen. In Epidemics, we see diseases named with there seasons. As well as how individuals symptoms went. By comparison in this work, we have whole lists of what a symptom means for an illness. As well as how to treat given illnesses.

Proverbs in the Bible is another work of Aphorisms. Where proverbs can be quoted and used individually. These Aphorisms need each other for context.

Conclusion

This is an important diagnostic and treatment text and we should not get put off by the title. It is instead a treasure trove of medicine from the classical greek times. It is roughly grouped into sections of ideas. It covers diagnosis and treatment, as well as prognosis. These are covered in the general sense rather than in case studies.

Have you read Aphorisms? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read Aphorisms 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 look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

Get a copy of Aphorisms.

More plays from the Bible; Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays(6-10), Various Unknown

 Why might you read the Miracle Plays?

The Miracle plays are a snapshot of how Medieval England saw the stories of the Bible.  I am just reading a collection of them rather than each version. This makes them great to compare how Christianity was understood across time, even if they are not directly about doctrine. 

For my Self Education project, they fill this role. They allow for a greater understanding of the way in which faith was a part of everyday life in medieval England. This will be important when I get to read more of the church fathers. As a narrative, they show a stage in the development of the play in the English speaking world.

Stories of the Miracle plays 6-10

Abraham and Issac

The play starts with Abraham praying for Issac his young son. We then see Issac also praying. There is a short scene in heaven where God tells his angels he will test Abraham. the test is to see whether he loves God or his son more.

Angels are then sent to instruct Abraham to go to the mountain and sacrifice Issac. While he prays it isn't so he complies. He takes Issac with wood for the fire up to the mountain.

Issac finds out he is to be the sacrifice and starts pleading with his father for his life. Abraham tells him he has been instructed by God to sacrifice him. Issac accepts his fate. Abraham dithers over doing the deed but eventually swings for the kill. He is stopped by an angel and is relieved. Issac asks why he has stopped and Abraham explains.

They sacrifice the ram God has arranged and descend the mountain praising God.

The Annunciation

The play opens with a Paraphrase of Isaiah's prophecy of the messiah. It continues with Mary being told she will have a child. And her marvelling about not having been with a man. And that the child would be from the holy spirit.

She then tells Joseph she's pregnant and he knows its not his. He will not listen and storms out. He is told by an angel and comes back home to Mary. The play finishes with them on the road to Bethlehem.

The Second Shepherds' Pagent

This play starts with the shepherds lamenting there state in life and lack of warm clothes. They are then joined by a man who is known to them. While they sleep he steals a sheep. He returns before they wake and bids them farewell. 

They then find there is a sheep missing and go to confront him in his house. They find him with his bedridden wife and are told she just gave birth. They go to leave as they cannot find any sign of the sheep. As they go to leave they realise they haven't seen the baby and given it gifts so they return and try and do so. When they do they see their sheep instead of a baby.

The shepherds return to the fields for another night. They meet an angel who tells them of Jesus birth in Bethlehem. So they go and visit the child and glorify him on arrival.

Herod the Great

The play starts with a messenger singing the praises of Herod. Herod enters and is angry that the wise men have gone without telling him who the child is. The child who will be king. So he ascertains the child approximate age. He then sends out his knights to kill every male child under the age of 2. When they return he rewards them well.

The Woman taken in Adultery

At the beginning we see a scribe and a Pharisee discussing Jesus. They focus on how to trap him into hypocrisy. They do so by presenting him with a woman caught in adultery. If he says kill he is a hypocrite because he has been preaching mercy. If he sends her away they have him breaking the law of Moses. Instead, he asks the man without sin to throw the stones. The men each leave bemoaning their sins. The woman then asks Jesus about it and he says she is free to go. She magnifies God for his mercy. 

Reflections on the Miracle plays 6-10

Abraham and Issac

Issac being described as Abrahams young son for this play. In the Bible, he is not described as such and it is common to describe him as full-grown today.

The play also adds Issac knowing he is to be sacrificed and accepting that. Again this is an extrapolation from the biblical text.

It is interesting to see Abraham dithering so much about the sacrifice. It brings some humanity to the story.

The Annunciation

It finishes in a rather interesting place, with them on the road. I would have expected it would either not add that part or go all the way to the birth of Jesus.

The play tells the story more like Mary and Joseph are already married and living together. Rather than being engaged like the Bible story. 

The Second Shepherds' Pagent

This play spends most of its time in the arguments between the shepherds and the stolen sheep. The visiting angel and baby Jesus take second best. This is interesting because it is a large departure from just a scriptural tale.

The missing sheep bit doesn't really end. They find the sheep but there is no talk of taking it back or of punishing the thief.

Herod the Great

Herod would not have had knights but rather warriors. Seems a bit nitpicky but knights were a thing of the middle ages. I must remember though that in the middle ages the idea that the past was different from now had not yet occurred to the scholars much less the laity.

Also, the messenger in the start makes Herod out to be larger and more powerful than he really was. His renowned would not have gone out to Syria and Greece.

The Woman taken in Adultery

It is interesting that the scribe and Pharisee both call him Jesu. We would now call him Jesus. The Editor calls him Jesus in the notes and when named as speaking. 

The plotting of the Pharisee is seen explicitly in the play. By comparison, the bible text just says they wanted to test him.

What others have to say about the Miracle plays 6-10

About Abraham and Issac enotes says "This miracle play does not specify where Abraham lives, apart from his early statement that he understands his home to be a gift from God."

Comparisons to other texts

In the earlier Miracle Plays, we see many things said that would only be true post the early church. Things like praying to the saints or referencing Christ. This was done in plays based on the old testament. In these Miracle plays this is still happening, though it is a little less jarring.

Compared to the Bible these stories have all been embellished. This is not necessarily a bad thing. But we do see one play go off on a tangent and be more about the tangent than the bible story. 

Conclusion

These plays have covered both old and new testament stories. These have ranged from Abraham and Issac to Jesus' ministry.  We have looked at how there are odd references that are out of their time. This is especially true in the old testament stories. Finally, they have said fairly true to the Biblical accounts but have added details. In one case this goes a little astray but it comes back to the point eventually.

Have you read The Miracle Plays? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read The Miracle Plays 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 look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

Get a copy of The Miracle Plays.