Treating ulcers in various ways; On Ulcers, Hippocrates

 Why might you read On Ulcers?

On Ulcers is the last of the Hippocratic Corpus. As such it rounds out our knowledge of what Hippocrates knew, which was put into writing. It gives us our last glimpse into ancient Greek Medicine for the time being.

In my Self Education project, On Ulcers stands as another piece in the greater puzzle of the corpus.

Content of On Ulcers

On Ulcers is a short text that mainly details the many concoctions that can be put on ulcers to help them heal. Hippocrates starts with the general idea of drying out the Ulcer. As well as some discussion on how Ulcers occur. He recommends if they are new cutting them open to drain and bleed them. He does spend most of the work detailing different herbal mixtures that can be put on the ulcers. Again he starts in general and then moves to more specific. Not very specific but a little more. He has a section on different mixtures for the winter. They contain animal fat which the others have not. These seem to more of a kind that would set on a wound under the bandages.

Reflections on On Ulcers

The use of saffron in one of the remedies was a surprise. I don't think it has much in the way of medicinal properties. It is also expensive and the remedy called for quite a lot of it. That being said it was one of a list of possible remedies. Hippocrates was not specific about when to use it or the other options. Because of this, I would take it that the saffron remedy was an option. That other cheaper remedies could be used.

Some remedies seemed more likely to work than others. But that is because I bring modern general knowledge to the table. For example, a remedy with honey and white vinegar seem to me to have more promise than boiled olive leaves.

What others have to say about On Ulcers

This is another case where there is little on the internet about the work and many copies of the work. I found one paper but it was hidden behind a paywall.

Comparisons with other texts

On Fistulae also has plenty of remedies without too much clarity on when to use each. But, it does deal more specifically with a skin ailment in one place and is more specific in that way.

Unlike On the Surgery, there is little information about how to bandage the treated Ulcers. On the Surgery by contrast is nearly entirely about how to bandage wounds.

Conclusion

On Ulcers is a short work detailing many possible treatments for Ulcers. Though cutting and bleeding are prescribed in all cases where the sore is new. What to then add to the wound as a treatment is varied without too much description on when to use what. From that, we can gather that a great many of the treatments are interchangable.

Have you read On Ulcers? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read On Ulcers 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 On Ulcers.

Treating Anal Fistulae; On Fistulae, Hippocrates

 Why you might read On Fistulae?

On Fistulae is a very specific work, it covers exactly what it says. Its interest value though is still there for those interested in early greek medicine.

In my Self Education project, this is a work that, while informative, is mainly there to round out the corpus.

Content of On Fistulae

Hippocrates barely deals with what is a Fistulae. Instead, he spends this short work detailing many cures for it. These start with when to cut it open before treating and when to treat it as it is. Generally, he recommends not to cut if it has gone septic. All his remedies include some sponge or other foreign object being introduced. This is either with or after a wash or tincture has been applied.

Reflections on On Fistulae

I had never heard of the term Fistulae before and as Hippocrates does not seriously define the term. I found I needed to google it just to understand what he was treating. If your wondering it is a tube that forms between two hollow organs or one hollow organ and the skin. In this case, he is only dealing with tubes from the anus to the skin. Hippocrates does mention that untreated they can cause death.

What others have to say about On Fistulae

"Hippocrates was the first to use this technique where he inserted horsehair with lint in the fistula tract and then periodically tightened it. It is used almost for all types of anal fistulae and is showing a high healing rate between 80–100%." From Longterm outcome of anal fistula – A retrospective study

Comparisons to other texts

It reminds me of On Hemorrhoids. The treatments are similar, while not the same. Hippocrates generally packs the anus with a sponge or other object.

Unlike Instruments of Reductions, this text only mentions death once in passing. By contrast, Instruments of Reductions, details how lack of reduction can cause maiming or death.

Conclusion

On Fistulae is a short text covering many ways to treat anal fistulae. Hippocrates does not do a good job at defining his terms. He is, however, thorough in covering possible treatments. Some of his techniques still have cognates today. Also, this is the second time we have dealt with issues of the anus and how to treat them. 

Have you read On Fistulae? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read On Fistulae 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 On Fistulae.

Arcite is untrue to queen Anelida; Anelida and Arcite, Geoffrey Chaucer

 Why you might read Anelida and Arcite?

Anelida and Arcite is a quick read and a lot easier than previous works of Chaucer. None the less it is still part of the works of Chaucer. It is worth a read especially as it is a little more straight forward. 

In my Self Education project it helps to form a rounded understanding of Chaucer. It also serves as a lesson in Middle English before the pronunciation shift.

Story of Anelida and Arcite

Anelida and Arcite is a poem that ends abruptly and is likely to be incomplete. Anelida is the queen of her town and Arcite is a traveling Knight of Thebes. She falls in love with him and he acts like he loves her too. But he is false and quickly leaves her for other women. She is heart broken but he just laughs at her when she confronts him. The poem then goes on to detail he complaint against him in the form of a strophe and anti strophe. The poem returns to the story for a few lines and then ends.

Reflections on Anelida and Arcite

It is interesting that Chaucer chooses a story from around the time of Thebes as a great city. Yet his characters are more Italian or French that Greek. His knights are from his own period as is his understanding of a queen. She is cast as more helpless than we see the queens be in the Greek plays set at similar times.

The basic deception of Arcite is quite intense. He never loves her and you have to wonder if he only was with her to be with a queen. That being said he doesn't seem to take power over the city as we would expect in Greek times.

What others have to say about Anelida and Arcite

"The simple story tells of the faithlessness of Arcite to Queen Anelida." From Oxford reference

Comparisons with other texts

This is the first work of Chaucer so far that has not included dream sequences. We see these dreams in the House of Fame and The Book of Duchess. This poem therefore feels much more solid and set in reality. Even if it is still a story. 

While it is set at the height of Thebes' power it is a very different story than what we see in the Iliad. This is also in poetic form but it is a very different style. Th Iliad focuses on the men and the daring deeds where as here Chaucer is focused on a woman and her mans lack of virtue.

Conclusion

Anelida and Arcite is a short poem that is most likely incomplete. It covers the courtship of the two and the subsequent unfaithfulness of Arcite. It is the first work we have seen without a dream sequence. It also is very different from the likes of the Iliad. Though they are set in similar time periods. They treat there subject matter very different. 

Have you read Anelida and Arcite? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read Anelida and Arcite 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 Anelida and Arcite.

A more comprehensive run through of dislocations and some other injuries; On the Articulations, Hippocrates

 Why you might read On the Articulations?

On the Articulations is a more in-depth form. We have previously seen dislocations treated but this is a more comprehensive volume. As such it gives even greater insight into how crippling dislocations could be and how they could be sometimes treated.

In my Self Education project, it starts to fill that gap of how injuries were treated. Injuries being the other part of medicine. It also gives insight into how dangerous a dislocation was at the time.

Content of On the Articulations

On the articulations works its way through dislocations an injuries of the joints. These range from shoulder to hip, from elbow to knee and also include the spine. All of these include discussions on mechanical aids and devices. For the hip, Hippocrates spends a lot of time on the deformations that will occur if the joint is not reduced. He does eventually get onto the difficulties and ways to reduce the joint. He does point out with the hip that it really needs to be done immediately. Because otherwise, the inflammation will make it impossible.

With all the joints he points out that you should not reduce the injury if the skin is broken. Reducing at that point is likely to kill the patient. It does mean however that they will be crippled by the injury. He also states that if the inflammation had come in the joint can only be reduced once the inflammation starts to come down. Reduction at this point will be a lot harder.

Reflections on On the Articulations

As I have said in other words, it strikes me how much easily injuries could cripple someone. Hippocrates spends a lot of time on this with the hip joint and the hand. It makes me thankful for modern medicine. Though I haven't broken or dislocated a joint, the thought that just that could make me a cripple is sobering.

Hippocrates treatment of club foot is interesting. He simply states that a lot can be done by slowly bringing the foot back into the right position. He does so with bandages. I do not know if this treatment actually fixes the problem or just gives a cognate to normal function.

The use of cauterisation to keep the joint from dislocating again is quite jarring. This is in the case of repeated dislocations. Hippocrates in one place rails against one location of cauterisation. He instead suggests the opposite because of the direction of the dislocation. These days while I know we do not do cauterisation but I do not know what we would do instead. I have known soccer players whose knee goes out easily. They were so used to it they just popped it back and kept going.

What others have to say about On the Articulations

"More than 2500 years ago Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.) described in detail various methods for reducing shoulder dislocations, and reduction with the heel has become the most famous one." From Neurovascular complications due to the Hippocrates method for reducing anterior shoulder dislocations

Comparisons with other texts

This is an expansion of the work Instruments of reduction. Instruments of reduction lays out the basics of treating dislocations. Whereas this text takes us right through the process and possible outcomes. 

On the articulations also drifts into the area covered by Fractures. It does so by dealing with some broken bones. Fractures is a lot more complete on the subject whereas this text just uses a few cases as they relate to the joints.

Conclusion

On the Articulations is an in-depth look at the injuries of the joints. It takes the work Instruments of reduction and expands on it to give a complete look. It covers all the joints of the limbs as well as those of the spine. Some of these reductions are still the bases of how we fix dislocations today. That being said we are not as limited as Hippocrates was by what he could physically manage.

Have you read On the Articulations? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read On the Articulations 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 On the Articulations.

Dislocations and how to treat them; Instruments of Reduction, Hippocrates

 Why you might read Instruments of Reduction?

Instruments of reduction is a complete work about dislocations of the joints and spine. Hippocrates also explains how the person will be lamed by the injury. Because of this it also gives us great insight into the risks of getting hurt in Greek times.

In my Self Education project, the Hippocratic corpus is of great import. It is the first real medicine books and gives a great foundation for medicine and the life sciences in books to come.

Content of Instruments of Reduction

First Hippocrates spends some time describing the skeletal system in depth. This includes which way the bones curve in the body. As well as a systematic description of what connects to what.

For the rest of the book, he works his way around the body. For each joint, he describes how it can be dislocated and how to return it to its position. He also details how it will heal and how lame it will be afterwards. He details this both for if it is relocated or reduced and if it is left untreated. In a couple of places, he describes how death will likely follow the injury. He does cover a little about what to do with treatment after reduction like restricting food and bandaging. He generally says no splints the exception being the fingers. This is a small part of the text as he is mainly focused on the dislocations themselves.

Reflections on Instruments of Reduction

The number of different ways you can dislocate a lot of your joints was surprising. Most can be dislocated in at least two different ways with some being able to be dislocated in up to four ways. This is of course on two planes of movement. When there is only two it is on the same plane. so backwards and forwards or inwards and outwards.

Again Hippocrates includes the use of mechanical devices to help reduce the joint. These need more understanding of his terms than I managed on a read through. He talks about using axels but not how they are used. His contraptions are generally based on these axels.

I found this book hard to read as I kept imagining the dislocations and reductions. The text itself isn't difficult, it made me squeamish.

What others have to say about Instruments of Reduction

The internet is quite again about this book. There are many places to find the text of it online but no-one has written much about it.

Comparisons with other texts

This book reminds me a lot of Fractures. That being said they are the reverse of each other. Fractures is about fractures with a slight deviation into dislocations. Whereas this text is dislocations with a slight deviation into fractures where relevant. As such while they cover some of the same material they complement each other.

Like Injuries of the Head, this is a practical work. They both start with a discussion of the relevant anatomy. They then continue on to specifics of injuries and how to treat them.

Conclusion

Instruments of Reductions is a text about relocating dislocated joints. It covers this in a systematic and complete way even detailing when death is likely to occur. It has a lot in common with Hippocrates other injury based books and complements them nicely.

Have you read Instruments of Reduction? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read Instruments of Reduction 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 Instruments of Reduction.

Serious head injuries and how to diagnose them; On Injuries of the Head, Hippocrates

 Why you might read On Injuries of the Head?

On Injuries of the Head, covers in detail serious head wounds. As such it gives great insight into how head injuries were treated in Hippocrates time. It is interesting to see how much they are willing to be invasive when they can only see with their eyes.

In my Self Education project, the Hippocratic corpus is of great import. It is the first real medicine books and gives a great foundation for medicine and the life sciences in books to come.

Content of On Injuries of the Head

On Injuries of the Head goes through the types of head wounds. It covers from the simplest head wounds in which little is to be done. All the way to serious head injuries that are likely to result in death. Hippocrates spends time explaining how to examine head wounds. This includes the idea that you may have to cut the wound further open to see the bone and what damage has been done to it. He recommends not cutting the bone immediately but waiting to see if it comes out on its own or starts healing. If neither of these things happens then you should cut the bone most of the way through and let it fall the rest of the way. This is done so as not to damage the membrane of the brain.   

Reflections on On Injuries of the Head

Hippocrates never moralises about the cause of the injury. He does however say that the injuries could be deliberately inflicted. He treats violence the same as an accident as information to know about the wound and nothing else.

There is also an interesting section where in order to see the bone fracture Hippocrates adds a dye pack for a day and then scrapes the bone. This would leave only dye in the cracks of the fracture.

What others have to say about On Injuries of the Head

"Hippocrates' treatise On Wounds in the Head represents an excellent source of information regarding the extent of experience with head injuries in classical antiquity" From the National Library of Medicine

"On the basis of clinical observation, the great physician gives an accurate description of the external appearance and consistency of the cranium." From Hippocrates: A Pioneer in the Treatment of Head Injuries

Comparisons with other texts

Like On Hemorrhoids, this text is focused on the treatment of a specific injury. Unlike hemorrhoids this text is more life and death. The head injuries turn deadly a lot easier than the unpleasant but more survivable hemorrhoids.

In some ways, it is the opposite to On the Surgery. On the surgery mainly deals with the bandaging of wounds. Whereas it is left out of this text. Instead On Injuries of the Head is all about surgery.

Conclusion

On Injuries of the Head is a compact work detailing serious injuries of the head. It mainly focuses on those that imprint or otherwise damage the bone. It does not cover things we also look at now like a concussion. Hippocrates in most cases suggests finding out what you can and then giving the wound some time. He does cover what to do if healing does not come. This work follows the general ethos of the Hippocratic Corpus and is very detail-oriented.

Have you read On Injuries of the Head? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read On Injuries of the Head 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 On Injuries of the Head.

Commentary on Fame; The House of Fame, Geoffroy Chaucer

 Why you might read The House of Fame?

Chaucer is seen as the father of modern literature. While the Canterbury Tales are more famous going back to the start of a career has its advantages. As we move through his works we have the chance to see how he grows as a writer and how his approach changes over time. 

In my Self Education project, this fills the role of getting a rounded view of Chaucer. Rather than just focusing on the Canterbury Tale I like to take Authors as a whole.

The Story of The House of Fame

The House of Fame is written in three parts. The third part is incomplete. It starts with a discussion on the quality of dreams and general theory on how they come about. Then there is an invocation to the god of dreams. Starting with an invocation is repeated in the following two parts, though to different gods.

Part one then goes into a dream. Here the narrator spends time in a temple to Venus Vulcan and Cupid. In that temple, he finds a brass tablet of the Aeneid. He then goes on to recount that story. He then prays for a vision and an eagle appears.

Part two starts with an invocation and then moves on to a dream. Here the eagle takes him up in his claws and flies off with him. He passes out and is revived by the eagle talking to him. The eagle explains how sound breaks the air and thus rises. The eagle then takes him to the House of Fame in the sky. 

Part three, after the invocation, has them arriving at the House of Fame. Here the Narrator meets the goddess of fame. He watches as groups of people approach fame and she gives fame to some and not to others. From there he moves on to an unnamed place where he finds a large crowd telling rumours and truths. The crowd falls silent when a man enters. Here is where the text ends.

Reflections on The House of Fame

The House of Fame is interestingly not about the titular House until the third part. Even then it drifts off into other areas as well. The idea that fame is sought by many but given to few who ask for it speaks through time to how fleeting fame can be. As well as how fickle who gets famous can be.

Religiously it is interesting that Chaucer focuses on the Roman gods. That being said he also references specific saints one many occasions. I found this a little jarring as they do not belong in the same belief system. It shows that there was some religious blending in Chaucer's time.

It is unclear to me why the dream is presented in three parts being that they are all part of the same dream. And that they almost don't finish but blend into the following part.

What others have to say about The House of Fame

"The House of Fame is among the best known and relished of Chaucer's minor poems." From Every poet

Comparisons with other texts

The topic is quite different from the Book of Duchess. Here Chaucer is making social commentary on Fame. By contrast, the Book of Duchess is an exploration of the pain of losing someone. The House of Fame is also a much longer poem. It is approximately twice the length of The Book of Duchess.

It is of a similar age and English as the Medieval Miracle Plays. Unlike the plays, it is not for the common people in the town square. Instead, it is written to be read and thus more aimed at the educated.

Conclusion

The House of Fame is a poem in three parts. It takes until the third part for the House to actually be introduced. I am unsure why it is split into parts as they are all parts of the same dream.  It is longer than our first foray into Chaucer's work. It is written as a commentary on Fame, its fickleness and its randomness.

Have you read The House of Fame? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read The House of Fame 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 House of Fame.