The humoral theory reminded me of the Ayurvedic concept of Doshas. The three doshas are vata, kapha, and pitta, each a combination of aakash (space), jala (water), prithvi (earth), teja (fire), and vayu (air) elements.
How interesting to see this fragment again and to try and unravel it. Thank you very much for your stimulating remarks and recording.
It would be good to see ἡ τέχνη translated as skill (or similar) rather than the Latin derived ‘art’ - especially as the Greeks were such a pragmatic bunch.
I have a Greek-English copy of Hippocrates' Aphorisims, and that first one, 'Life is short, the Art long...' sums up the lived experience of the individual healthcare practitioner.
I don't think "the ancient Greek requirement that medical science rely on empirical observation to be one of the most important of medical innovations in history" is correct. The requirement was to rely on rationality about the physical world - not on gods and spirits and such.
It was specifically the Empiric school of medicine that firmly embraced empirical observation. The Rationalist/Dogmatic school of medicine relied on rational theorizing, downplaying empirical observation.
The humoral theory reminded me of the Ayurvedic concept of Doshas. The three doshas are vata, kapha, and pitta, each a combination of aakash (space), jala (water), prithvi (earth), teja (fire), and vayu (air) elements.
How interesting to see this fragment again and to try and unravel it. Thank you very much for your stimulating remarks and recording.
It would be good to see ἡ τέχνη translated as skill (or similar) rather than the Latin derived ‘art’ - especially as the Greeks were such a pragmatic bunch.
I have a Greek-English copy of Hippocrates' Aphorisims, and that first one, 'Life is short, the Art long...' sums up the lived experience of the individual healthcare practitioner.
I've always thought one could extrapolate from humours, homeostasis - so, right track, wrong explanation.
I don't think "the ancient Greek requirement that medical science rely on empirical observation to be one of the most important of medical innovations in history" is correct. The requirement was to rely on rationality about the physical world - not on gods and spirits and such.
It was specifically the Empiric school of medicine that firmly embraced empirical observation. The Rationalist/Dogmatic school of medicine relied on rational theorizing, downplaying empirical observation.
Fair point. There was a diversity of approaches, though I was emphasising the strongly empirical approach of Epidemics.