- nately, he did the very opposite; for we who have grown old in the
exercise of the art (and should therefore find it easy to comprehend what is written about medicine), are at times unable to understand what he says. Such being the true state of affairs, I now propose to undertake what Archigenes failed to accomplish. I shall commence by indicating in a general way what is the proper method to adopt when one wishes to ascertain in what part or organ the disease is located and how one should proceed when it is proposed to teach the method to others. This method may be stated in the following terms:—
In the first place, the part should be carefully examined in order that we may ascertain whether it presents any signs of special value as indicating the nature of the disease. In the next place, it is important in such an examination to know beforehand what are the particular signs which belong to each of the diseases that may affect the part or organ in question, and also whether these signs vary according to the particular section of the organ involved. In inflammation of the lung, for example, there are: difficulty in breathing (dyspnoea) and great general distress (malaise), the patient being obliged to remain in a sitting posture (orthopnoea)—all of which are signs indicating the possibility of suffocation. Furthermore, the air expired from the infected lung is sensibly hot, especially if the inflammation is of the erysipelatous variety, and, as a consequence, the patient shows a disposition to draw long breaths, knowing that the cold air which he thus draws into his lungs will afford him some measure of relief. The sputa expectorated when he coughs are differently colored; some being red, yellowish, or of a rusty appearance, while others are almost black, livid, or frothy. The patient also often experiences the sensation of a heavy weight in his chest, together with more or less pain, which seems to be located deep down in that region and which shoots backward into his spinal column or forward toward the sternum. Add to these manifestations a high fever and a pulse such as we have already described on another page, and you will have. . . .
(Translated from Daremberg's French version of Galen's works.)
It has been said that Galen possessed more than the
ordinary share of vanity with regard to his cleverness as
- [Footnote: *standing the unfavorable criticism which he makes in the present paragraph
about the author's failure at times to write with sufficient clearness on medical subjects.]
