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right thinking to good conduct； so Hippocrates insisted upon the practical
nature of the art； and in placing its highest good in the benefit of the
patient。 Empiricism； experience； the collection of facts； the evidence of the
senses； the avoidance of philosophical speculations； were the
distinguishing features of Hippocratic medicine。 One of the most striking
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contributions of Hippocrates is the recognition that diseases are only part
of the processes of nature； that there is nothing divine or sacred about
them。 With reference to epilepsy；which was regarded as a sacred disease；
he says； 〃It appears to me to be no wise more divine nor more sacred than
other diseases； but has a natural cause from which it originates like other
affections； men regard its nature and cause as divine from ignorance。〃 And
in another place he remarks that each disease has its own nature； and that
no one arises without a natural cause。 He seems to have been the first to
grasp the conception of the great healing powers of nature。 In his long
experience with the cures in the temples； he must have seen scores of
instances in which the god had worked the miracle through the vis
medicatrix naturae； and to the shrewd wisdom of his practical suggestions
in treatment may be attributed in large part the extraordinary vogue which
the great Coan has enjoyed for twenty…five centuries。 One may appreciate
the veneration with which the Father of Medicine was regarded by the
attribute 〃divine〃 which was usually attached to his name。 Listen to this
for directness and honesty of speech taken from the work on the joints
characterized by Littre as 〃the great surgical monument of antiquity〃： 〃I
have written this down deliberately； believing it is valuable to learn of
unsuccessful experiments； and to know the causes of their non…success。〃
The note of freedom is not less remarkable throughout the Hippocratic
writings； and it is not easy to understand how a man brought up and
practicing within the precincts of a famous AEsculapian temple could have
divorced himself so wholly from the superstitions and vagaries of the cult。
There are probably grounds for Pliny's suggestion that he benefited by the
receipts written in the temple； registered by the sick cured of any disease。
〃Afterwards；〃 Pliny goes on to remark in his characteristic way； 〃hee
professed that course of Physicke which is called Clinice Wherby
physicians found such sweetnesse that afterwards there was no measure
nor end of fees〃 （〃Natural History；〃 XXIX； 1）。 There is no reference in the
Hippocratic writings to divination； incubation sleep is not often mentioned；
and charms； incantations or the practice of astrology but rarely。 Here and
there we do find practices which jar upon modern feeling； but on the
whole we feel in reading the Hippocratic writings nearer to their spirit than
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to that of the Arabians or of the many writers of the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries A。 D。 And it is not only against the thaumaturgic powers that the
Hippocratic writings protested； but they express an equally active reaction
against the excesses and defects of the new philosophy； a point brought
out very clearly by Gomperz。＇24＇ He regards it as an undying glory of the
school of Cos that after years of vague； restless speculation it introduces
steady sedentary habits into the intellectual life of mankind。 〃 'Fiction to
the right！ Reality to the left！' was the battle…cry of this school in the war
they were the first to wage against the excesses and defects of the nature…
philosophy。 〃Though the protest was effective in certain directions； we
shall see that the authors of the Hippocratic writings could not entirely
escape from the hypotheses of the older philosophers。
＇24＇ Gomperz： Greek Thinkers； Vol。 I； p。 296。
I can do no more than indicate in the briefest possible way some of the
more important views ascribed to Hippocrates。 We cannot touch upon the
disputes between the Coan and Cnidian schools。＇25＇ You must bear in
mind that the Greeks at this time had no human anatomy。 Dissections were
impossible； their physiology was of the crudest character； strongly
dominated by the philosophies。 Empedocles regarded the four elements；
fire； air； earth and water； as 〃the roots of all things；〃 and this became the
corner stone in the humoral pathology of Hippocrates。 As in the
Macrocosm the world at large there were four elements； fire； air； earth；
and water； so in the Microcosmthe world of man's bodythere were four
humors （elements）； viz。；blood； phlegm； yellow bile （or choler） and black
bile （or melancholy）；and they corresponded to the four qualities of matter；
heat； cold； dryness and moisture。 For more than two thousand years these
views prevailed。 In his 〃Regiment of Life〃 （1546） Thomas Phaer says：〃。 。 。
which humours are called ye sones of the Elements because they be
complexioned like the foure Elements； for like as the Ayre is hot and
moyst： so is the blooud； hote and moyste。 And as Fyer is hote and dry： so
is Cholere hote and dry。 And as water is colde and moyst：so is fleume
colde and moyste。 And as the Earth is colde and dry： so Melancholy is
colde and dry。〃＇26＇
＇25＇ The student who wishes a fuller account is referred to the histories
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of （a） Neuburger； Vol。 1； Oxford； 1910； （b） Withington； London； 1894。
＇26＇ Thomas Phaer： Regiment of Life； London； 1546。
As the famous Regimen Sanitatis of Salernum； the popular family
hand…book of the Middle Ages； says：
Foure Humours raigne within our bodies wholly； And these compared
to foure elements。＇27＇
＇27＇ The Englishman's Doctor； or the Schoole of Salerne； Sir John
Harington's translation； London； 1608； p。 2。 Edited by Francis R。 Packard；
New York； 1920； p。 132。 Harington's book originally appeared dated：
London 1607。 （Hoe copy in the Henry E。 Huntington Library。）