The regulation of dietetic regimen not only for the quantity of food ingested, but also of its nutritious power. The two aspects are cosely related here. The association of opposing concepts relating to quantity ('much' and 'little'), of both nutriment and nutritious power.

Compared with the procedure described, the bad effects of an infelicitous regimen (i.e. faulty nutrition) are listed here — discharges of fluid from the nose (mucus), and possibly from the throat (resulting in hoarseness). GMP II 2.

Likely intended for teaching and practicing purposes, the text discusses a) respiratory ailments such as ‘catarrh’ (koryza) as symptons of illness, b) the expectorate (ptyalon) as sign of a complex clinical situation (col. II), which may lead to an unfavorable prognosis, and c) the appearance of good signs indicating a likely resolution of the case.

Although dietary prescriptions were used for preventive and therapeutic purposes by Hippocratic and Hellenistic physicians, the emphasis in this passage is on a regimen which has a negative affect upon the lungs, due to an increased production of sputum (mucus, ptyalon). Nasal mucus, or catarrh is, furthermore, often observed as a sign of the presence of phlegm.

1-2. Etymology–General Linguistic Section.

Greek medical papyri dealing with regimen are PPrinc III 114 (MP³ 2385), PMonac II 24 (MP³ 2383), PAberd 9 (MP³ 2349), POslo III 72 (MP³ 2384), POxy III 468 (MP³ 2360), PAnt 124 (MP³ 2380.1), PLitLond 170 + PMich inv. 1469 (MP³ 2404), PAnt III 125 (MP³ 2383.1) and GMP I 5 (MP³ 2383.11).

The terminus technicus koryza (‘nasal mucus, sneezing’) is not only Hippocratic (cf. Index Hippocraticus, cit. s.v. 453), but is still used in modern medical terminology to define ‘an acute catarrhal condition of the nasal mucous membrane'; a cold’. In this passage the nasal flows (coryzai) seem to be provoked by an internal deficiency due to poor dietetic habits.

Is echoing Hippocrates On Prognosis, is that a watery or mucopurulent nasal discharge, if associated with pulmonary complaints, is likely to result in a bad prognosis; see for example Prog. 14 (I 92.14–5 Kühlw.).

Erotianus' gloss refers to Prog. 14, precisely the passage echoed above in our treatise (see app. ad col. II 7–8). Because Erotianus had in mind the same interchange of synonyms as did both the author-compiler of Coan Prenotions and the author-compiler of our treatise, we may infer the following chronological process as to how the re-reading, or re-writing, or commenting probably took place: Prog. 14 = Coac. 384; Erot. Voc. Hipp. II 3 (68.21 Nachmanson). Cf. Gal. In Hipp. Prog. comm. II 55; III 37 (XVIII.2 192.3–5 and 297.15–6 Kühn).

The spellings ptualon/ptuelon are interchangeable in the manuscript and editorial tradition, see Index Hippocraticus (J.-H. Kühn – U. Fleischer, edd., Gottingae 1989) 710 (utraque forma in codd. et ap. Li.). For inconsistency in the Ionic forms among Hippocratic manuscripts, see, for example, J. Jouanna, Hippocrate. Tome X.2, Maladies II (Paris, Les Belles Lettres 1983) 126–8. For the papyrus tradition cf. GMP I 1, n. 14.

The Hippocratic catalogue of the ‘good signs’ is repeated and commented on by Galen, De crisibus I 5 (IX 567.9–12 Kühn) and In Hippocratis Prognosticum comm. III 37 (XVIII.2 302.14–16 K: cf. also In Hippocratis Prognosticum comm. II 56 = XVIII.2 194–195 Kühn) (the work is here referred to according to Kühn's text: see however the edition In Hippocratis Prognosticum commentaria tria [J. Heeg, ed., CMG V.9.2, Leipzig–Berlin 1915].

And it is properly discussed by Quintilian among the medical problems that the speaker must avoid (Inst. Or. XI 3.55 est interim et longus et plenus et clarus satis spiritus, non tamen firmae intentionis ideoque tremulus, ut corpora, quae aspectu integra nervis parum sustinentur.).

The term bragchos denotes an affection that proceeds to travel down the throat (VM 1).

Appropriate definitions also in Theodorus Priscianus (II.20, 158.7–9 Rose: nam sub tribus differentiis ex hoc [catarro] causae fiunt. fit in narinbus cui nomen est coryza, fit in faucibus, qui dicitur branchus) and Caelius Aurelianus (Tard. II.7.94 = CML VI.1, 600.22, 31 Bendz–Pape: qui faucium influxione uexantur, sive quod Graeci branchos, quam nos raucitatem uocamus).

Both catarrh and sneezing are symptoms that may develop in case of pneumonia and their appearing is announced by the verb προσεπίγνομαι come as an addition at the end of the process’. The beneficial potential of these affections, that make the matter expelled by natural discharges, is commented on by Galen, In Hipp. Prog. comm. II 49 (XVIII.2 180–2 Kühn) and Stephanus, Sch. in Hipp. Prog. II 24 (CMG XI.1.2, esp. 210.23 ss. Duffy).

Celsus'affiliation with the Hippocratic prognostic treatises is openly declared in his priamel: Instantis autem aduersae ualetudinis signa conplura sunt. In quibus explicandis non dubitabo auctoritate antiquorum uirorum uti, maximeque Hippocratis, cum recentiores medici, quamuis quaedam in curationibus mutarint, tamen haec illos optime praesagisse fateantur (med. II 1.1 = CMG I, 45.1–4 Marx).

The passage is echoed by Ps.-Gal. Intr. 13 = XIV 742.6–7 K), who accurately explain the different origins of these symptoms: ‘If it [i.e. a great accumulation of liquid] reaches the nose, it becomes coryza; if it goes to the chest, it is called sore throat (bragchos); for phlegm, mixed with acrid humours, produces sores whenever it strikes an unusual spot, and the throat, being soft, is roughened when a flux strikes it’. The term δίαιτα, used in the plural as here, denotes 'diets and (poor) nutritional practices‘ and alludes to the regimen of everyday life. Although dietary prescriptions were used for preventive and therapeutic purposes by Hippocratic and Hellenistic physicians, the emphasis in this passage is on a regimen which has a negative affect upon the lungs, due to an increased production of sputum (mucus, ptyalon). Nasal mucus, or catarrh is, furthermore, often observed as a sign of the presence of phlegm.

Dietetics were crucial in ancient philosophy and medicine: see, for example, R. Joly, Recherches sur le traité pseudo-hippocratique du Régime (Paris 1960);

G. Wöhrle, Studien zur Theorie der antiken Gesundheitslehre(‘Hermes Einzelschriften’ 56, Stuttgart 1990).

R.J. Durling, A Dictionary of Medical Terms in Galen [‘SAM’ 5, Leiden – New York – Köln 1993] 95.

V. Langholf, Symptombeschreibungen in Epidemien I und III und die Struktur des Prognostikon, in Formes de pensée dans la Collection Hippocratique (Actes du IVe Colloque International Hippocratique, Lausanne, 21–26 Septembre 1981) (Genève 1983) 109–20.

Isabella Andorlini