Me hod
in
Galen
1 ha e discussed he ou me hods o ancien philosophy namely demons a ion,
di ision, esolu ion, and composi ion. Bu i s , 1 glance a logic, which «disco e s he
pnnciples o medical ea men *. Me hod
in
pa hology disco e s &e a Tec ed pa s o he
bodp and nosology, a he sy np oms o diseases and hei causes.. In he apeu ics, me hod
~disco e s d ugs app opna e o speciñc diseases*. The leade in al1 hings pe aining o
me hod
is
Hippoc a es.
BIBLID [0211-9536(1995) 15; 41461
Fecha de acep ación: 18 de eb e o de 1994
Despi e awa eness o he
impo an e
o
pÉ190805
in Galen, «a ho ough
in es iga ion o his me hodology is s ill lacking»
(1);
as
Jona han Ba nes
poin s ou , «a se ious answe o he ques ion o me hod would equi e long
labou s and a la ge olu ne»
(2).
The p esen pape does no aim o be
comp ehensi e: many o Galen's s a emen s on me hod
a e
pe unc o y o
banal, and can sa ely be igno ed. 1 plan o concen a e on he eally c ucial
passages ela ing
in e alia
o he ou me hods o ancien philosophy,
iz.
demons a ion, di ision, esolu ion and composi ion. Galen's main wo k
on hese subjec s is los : he
De
demons a iune.
I has been pa ially econs mc ed
(*)
A.
O.
P o esso , Ins i u ü Geschich e de Medizin und Pha mazie de Ch is ian-
Alb ech s-Uni e si a zu Kiel. B unswike S .2, D-2300 Kiel 1.
(1)
TEMKIN,
Owsei (1973).
Gakmism; ise
and
decline o
a
medical philosqhy,
I haca, Come11
Uni . P ess, p. 28, who hen p o ides a bne ou line o Galen's iews on me hod (pp.
28-30),
(2) BARNES, Jona han (1991). Galen on logic and he apy.
In:
Kudlien, F idol ; Du ling,
Richa d (eds.).
GakmS Me hod o Healing. P oaedings o h
1982
Gah symposium,
Leiden,
EJ.
Bnll, p. 80.
DYNMS.
Ac a H*
M.
Sci.
His .
IUw.,
15,
1995, 41-46.
42
RICHARD
DURLMG
by Iwan on MüIle (3) í?om e e ences sca e ed úi oughou Galen's as
oeu e. I included a discwsion o scien i ic me hod (4).
Fi s , we mus emphasise he heu is ic ole o logic which disco e s he
p incipies
o medical ea men
[Me h.
med.
X
p. '764.1516 K.]
.
In
pa hology,
oo, he e exis s a me hod by using which one
can
disco e he a ec ed
pa s o he body
[Loc. a J:
VIII
p. 120.10-11 K.]
.
This me hod disco e s also
he symp om o diseases
[An in a*. sang.
m .
IV
p. 728.17-18
K.]
and
hei causes
[De symp mn.
caus.
W
p. 102.5-6 K.]. I is a pide o whole
o gans
[De
mo b.
di8
VI
p. 879.18880.1
K.].
I enables us o s udy he
unc ions o he body
(5),
hei use
[Me h. med.
X
p. 398.810 R] and hei
powe s (6).
We
mus judge each d ug acco ding o he me hods o en
discussed by Galen
[De simpl. med. emp.
e
ac.
XI p. 641.891. D ugs a e
compounded me hodically (7), bu no dogma ic physician has ye w i en
in
a.
a icula e manne abou he compounding o d ugs
[De comp. md.
pm
gen.
XIII p. 463.12-14 K.].
Galen has much o say on he so-called «demons a i e me hod.
[De
cons . a . med.
ad
Pa ophil.
1 p. 266.7 R]. He e e s o hose no exe cised
in apodeic ic me hods, and hus no p o ided wi h a c i e ion o u h and
e o (8). One mus adop he p emises supplied by he scien i ic me hod,
and examine and judge hem in he ligh o sense-pe cep ion
[De plac.
Hipp. e Pla .
CMG
V
4,1,2, p. 148.2-41. I is he peculia p ope y o
scien i ic me hod o employ scien i ic p emises (I ippaza)
[ibidm,
p. 430.6
71. Galen speaks in he same wo k o hose who nei he know wha scien i ic
me hod is, no p ac ise i
[ibidem,
p. 432.8-9,281. In
De
usu
pa ium
he e e s
o hose unini ia ed (P~P ihou~) in o scien i ic me hod (9). Elsewhe e he
(3)
MÜLLER,
Iwan on (1895). Übe Galens We k on wissenscha lichen Beweis.
Abh.
d.
Be line
Alzad.
d. Wss,
20,
403478.
(4)
De pluc. Hzpp. e Plu .
CMG V, 4, 1, 2,
p.
102.26;
De szmpl. med. emp. e ac.
XI 632.4
8;
De sed.
Sc . Min. 111,
p.
33.131.
(5)
De usu pa .
I
p.
12.20-23 Helm .;
$
ihd.
457.9-10.
(6)
De comp.
med.
pe
gen.
XIII
p.
861.2-3
K;
c :
Me h. med.
X
p.
962.2-3 R;
In
Hzpp.
Epid.
VZ
commen .
CMG V 10, 2, 2,
p.
341.28-29,
al.
(7)
De comp. med. pe
gen.
XIII
p.
29.7,
$
334.11-14.
(8)
De di8 esp.
VI1
833.1315
R;
c :
De szmpl.
md.
emp. e ac.
XII
p.
3.11 R
(9)
Deusupa .
Ip.
196.10 Helm .;
$
Depecc. dign.
CMGV4, 1, 1; 44.2324;
De szmpl. med.
emp. e ac.
XI
465.3.
Me hod
in
Galen
43
men ions he p e ious li e a u e on he subjea
[De
pea
dign.
CMG
V
4,1,1
p. 46.1-21.
He
also no es ha Hippoc a es was he ñ s physician o ind he
co ec me hod(s) (10). Galen
wiIl
adop he me hods he handed down o
pos e i y (11). He speaks elsewhe e o he «Hippoc a ic and ue me hodn
o cu ing hoUow wounds
[Me h.
d.
X
p. 173.17-18 K.]
,
and o hose who
welcome he <dlippoc a ic me hod*
[ihidem,
p. 309.17-181. Hippoc a es is
ou leade
in
all
hings
pe aining o me hod
ibzdem,
p. 346.15161. Hippoc a es
and Pla o's me hods a e o be imi a ed by Galen (12). Hippoc a es handed
down he elemen s o he me hod o he (medical)
a
(l3), when he
enun ia ed he
p incipie
ha «con a ies cu e con a ies.. Pla o is o be
admi ed no only o discussing me hod, albei b ie ly, bu also o exe cising
i
[De
plac.
Hipib. e Pla .
CMG
V
4,1,2 p. 602.7-91. Pla o ad ised
us
o
disco e he na u e o he soul acco ding o he me hods Hippoc a es had
used o in es iga e he body.
A
moo ques ion was which Hippoc a ic book
Pla o had p aised o i s au ho 's me hod
[In
He.
de
na .
h.
com nen .
CMG
V
9,l 19.5-6
c :
ibidem,
p. 55.14151. Pla o discussed me hod in his
Phibbus
(1 5).
Second in
impo an e
a e scien i ic demons a ion o p oo comes he
me hod o di ision
(4
G a pÉoeo~ ~ÉIYoGo~
4
G a pez ~ i (16) pÉhS05) (19.
Pla o discussed he me hods o di ision (18) and composi ion
(4
~VVIYETLK~
pÉIYo805)
[De Plac. Hipp. e Pla .
CMG
V
4,1,2, p. 568.2-31.
As
Philipp De
Lacy
has w i en: a his me hod
...
ells us how o pass by di ision om he
i s and mos gene al class h ough he in e media e di e en iae o uni s
ha no longe ad ni o di ision» (19).
As
applied o medicine, di isi e and
(10)
De
mo b.
emp.
VD
p. 438.1617
R;
c :
In Hzpp. De nc u acu . commen .
CMG
V
9, 1 p.
122.67;
In Hipp. Epd.
VI
comm .
CMG
V
10, 2, 2 p. 272.34.
(11)
De usu pa .
1,
15.1920 Hel n .;
c :
De san. uenda
CMG
V
4, 2 p. 137.11-12.
(12)
De plac. Hipp. e Pla .
CMG
V
4, 1, 2, p. 336.31-32,
c :
584.20-21.
(13)
De Plac. Hipp. e Pla .
CMG
V
4, 1, 2
p.
516.191.
(14)
Me h. md.
X
p. 14.67
K;
c :
In Hzpp. de na . hom. cmm .
CMG
V
9, 1 p. 54.410.
(15)
Me h. md.
X
p. 26.45
K.;
c :
De plac. Hzpp. e Pla .
CMG
V
4, 1, 2, p. 582.31-32.
(16)
De
mo b.
dz
VI
p. 847.5-6
K.
(17)
De dz J: esp.
VI1
p. 895.5-6
k;
Me h. md.
X
p. 26.2-3
K.
(18)
De
ioc. a#
VI11
736.15
K.;
$
De
Plac. Hi@. e Pla .
CMG
V,
4,
1, 2, p. 566.10-12
(19)
DE
LACY,
Phillip (1966). Pla o and he Me hod o he
A s.
In:
Wallach, Lui pold
(ed.)
In k Classical T adi ion: Li e a? and His mzcal S udies in Hono o Hany Caplan,
I haca, Co nell
Uni .
P ess, p. 123.
composi o y me hods enable us o de e mine he mul i ude o di e en iae
in
he pulse
[De dign.
puk
Vm
pp. 601.24,10,12-13; 602.1 K.]
.
Galen has much o say on logiml me hod Wi hou i nei he Theoph as us
no A is o le would ha e w i en any hmg
[An
in
a e . sang. um .
IV
p.
729.6-8 K.]. Igno ance is due o lack o exe cise
in
logical me hod (20).
The la e is an adjunc o expe ience
[De dign.
puls.
VIII
p. 857.12-15 K.].
He ophilus eaches expenence a he han logical me hod (21). Logical
me hod, as Galen's disciples know, con ibu es g ea ly o he disco e y o
d ugs. He who disco e s d ugs acco ding o logical me hod comes o he
sea ch o ( he pa ien 's) dia hesis
[De comp.
med.
secundum loc.
XIII p.
128.1415 K.]. I logic inds he compound medicines, expenence es s
hei i ue
[De comp.
d.
pe gen.
>(m
p. 376.2-25 K]
.
One canno compound
medicines wi hou logical me hod
[ibidem,
p. 706.1819 K]. Logical me hods
a e con as ed wi h i a ional expenmen
[Me h. med. X
p. 31.1 K.]. One
mus ain onesel in logical me hod, in o de o know how many diseases
he e a e
[@od qb . med. si e iam phil.
Sc . Min. 11 p. 6.10-13.1
Galen says compa a i ely li le abou esolu ion
( i
& ahuz ic.il pÉ60605)
[De dign. pecc.
CMGV 4,1,1 pp. 59.45; 55.141. Analysis o esolu ion eaches
us how o cons uc e.g. a
c@syd a
o sundial, and success o ailu e is
clea ly p o ed by esul s
[ibidem,
p. 59.25261. Some philosophe s spoke o
analysis, as an ascen h ough in e media es o he i s c i e ion
[ibidem,
p.
54.10-11, 24251. Such a me hod is employed in geome y, a i h ne ic, and
as onomical calcula ions
[ibidem,
p. 47.12-141
.
Syn hesis and analysis a e combined a
De animi cuiuslibe pecca mm
digno ione e cu a ione
[CMG V 4,1,1 p. 55.8, 15
£€l.
Galen says li le oo
abou composi ion, bu p obably discussed i in his now los book
De
Demons a ione.
The e is a glancing e e ence o
O~V~ETLKI) pÉ60605
a
De
placi is Hippoc a is e Pla onis
[CMG V 4,1,2 p. 568.2-31 (23).
(20)
De symp. caw.
VI1
p.
280.10-11
R;
Me h. md.
X
p.
916.7-8
K.;
De simpl. md. e np. e
ac.
XII
p.
5.1,
al
K.
(21)
De
pues.
ex
puls.
IX
p.
278.910
K.;
c :
STADEN,
Hein ich on (1989).
He ophilw. The
A @Medicine in Ea ly Akxandna,
Ca nb idge,
Camb idge
U.P.,
p.
126.
(22)
De comp. md. secundum loc.
XII
p.
894.9-895.1
K.;
c :
De comp. md. pe gen.
XIII
p.
594.1415
K.
(23)
C$
De phc. Hipp. e Pla .
CMG
V
4, 1, 2
p.
102.26-28;
MÜLLER,
Iwan
on (1895)
@,
DWAIWS. Ac a Hkp. Md. Sa. Hk .
111w.,
15,
1995, 41-46.
Me hod
in
Galen
45
The apeu ic me hod is discussed epea edly, especially, o cou se,
in
Galen's
Me hudus mzdm.di.
Teshng he he apeu ic me hod, he physician
wili
disco e he places a ec ed oge he
wi h
he pa ien 's
dia hais [De loc.
a8
VIII
64.1-3 K.]. C ucial is he ule ha all unna u al s a es a e ni ed by
hei con a ies
[Me h.
d.
X
p.768.6-8 K]
.
Besides he
Me hodus
mzdm.di
he e a e equen e e ences o he apeu ic me hod also in Galen's
pha macological ea ises (24).
Finally, we should men ion uni e sal (~a66hou) me hods (25). Such
uni e sal me hods do no su ñce o accu a e knowledge
[Me h.
med.
X
p.
608.1415 K.]. One should be ained in pa icula s
[ibidm,
p. 628.12-13,
1617; 629.5-61. The p oblem emained how o apply uni e sal me hods o
pa icula cases. Cons an p ac ise
is
equi ed (26). One mus
ah
h oughou
li e. Bu one is secu e
in
he knowledge ha inding some hing me hodically
is be e han elying on naked expe ience
[Me h. med.
X
p. 183.10-11
K.]
«Fo he o icians, oo, i is no enough o lea n he me hod o di iding
e e y case, bu o he knowledge o me hod hey add p ac ise also. 1 would
wish he e o e ha he man who claims o be scien i ic i s e11 me he
me hod he employs o his scien i ic demons a ions and hen show how he
has
been ained in i »
[De plac.
Hipp.
e Pla .
CMG
V
4,1,2 p. 112.28321.
1 hope no o ha e duplica ed unduly he ine s udy on logic and
medicine by P o esso Jona han Ba nes. My ema ks a e p ima ily mean o
s imula e scien is s o s udy ancien me hodologies.
b¿ió~
(LSJ
111.3)
=
me hod, sys em.
6605 is equen ly used in connec ion
wi h heu is ic, e.g.
KOLV~
¿i'&p(po~Épo~~ 080~ 735
E~~ÉOEOS
(28). Hippoc a es
ci .
n.
3).
See
also
he
b ie
e e ence o Pla o a
De plac. Hipp. e Pla .
CMG
V
4,
1, 2
p.
568.2-3.
(24)
E.g
Me h. med.
ad
Glaucon.
XI
p.
358.15-16; 376.4; 572.7-9;
De comp. med. secundum loc.
XII
p.
614.8-9.
(25)
De loc. a@
VI11
p.
216.9-10
K.;
Me h. med.
X
p.
322.15
K.
(26)
CJ
De loc. a
VI11
p.
123.11-18,
De cons . a . med.
ad
Pa ophil.
1
p.
245.1-2,
5-6
K.
(27)
Op.
ci .
n.
2,
pp.
50-102.
(28)
De san. uenda,
CMG
V
4,
2,
p.
3.9:
$
De plac. Hipp. e Pla .
CMG
V
4, 1, 2,
p.
182.20-
22;
De dz@ esp.
VI1
pp.
909.2; 912.1-2
K.;
De loc. a
VI11
pp.
8.34; 146.8-9; 147.11-
13; 148.3-4
K.;
De dign.
puls.
p.
786.10-11
K.;
Dep-aes. ex
puls.
IX
p.
223.35
K.;
Me h.
med.
X
p.
1010.16
K.;
Me h. med.
ad
Glaucon.
XI
p.
159.9-10
K.;
In Hipp. De ic u acu .

was
he
i s
o
use
he
« igh
way*
(29)
Galen
men ions
s he
logical
wayn
8605
=
pÉiY0805
h oughou
(30).
comm .
CMG
V
9,
1
p. 159.9;
In Hz..
P ogn.
commen .
CMG
V
9, 2, p. 343.27-28;
In
Hz..
E*.
Il7mmen .
CMGV 10, 1, p. 19.7-8;
De
u&.
Sc .min.
11
p, 116.11-12,
al.
(29)
Me h. med.
X
pp. 117.17-18; 118.34; 632.4,
al
K
(30)
De loc.
a#
VI11
p. 158.7-8
and
De comp. med. pe
gen.
XII
p. 888.5. Galen speaks o
his
way
o Hippoc a es
[Me h. med.
p. 172.2-31.
DYACAMIS.
A&
Hzsp.
Md.
Sci.
Hk .
iüw.,
15,
1995, 4146.