Source edition
Galen. Claudii Galeni Opera Omnia, Volume 7. Kühn, Karl Gottlob, editor. Leipzig: Knobloch, 1824.
Source data
A Digital Corpus for Graeco-Arabic Studies · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
In this treatise, the ancient physician Galen conducts a philological and medical investigation into the true meaning of the term "coma" as used in the writings of Hippocrates. Galen criticizes contemporary commentators who conflate coma with simple sleep or lethargy, arguing instead for a precise interpretation based on actual clinical cases. By citing numerous cases from Hippocrates' Epidemics, he demonstrates that coma is a complex condition that can be associated with either sleepiness or, conversely, persistent insomnia. He further analyzes the sensory and motor responsiveness of manic patients to distinguish between different types of coma and cataphora (heavy sleep or stupor). Finally, through a meticulous grammatical analysis of a specific particle in the text, Galen explains how early-stage undigested substances progress into lethargy or mania. The work stands as an endeavor to reconstruct the essence of Hippocratic medicine through the integration of rigorous textual criticism and clinical observation.