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
This work is a systematic medical treatise by Galen exploring the definitions, classifications, and pathological mechanisms of "unnatural lumps" (onkos). The author begins by distinguishing healthy plumpness from pathological swelling, directing the discussion toward abnormal tumors that cause functional impairment. He then analyzes in detail the process of inflammation (phlegmone) caused by blood accumulation and vascular obstruction, the formation of pus, and the mechanisms behind severe conditions such as anthrax, gangrene, and cancer. Furthermore, the treatise examines various skin diseases, tumors, aneurysms, and tissue necrosis resulting from imbalances in bodily humors like yellow and black bile. Finally, Galen categorizes localized swellings in areas such as the mouth and eyes, varicose veins, and various hernias, concluding with an emphasis on the vital importance of understanding actual clinical states over mere terminology.