Source edition
Galen. Galeni libellus De consuetudinibus. von Müller, Iwan, editor. Erlangen: Universität Erlangen, 1879.
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, written by the ancient physician Galen, is a medical and philosophical treatise that discusses the importance and physiological mechanisms of "habit" (ethos) in medical treatment and the preservation of health. Galen begins by asserting the clinical significance of considering an individual's habits and constitution, citing authorities like Hippocrates to demonstrate the dangers of sudden changes in habit. In the middle section, he uses the examples of digestion and food compatibility to explain how long-term habits can generate bodily characteristics equivalent to one's innate nature. He further analyzes the impact of habits on adaptation to external environments and the training of both body and soul. Finally, Galen refutes Erasistratus's view that periodic bodily evacuations are merely matters of habit, arguing instead that they stem from ongoing underlying causes such as constitution and diet.