Source edition
Theophrastus. Theophrasti Eresii Opera, Quae Supersunt, Omnia. Wimmer, Friedrich, editor. Paris: A.F. Didot, 1866.
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This scientific and philosophical treatise aims to elucidate the physiological mechanisms behind the occurrence of paralysis and numbness. The author develops the argument using the concepts of "pneuma" and bodily heat, which were central to ancient natural philosophy and medicine. The text first identifies the primary causes of paralysis and numbness as the cooling of bodily tissues and the resulting abnormalities of pneuma, such as its cooling or deficiency. Furthermore, it explains the specific physical process wherein pressure on the body blocks the flow of blood and pneuma, leading to a temporary or persistent loss of motor and sensory functions. Ultimately, the work attempts to consistently explain visible bodily disorders through the dynamics of invisible pneuma and physical obstruction.
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