Source edition
Hippocrates. Oeuvres complètes d'Hippocrate, Vol. 6. Littré, Émile, editor. Paris: Baillière, 1849
Source data
A Digital Corpus for Graeco-Arabic Studies · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This medical treatise systematically outlines practical principles and pharmaceutical recipes for treating wounds and ulcers (helkos). The work begins by establishing the fundamental rule of keeping wounds dry, while also addressing the management of suppuration and the influence of seasons. It then transitions to detailed methods for preventing excess tissue (granulation) and preparing various ointments, liquids, and dry powders using mineral and botanical ingredients to promote healing. In the later sections, the text covers treatments for specific afflictions, including erosive wounds, chronic leg ulcers, severed tendons, and burns. Finally, the work details surgical interventions, describing bloodletting, the management of varicose veins, and the proper procedure for using cupping vessels. It serves as a highly practical manual, offering experience-based prescriptions and techniques for ancient medical practitioners facing diverse physical traumas.