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 work is a practical medical treatise from the ancient Greek medical corpus that specializes in the pathology and treatment of hemorrhoids. Throughout the text, the author provides concise, concrete therapeutic procedures and patient care instructions directed at physicians. The work begins by explaining the physiological mechanism of hemorrhoid formation, followed by invasive surgical treatments, such as cauterization with red-hot iron instruments and postoperative care after excision. It then details more advanced techniques, including digital separation of tissues, the use of a speculum for rectal examination and treating high-seated hemorrhoids, and a safer method of cauterization using a reed tube. Finally, for patients who wish to avoid surgery or cautery, the text offers non-invasive alternatives, such as various ointments, suppositories, and specific remedies for women. Overall, the treatise serves as a highly practical manual covering both surgical and pharmacological therapies of the era.