Source edition
Hippocrates. Oeuvres complètes d'Hippocrate, Vol. 9. Littré, Émile, editor. Paris: Baillière, 1861
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 an ancient medical treatise that explores the anatomical structure and physiological functions of the human heart. The author begins by describing the heart's pyramid-like appearance, the pericardium, and an experimental observation regarding the flow of fluid into the respiratory tract during breathing. Following this, the text details the anatomical characteristics of the left and right ventricles. The author then compares the auricles to bellows that draw in air to explain their function, and elucidates the sophisticated mechanism of the cardiac valves. Finally, by discussing the asymmetry of heat and nourishment between the two ventricles, the treatise presents the heart as the vital center for heat generation and life maintenance.