Hipócrates

Tara France
Hippocrates

As Hippocrates rejects that the disease is a cause of the gods, he also tells how to cure the disease. He explains and teaches the disease to other people so they will be less frightened. He explains to them that this disease like others are a natural cause and are hereditary. He helps others to understand where the disease comes from and what the disease is. Healso teaches how to cure the disease and how important it is for people to not be lazy in understanding but to learn about the disease.
Hippocrates rejects the idea that epilepsy comes from the gods. Hippocrates explains how epilepsy is not different than any other disease in the thought of the disease being divine or sacred, but he explains how it originates from a natural cause. “In regardto the disease called “sacred,” it seems to me to be no more divine or sacred than other diseases but has a natural cause from which it originates, like other afflictions”. (111) Hippocrates argues that people whom believe it is divine are forming an opinion out of ignorance and credulity. “People regard its nature and cause as divine out of ignorance and credulity, because it is unlike otherdiseases.” (111) He also argues how people are not educated to make a correct assumption about the disease. “This notion of its divinity persists by virtue of people’s inability to comprehend it and the simplicity of the means by which it is cured, for those afflicted are supposedly freed from it by purifications and incantations.” (111) Hippocates tells the reader that it is not any more strange thanany other disease. “As I will show, other diseased are no less awe-inspiring and strange…” “If people reckon it divine because it incites awe, then instead of one sacred disease there would be many.” (111) Hippocrates believed that the people whom associated this disease with the gods were so absurd to think such a thing as he compares them to present-day magicians and such. He also believes theyare superstisious and hide facing the disease and once again learning about the disease. “In my view, they who first associated this disease with the gods were people just like out present-day magicians, purifiers, charlatans, and quacks, who claim great piety and superior knowledge. Such persons, using superstition as camouflage for their own inability to offer any help, proclaimed the diseasesacred…” (112) Hippocrates believes that gods or the divine would not do such a thing as to pollute a human body. He explains how people who believe otherwise are uneducated and have the perfect defense. He tells us the gods only make humans pure, holy and cleanses them. “If a patient recovers they reap the honoe and credit; if the patient dies, they have a perfect defense.” “Neither do I believeit to be a worthy opinion to maintain that human body is polluted by the divine…For it is the godhead that purifies, makes holy, and cleanses us from our most wicked of offenses.” (112) Hippocrates argues this disease is no more divine than others and lies in heredity. “Consequently, this disease seems to me to be no more divine than others. It has the same nature and cause as other diseases… Thekey to its origin, as is the case with other diseases, lies in heredity.” (112)
Hippocrates propose is to cure this ailment of epilepsy. He believes that the origin of the disease is through heredity, and also the changing in environment can effect it and bring it on as the brain reacts. “Since the brain, as the primary center of sensation and of the spirit, perceives whatever occurs in the body,if any unusual change takes place in the air due to the seasons, the brain is changed by the state of air…And the disease called “sacred” arises from… those things that enter and leave the body, such as cold, the sun and winds, which are constantly changing and never at rest…” (112) He believes that it is the physician’s duty to have knowledge of such things and treat each individual different....