Clinical experience in late antiquity: Alexander of Tralles and the therapy of epilepsy.

Petros Bouras-Vallianatos

doi:10.1017/mdh.2014.27

Abstract

Alexander of Tralles, writing in the late sixth century, combined his wide-ranging practical knowledge with earlier medical theories. This article shows how clinical experience is used in Alexander’s works by concentrating on his therapeutic advice on epilepsy and, in particular, on pharmacology and the group of so-called natural remedies. I argue that clinical testing is used not only for the introduction of new medicines but also as an instrument for checking the therapeutic effect of popular healing practices. On another level, this article discusses Alexander’s role as the author of a medical compendium; it suggests that by marking the cases of clinical testing with a set of recurrent expressions, Alexander leads his audience to reflect on his medical authority and personal contribution.

Highlights

Late antique medical authors have not received much attention from medical historians and specialists working on social and cultural history, and reception studies.[1]
I argue that clinical testing is used for the introduction of new medicines and as an instrument for checking the therapeutic effect of popular healing practices
This article discusses Alexander’s role as the author of a medical compendium; it suggests that by marking the cases of clinical testing with a set of recurrent expressions, Alexander leads his audience to reflect on his medical authority and personal contribution

Summary

Introduction

Late antique medical authors have not received much attention from medical historians and specialists working on social and cultural history, and reception studies.[1]. Alexander’s main work, the Therapeutics, follows the well-established medical tradition of writing a capite ad calcem (from head to toe) and has details on diagnosis and treatment of diseases divided into twelve books (see Table 1).[11] In addition to Therapeutics, two other genuine works survive These are a treatise On Fevers dedicated to his friend Kosmas and a letter On Intestinal Worms, which was composed for his friend Theodore.[12] The works circulated widely and were well received as early as the early seventh century, when they are already being cited by Paul of Aegina. The text is found in one manuscript, Parisinus gr. 2316, dated to the fifteenth century

Book I

Conclusion