Praxagoras of Cos on Arteries, Pulse and Pneuma. Review
Abstract
The theories of Praxagoras of Cos (ca. 300 BCE) and his followers constitute an important landmark in the history of ancient medical knowledge. The principal ancient evidences about Praxagoras and his school are preserved in Galen,Caelius Aurelianus, the so-called Anonymous of Paris and other later writers. We know that Praxagoras distinguished himself in all major branches of the tekhne, related to the Hippocratic tradition in medicine, such as anatomy,physiology, sphygmology, dietetics, therapeutic methods and so on. Besides, he is also noted for the theoretical speculations associated with these practical aspects, which places him in the context of ancient philosophy of nature, mostly this of the Peripatetic school. Such peculiarities of Praxagoras’ teaching as his idea that arteries beat by themselves and are filled with pneuma, that the soul is seated in the heart, etc. as well as his daring methods of therapy which allowed Caelius Aurelianus, in many years, to call him a reckless (protervus) surgeon, are especially intriguing and call for explanation and contextualization.
Downloads
References
Supported by the program of improvement of the competitiveness of Tomsk State University.
See e.g. Bardong K. (1954) Praxagoras 1. RE 22.2,Р. 1735–1743; Harris C.R.S. The heart and the vascular system in ancient Greek medicine: From Alcmaeon to Galen. Oxford, 1973 (passim); Nutton V. Ancient medicine.
ondon, 2004. Р. 126–127.
Steckerl F. (ed). The fragments of Praxagoras of Cos and his school. Leiden: Brill, 1958.
Staden H. von. Herophilus: the art of medicine in early Alexandria. Cambridge, 1989.
Nickel D. Hippokratisches bei Praxagoras von Kos?Hippocrates in context. P.J. van der Eijk, ed. Leiden, 2005.
. 315–323.
Capriglione J.C. Prassagora di Cos. Naples, 1983.
Afonasin E.V., Afonasina A.S. Praksagor i ego shkola [Praxagoras and his theories]. Ocherki istorii antichnoy meditsiny [Essays on history of ancient medicine]. Saint-Petersburg, 2017. P. 87–107.
Lewis O., Gregoric P. The context of De spiritu. Early Science and Medicine. 2015: 20; P. 125–149.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
