Hippocrates, De morbis mulierum 1.11: exercise as part of a treatment regimen

Hippocrates, De morbis mulierum 1.11: exercise as part of a treatment regimen

5th century BCE (?)

Medicine, health advice

Literary source

When the menstrual blood is phlegmatic and membranous, and the woman is fleshy, the mouth tends to be very moist, and copious and sticky saliva abounds. If the woman consumes vinegar or something pungent, the saliva becomes more liquid and insipid. Everything she eats or drinks causes her discomfort: the stomach swells, and they experience nausea and great anguish. From the head comes down a flux which obstructs everything and brings a lot of moisture. The area under the eyes is livid and swollen. These women should be put in steam baths for the entire body and vomit frequently, both after having had food and on an empty stomach. They should soften the lower abdomen with very light medicine that purges as little bile as possible. They should eat only one meal a day, and exercise frequently, and use the driest possible diet, drinking very little and only undiluted liquids. It is better that the belly remains free from burdens.

translation by Alexander Meeus for the Cynisca project

Ὁκόσα μὲν οὖν φλεγματώδεα καὶ ὑμενοειδέα τῶν ἐπιμηνίων ἐστὶ, καὶ αὗται σαρκώδεές εἰσι, ταύτῃσι τὸ στόμα ἔξυγρον, καὶ πτύελον πουλὺ καὶ γλίσχρον, καὶ ἢν ὀξέος γεύηται ἢ δριμέος, τὸ πτύελον ἐν τῷ στόματι πλαδωδέστερόν τε ἔσται καὶ ἄναλτον, καὶ πρὸς πᾶν ὅ τι ἂν φάγωσιν ἢ πίωσιν ὄχλος καὶ προσίσταται αὐτέῃσι, καὶ ἀείρεται κοιλίη, καὶ ναυσίη, καὶ ἀλυσμὸς πουλύς· ἀπό τε κεφαλῆς ῥεῦμα καταρρέει, καὶ πάντ’ ἐπιπλάσσεται, καὶ πολλὴν ὑγρασίην ἐπάγεται, καὶ τὰ ὑποφθάλμια πελιδνὰ καὶ πεφυσημένα. ταύτας χρὴ ὅλας πυριῆν, καὶ πυκνὰ ἐμέειν καὶ ἀπὸ σιτίων καὶ ἀπὸ νηστείης· μαλάσσειν δὲ τὴν κάτω κοιλίην φαρμάκοισι πάμπαν κούφοισιν, ὁκόσα ἥκιστα χολὴν ἄγει, καὶ μονοσιτέειν, καὶ γυμνάζεσθαι συχνά, καὶ ὡς ξηροτάτῃ τροφῇ διαιτᾶσθαι, καὶ ποτῷ ἐλαχίστῳ ἀκρητεστέρῳ· κοιλίη δὲ εὔλυτος ἀμείνων διαφυλάσσεσθαι.

Émile Littré, Œuvres complètes d’Hippocrate: Traduction nouvelle avec le texte grec, vol. 8, Paris 1853.