This thesis focuses on the startling ways in which a significant number of early Christian hagiographies feature saints with rotting flesh and suppurative wounds. It explores this phenomenon first by considering ancient medical understandings of diseases such as phagedenic ulcers, gangrene, and the production of pus as evidence of humoural imbalances requiring medical intervention. Then it considers reasons why early Christians developed more positive attitudes regarding these conditions. These include associating rotting flesh with superior spiritual fortitude. They also include non-theological reasons for this phenomenon. This thesis hypothesizes that early Christians also enjoyed looking at rotting saints out of a voyeuristic desire to gaze upon otherwise hidden bodies. Furthermore, it argues that Christians enjoyed exposing themselves to feelings of fear and anxiety because of the neurochemical dimensions the experience stimulated. / May 2017

Cette étude se doit d’analyser ce que les textes de la Collection hippocratique, ainsi que l’apport des commentateurs d’Hippocrate, tels Celse, Galien, et jusqu’aux chirurgiens actuels permettent de connaître de l’art chirurgical des Vème et IVème siècles avant J.-C., en Grèce. Les textes dits « chirurgicaux » sont ceux qui mentionnent un acte technique sur le corps humain, le plus souvent à l’aide d’un instrument « chirurgical ». Ils nous donnent des indications sur les pathologies traitées. Quelques documents iconographiques et quelques rares vestiges sont un apport intéressant. En confrontant les textes hippocratiques et la technique chirurgicale actuelle, nous verrons dans quelle mesure il est possible de reconstituer les conditions de réalisation de l’acte chirurgical par les praticiens hippocratiques. / The present study focuses on surgery procedures in fifth and fourth century B.-C. Greece. The analysis of these procedures is based on information stemming from the text constituting the Hippocratic Corpus as well as from Hippocrates’ commentators such as Celsus and Galen- and modern surgeons. The texts analyzed particularly those named “surgical “are those describing a manual intervention on the human body, most frequently supported by an instrument considered as “surgical.” They offer indications on the pathologies treated. Certain iconographic documents are of particular interest. The confrontation between Hippocratic texts and modern surgical techniques will enable to estimate the possibility of restitution of the surgical procedures’ conditions by the Hippocratic surgeons

Ancient gynecology is a field with a large number of contradictions. Women were expected to have full awareness of their bodily functions but were not trusted as authoritative experts on the subject. In Rome, the majority of midwives were uneducated slave women, yet the expectations held for a proper midwife required formal education. The ability to give birth made women powerful in the eyes of the Greeks but was also used by Greek men (chiefly Athenians) as an excuse to oppress women. Studying ancient gynecology is a necessity for truly understanding the day-to-day lives of ancient women. In works such as the Odyssey or The Iliad, the women featured are typically upper-class nobles who are in unrealistic settings and have similar abilities, expectations, and lives. By reading through medical texts written by respected physicians such as Soranus and Hippocrates, scholars are provided an in-depth look at how ancient doctors truly saw the female body.

Au milieu du XVIe siècle, un nouveau genre d’écriture médicale circule parmi les imprimeries européennes : ce sont les curationes et les observationes, des récits de cas cliniques où désormais l’autorité de référence est l’expérience du praticien. Celui-ci affirme avoir élaboré son écrit à partir de ses visites aux malades, d’enregistrements et de données appartenant à la réalité des faits et des effets (et non, par exemple, des théories et des opinions) ; aussi se intervient-il dans le texte à la fois comme principe d’organisation narrative et instance intra-diégétique, c’est-à-dire comme sujet et objet de la narration. À la même époque, en Europe, commence à se diffuser la chimiatrie, c’est-à-dire un complexe de conceptions physiologiques et thérapeutiques qui se fondent sur une idée chimique de la nature, de la maladie et du remède. Le promoteur de ces doctrines, le Suisse Théophraste Paracelse, prône une reforme des fondements de la théorie et de la pratique médicale en s’attirant des sympathisants et des détracteurs. Des médecins chimistes se sont servis du format de curationes et d’observationes pour promouvoir les nouvelles pratiques par voie de démonstration manifeste, en se servant des preuves leur expérience au chevet des patients. La présente étude entend définir ce genre médical selon une approche multi-disciplinaire, en interrogeant ces textes du point de vue de l’histoire des idées, de l’épistémologie, à travers leurs échanges avec d’autres genres limitrophes (comme les practicæ, les consilia, ou les recueils de mirabilia), selon les milieux et les courants (le galénisme et la chimiatrie) mais aussi en se focalisant sur les enjeux narratologiques impliqués dans un récit d’expérience et dans la narration de faits. / Au milieu du XVIe siècle, un nouveau genre d’écriture médicale circule parmi les imprimeries européennes : ce sont les curationes et les observationes, des récits de cas cliniques où désormais l’autorité de référence est l’expérience du praticien. Celui-ci affirme avoir élaboré son écrit à partir de ses visites aux malades, d’enregistrements et de données appartenant à la réalité des faits et des effets (et non, par exemple, des théories et des opinions) ; aussi se intervient-il dans le texte à la fois comme principe d’organisation narrative et instance intra-diégétique, c’est-à-dire comme sujet et objet de la narration. À la même époque, en Europe, commence à se diffuser la chimiatrie, c’est-à-dire un complexe de conceptions physiologiques et thérapeutiques qui se fondent sur une idée chimique de la nature, de la maladie et du remède. Le promoteur de ces doctrines, le Suisse Théophraste Paracelse, prône une reforme des fondements de la théorie et de la pratique médicale en s’attirant des sympathisants et des détracteurs. Des médecins chimistes se sont servis du format de curationes et d’observationes pour promouvoir les nouvelles pratiques par voie de démonstration manifeste, en se servant des preuves leur expérience au chevet des patients. La présente étude entend définir ce genre médical selon une approche multi-disciplinaire, en interrogeant ces textes du point de vue de l’histoire des idées, de l’épistémologie, à travers leurs échanges avec d’autres genres limitrophes (comme les practicæ, les consilia, ou les recueils de mirabilia), selon les milieux et les courants (le galénisme et la chimiatrie) mais aussi en se focalisant sur les enjeux narratologiques impliqués dans un récit d’expérience et dans la narration de faits. / Nell’Europa della modernità, una nuova tipologia di scritti medici circola nella stampa : sono le curationes e le observationes, narrazioni di così clinici dove la sola autorità di riferimento è l’esperienza del medico. Quest’ultimo afferma di aver scritto a partire da registrazioni al capezzale dei malati: il contenuto dei suoi scritti appartiene al mondo dei fatti e degli effetti (e non, per esempio, delle teorie e delle opinioni). Nel testo il medico interviene allo stesso tempo come principio di organizzazione narrativa (narratore) e come istanza intradiegetica, ciò come oggetto della narrazione.Più o meno negli stessi anni, in Europa comincia a diffondersi la chimiatria, vale a dire, un sistema concettuale fisiologico e te repentino legato a un’idea chimica della natura della malattia e del rimedio. Il promotore di questa dottrina, lo svizzero Teofrasto Paracelso, incoraggia con vigore una riforma delle basi teoriche e pratiche della medicina, attraendo simpatizzanti e detrattori. Dei chimiatri si sono serviti delle curationes e delle observationes per promuovere queste nuove pratiche attraverso la dimostrazione manifesta, utilizzando la loro esperienza al capezzale del malato.Questo studio intende definire tale genere medico attraverso un approccio multidisciplinare, interrogando i testi dalla prospettiva della storia delle idee e dell’epistemologia, attraverso anche le loro relazioni con generi limitrofi come le summæ medievali a uso pedagogico (le practicae), gli scambi epistolari tra medici (i consilia) o le raccolte di storie straordinarie (i mirabilia), secondo i contesti e le correnti (galenismo e chimiatria), ma anche focalizzando l’attenzione sulle poste in gioco narratologiche implicate in una storia di esperienza

This thesis takes up the question of the part played by Syriac sources in the composition of early Arabic translations of the Hippocratic Aphorisms. In it, I compare the four major extant Syriac and Arabic translations of the Aphorisms with continual reference to the content of Syriac lexicons composed by the translator Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq and his students and successors. Through detailed treatments of both the definitions and translations of scores of individual Greek terms found in these sources, as well as through analysis of the translations of the Aphorisms, I weigh the relative importance of Greek and Syriac scholarship for Ḥunayn's translation praxis. In doing so, I specify the value of the Syriac lexicons for the study of Greek-to-Arabic translation while clarifying several outstanding issues in the broader history of Syriac and Arabic medicine.

La notion de « bile », exprimée par le substantif χολή, représente l’un des plus importants et des plus célèbres concepts de la médecine hippocratique, inséparable dans la pensée moderne de la fameuse théorie humorale. Au premier abord, les choses semblent donc claires. Cependant, lorsqu’on se plonge dans la lecture des écrits hippocratiques, la notion de cholè s’avère moins simple et évidente. Notre analyse des textes hippocratiques montre, en effet, que la cholè diffère d’un traité à l’autre et que chaque auteur hippocratique élabore sa propre notion de cholè. Nous nous sommes posé alors la question de l’origine de ce concept médical, ainsi que de l’origine de son cadre, qui est la théorie humorale. Notre quête des origines nous a amenée jusqu’aux idées homérique de chólos et aristophanique de cholè, qui se présentent toutes les deux comme fondamentalement différentes de l’idée médicale de cholè, unissant en elles-mêmes les notions de substance et d’état d’esprit. C’est justement cet écart entre les concepts non-médicaux et les concepts médicaux qui nous a intéressée au plus haut point, car il permet de voir comment les médecins hippocratiques élaborent leurs idées et leur discours. L’essentiel de notre travail consiste, donc, en un examen approfondi des procédés par lesquels les hippocratiques s’approprient des idées non-médicales : ce qu’ils retranchent, ce qu’ils rajoutent et ce qu’ils remanient. Nous espérons ainsi mettre en évidence les chemins par lesquels passe la pensée médicale ancienne, dans son processus d’émancipation de la culture traditionnelle, mais aussi des autres « sciences » de l’époque, telle que la philosophie. / The notion of « gall », expressed by the noun χολή, is one of the most important as well as the most celebrated concepts of the hippocratic medicine, inseparable for the modern mind from the humoral theory. At first sight then, the idea of « gall » seems fairly obvious. However, reading hippocratic treatises in detail, one realizes that the notion of cholè turns out to be far more complex and intricate than expected. Our analysis of the most relevant hippocratic texts shows indeed that the concept of cholè varies according to the texts involved, as every author tends to develop his own concept of cholè. We tried to find out whether the complex nature of the medical concept known as cholè could be elucidated by a survey of its origins, and a survey of the origins of the humoral system as a whole. Our search for the origins of cholè has led us to the Homeric concept of chólos and to the Aristophanic concept of cholè. The prerequisites of both notions conspicuously differ from the medical concept of cholè, because they unite the substance with a state of mind. This discrepancy between medical and non-medical concepts was of utmost importance for us, since it helped to understand how hippocratic authors developed their ideas and their discourse. The main asset of our work consists, therefore, in an in-depth analysis of the ways in which hippocratic authors take over some non-medical ideas to frame concepts of their own : what are the components they cut out, add or modify. Our goal is to show how ancient medical thought proceeds, in its endeavour to emancipate itself from the tradition as well as from the other contemporary “sciences”, as philosophy.

Diseases of Women, Book I, is part of the Hippocratic Corpus of approximately seventy treatises, although different authors contributed to the writings, as is evident by slight changes in text. It is the first of three works by Hippocrates on gynaecological problems. Fifth century BC doctors did not dissect either humans or animals, so their theories were based purely on observation and experience. Book I deals with women who have problems with menstruation, either the lack of it or an excess, infertility and, when conception does take place, the threat of miscarriage and dealing with the stillborn child. Various remedies are given, including herbal infusions, vapour baths and mixtures that the modern day patient would shudder at, e.g. animal dung and headless, wingless beetles. One remedy, hypericum, or St John's Wort, used for depression, has become popular today as an alternative medicine. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M.A. (with specialisation in Ancient Languages and Cultures)

Diseases of Women, Book I, is part of the Hippocratic Corpus of approximately seventy treatises, although different authors contributed to the writings, as is evident by slight changes in text. It is the first of three works by Hippocrates on gynaecological problems. Fifth century BC doctors did not dissect either humans or animals, so their theories were based purely on observation and experience. Book I deals with women who have problems with menstruation, either the lack of it or an excess, infertility and, when conception does take place, the threat of miscarriage and dealing with the stillborn child. Various remedies are given, including herbal infusions, vapour baths and mixtures that the modern day patient would shudder at, e.g. animal dung and headless, wingless beetles. One remedy, hypericum, or St John's Wort, used for depression, has become popular today as an alternative medicine. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M.A. (with specialisation in Ancient Languages and Cultures)

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Platonic Craft and Medical Ethics examines the Platonic theory of craft and shows its application to different ethical problems in medicine, both ancient and modern. I begin by elucidating the Platonic use of the term “craft” or “technē”, using especially the paradigmatic craft of medicine, and explicate a number of important principles inherent in his use of the term. I then show how Plato’s framework of crafts can be applied to two ancient debates. First, I show how Plato’s understanding of crafts is used in discussing the definition of medicine, and how he deals with the issue of “bivalence”, that medicine seems to be capable of generating disease as well as curing it. I follow this discussion into Aristotle, who, though he has a different interpretation of bivalence, has a solution in many ways similar to Plato’s. Second, I discuss the relevance of knowledge to persuasion and freedom. Rhetors like Gorgias challenge the traditional connections of persuasion to freedom and force to slavery by characterizing persuasion as a type of force. Plato addresses this be dividing persuasion between sorcerous and didactic persuasion, and sets knowledge as the new criterion for freedom. Finally, I discuss three modern issues in medical ethics using a Platonic understanding of crafts: paternalism, conclusions in meta-analyses and therapeutic misconceptions in research ethics. In discussing paternalism, I argue that tools with multiple excellences, like the body, should not be evaluated independently of the uses to which the patient intends to put them. In discussing meta-analyses, I show how the division of crafts into goal-oriented and causal parts in the Phaedrus exposes the confusion inherent in saying that practical conclusions can follow directly from statistical results. Finally, I argue that authors like Franklin G. Miller and Howard Brody fail to recognize the hierarchical relationship between medical research and medicine when they argue that medical research ethics should be autonomous from medical ethics per se.