Claude Galien

Claude Galien (in Greek old Κλαύδιος Γαληνός/ Klaúdios Galênós , in Latin Claudius Galenus ), born with Pergame ( Pergamum ) in 131, and died in 201 a. J. - C., is a Greek doctor of the Antiquité. Regarded as one of the fathers of pharmacy, it had a durable influence on Jewish medicine , Christian and Musulman E of the Moyen-âge.

Biography

Born with Pergame in Asia Mineure in an easy medium (his/her father Nicon is Architecte and senator) it begins from the studies of Philosophie and Mathématiques. But his/her father sees another destiny for him and in medical studies engages it, which it begins at 17 years.

It leaves Pergame, voyage all around the Mediterranean basin, visit Smyrna, Corinthe and Alexandria, where the most important medical school of the time is. At 29 years, it returns in Pergame and becomes the doctor of the school of the Gladiateur S where it makes profitable the wounds which have occurred at the time them engagements to perfect his knowledge in anatomy. Very extremely in Anatomy, he thinks that it is the base of very good Médecine, he makes public demonstrations of anatomy and physiology. Many customers the notable ones dispute her care. He becomes the doctor of the emperor Marc Aurèle. He is also confronted with the very serious epidemic called Peste antonine which prevails in the capital from 166.

Very jalousé, because not very modest and critical, it must leave Rome towards 167. It returns two years there later at the request of Marc Aurèle (for unknown reasons). He becomes doctor of the court and commits himself looking after two wire of the emperor. With died of Marc Aurèle, it becomes, until its clean dead into 201, the doctor of the emperor Commode.

The fire of the Temple of Peace (192) destroyed the essence of its library, its manuscripts and its collection of “simple drugs”. With more than 60 years, Galien tries récrire all that it lost. (Enormous Company since its work covers 20.000 pages, published in Greek but not completely translated in the modern languages.)

Work

Claude Galien was without any doubt one of the founders of the Médecine and the Pharmacie. It remains before all a large teacher and writer. He does not leave less than 500 works, which he took the trouble itself to order in On his works (Περὶ τῶν Ἰδίων/ Peri your idiôn ) and On the order of his works (Περὶ τῆς Τάξεως τῶν Ἰδιων Βιβλίων/ Peri tês taxeôs your idiôn bibliôn ). He endeavoured to build an encyclopedia of sciences of his time, while placing himself above the schools: “I qualified slaves those which are said hippocratic or praxagoréens or claims some authority, but I chose what there was of good in each school. ”

Only a weak part of its work crossed the centuries:

83 treaties;
19 treaties of disputed attribution;
45 treaties apocryphal books;
19 fragments;
15 comments on Hippocrates.

That is explained mainly by the fire, in 192, of the temple of Peace, built under Vespasien, where Galien gave its courses. Many remaining work were preserved by Christian intellectuals (Constantin the African, 11th century), Moslems (in particular Averroès, twelfth century) and Jews.

In the medical field, Galien took as a starting point much Hippocrates but also by Aristote. He lengthily studied the anatomy, the Physiologie, the Hygiène and the Pharmacologie (one still speaks about “galenic” form), but also the Philosophie (“the best doctor is also a philosopher”) and the Philologie: one owes him a Introduction to dialectical the , a treaty Of the demonstration and a comment on the Timée of Plato.

Regarded as the founder of pharmacy, the oath of the apothecaries going back to 1608 was renamed in Serment of Galien at the 20th century. This oath following the example Hippocratic oath enacts the professional duties of the Pharmacien. This oath is still lent today by the doctors of pharmacy at the end of their studies.

He is the author of many work on the Nervous system (in particular the course of the nerve impulse), the Myologie, hygiene ( Of hygiene ) or dietetics ( Of the properties of the food ). For him (as in the Chinese Medicine), human physiology rests on the four elements (Air, Ground, Feu, Eau) which influence four moods (Sang, Bile, Lymphe and Atrabile). The human being is classified according to four temperaments: cordial and pleasant ones which is the blood ones, and the slow apathetic ones which is the phlegmatic ones. The disease would result from imbalance between all these elements.

Works published

philosophical Works and logics , Editor: Flammarion
the heart And Its Passions , Editor: Beautiful Letters
Selected Medical Works

Volume 1, Of the utility Of the Parts Of the Human body , Editor: Gallimard
Volume 2, Of Natural Faculties, the Affected Places, the Therapeutic Method, With Glaucon , Editor: Gallimard

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