Hippocrates, Praeceptiones
W. H. S. Jones, Ed.

1 He is trusted, and so can do as he likes. Therefore want of power to influence a patient never compels him to transgress the medical code.

2 It is quite uncertain whether φλεβονώδεα is the correct reading, and equally uncertain what it means if it be correct. Erotian's note recognises two ancient readings, φλεδονώδεα, explained as τὰ μετὰ φλυαρίας2 καὶ πνευματώδους2 ταραχῆς2 ἐκκρινόμενα, and φλεβονώδεα, explained as τὰ μετ᾽ ἀλγήματος2 οἰδήματα. But the general meaning must be " serious," " alarming."

3 The reader must suspect that in the words ἰητροῦ ποικιλίη is concealed an allusion to frequent changes of the medical attendant. " Changing their doctor every day." The version in the text means that the patients frequently change their minds as do quacks, or as doctors must be ready to change their treatment at a moment's notice.

4 These patients ἀπορέους1ιν, and so can scarcely be the same as the εὔποροι of the earlier part of the chapter. Perhaps οὐκ should be read before ἀχαρις1τέοντες2, and the sense would then be, " they become poor by showing gratitude to quacks, when they might be well off by employing qualified men."

5 The greater part of this chapter is hopeless. There seems to be no connexion between the quack doctors of the first part and the wayward patients of the latter part. I suspect that an incongruous passage has been inserted here by some compiler, just as chapter fourteen was so inserted. Perhaps there are gaps in the text, the filling up of which would clear away the difficulty. Probably there is one after εἵνεκεν. If the latter part be not an interpolation, the general meaning seems to be that when patients grow worse under quack treatment, they change their doctor and hire another quack. So they both grow worse and lose money. They really want to get well to look after their business, but do not think of the right way to return to work again, i. e. of employing a qualified medical man.