Hippocratic views in the treatment of rectal prolapse

G Tsoucalas; T G Papaioannou; G V Papatheodoridis; M Karamanou

Hippocratic views in the treatment of rectal prolapse

Acta Gastroenterol Belg. 2017 Jul-Sep;80(3):411-415.

Authors

G Tsoucalas¹, T G Papaioannou², G V Papatheodoridis³, M Karamanou⁴

Affiliations

¹ University Institute of History of Medicine, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France.
² Biomedical Engineering Unit, 1st Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
³ Department of Gastroenterology, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
⁴ University Institute of History of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

PMID: 29560672

Abstract

Known since antiquity, rectal prolapse was first studied systematically by Hippocrates (460-377 BC) who recognized the predisposing factors and proposed several therapeutic approaches such as defecation positions, manual retraction and specific herbal or mineral based anti-haemorrhagic and pain-killing poultices. Hippocratic medicine avoided invasive surgical procedures probably due to a lack of knowledge in human anatomy. However, Hippocrates' views astonishingly lasted in time, presenting similarities to current medical theories on rectal prolapse.

Keywords: Hippocrates; herbal poultices; manual fixation; rectal prolapse.

Publication types

Historical Article
Review

MeSH terms

Disease Management
History, Ancient
Humans
Rectal Prolapse* / etiology
Rectal Prolapse* / history
Rectal Prolapse* / therapy