The fourth will also be clearly proved, when we come to the examination of certain treatises, as, for example, the “Officina Medici.”

The fifth is not made out to my satisfaction. M. Littré, however, thinks it is satisfactorily proved that the latest epoch of these productions does not come lower down than Aristotle and Praxagoras, and none so low as Erasistratus and Herophilus. Hence he draws the conclusion that the Collection must have been made between the time of Aristotle and Herophilus.[98]

The sixth we shall see clearly made out, in our critique on the separate treatises.

The seventh is abundantly evident from what has been already stated, and will be made more apparent in the subsequent parts of this Section. But there is nothing peculiar to the Hippocratic Collection in all this, for there is as great uncertainty respecting many of the works ascribed to Plato, and other collections of pieces which have come down to us from high antiquity. Nay, every person who is conversant with biblical criticism must be aware how difficult it has proved to determine the authorship of many of the Psalms which bear the sainted name of King David.[99]

In support of the eighth position, little need be said in addition to what has been already stated. I need only repeat briefly that we have as much certainty that some of the treatises in the Hippocratic Collection are genuine, as we have that any other ancient works which have come down to us are the productions of the authors whose names they bear. But I hasten to give M. Littré’s distribution of the different works in the Collection. He divides them into the following classes.

Class I.—The Works which truly belong to Hippocrates.

  1. On Ancient Medicine.
  2. The Prognostics.
  3. The Aphorisms.
  4. The Epidemics, i., iii.
  5. The Regimen in Acute Diseases.
  6. On Airs, Waters, and Places.
  7. On the Articulations.
  8. On Fractures.
  9. The Instruments of Reduction (Mochlicus).
  10. The Physician’s Establishment, or Surgery.
  11. On Injuries of the Head.
  12. The Oath.
  13. The Law.

Class II.—The Writings of Polybus.

  1. On the Nature of Man.
  2. Regimen of Persons in Health.

Class III.—Writings anterior to Hippocrates.