Medicine and philosophy - Classical Homeopathy Online

288 Late antiquitysome drugs work ‘in virtue of their whole essence’ (’ ), others in virtue of one, or several particular qualities (warm,cold, dry or wet); and some drugs admit of both possibilities dependingon the circumstances; 33the effect of a drug depends on the way of consumption: it makes allthe difference whether a substance (for example, mustard) is broughtonto the skin or taken in via the mouth; 34a very fundamental distinction is whether a particular power such ashotness is present in the foodstuff ‘primarily and by itself’ ( ’ ) or ‘accidentally’ ( ): thus water is byitself cold (i.e. cooling), but it may be accidentally warm (i.e. warming),because it has acquired its warmth ( vs. ). 35Further distinctions mentioned are:whether a certain substance acts as a foodstuff (which just preservesthe state of the body), or as a drug (which changes the state of thebody in a beneficial way), or a poison (which harms the state of thebody); 36the distinction between the power a substance has ‘in itself’ versus thepower ‘it is said to have in relation to something’ ( ),and, within that latter category, the distinction between the power ithas ‘with regard to us’, namely humans ( ), versus the powerit has when brought into contact with other organic or inorganicsubstances or entities, such as fire; 37bodily state () and time (), that is, whether the state of thebody is simple or complex, and whether the drug works immediatelyor after an elapse of some time; 3833 De temper. 3.1 (p. 91.6ff. Helmreich, 1.654 K.); cf. De simpl. med. fac. 1.3 (11.385 K.). On this notionsee Harig (1974) 108ff., who refers to De simpl. med. fac. 5.1 (11.705 K.); 4.9 (11.650 K.); 5.17 (11.760K.); 5.18 (11.761–4 K.).34 De temper. 3.3 (p. 95.26ff. Helmreich, 1.661ff. K.).35 De temper. 3.3 (p. 98.17ff. Helmreich, 1.666 K.); 3.4 (p. 102.15–16 Helmreich, 1.672 K.); cf. De comp.med. per gen. 1.6 (13.401 K.); De simpl. med. fac. 1.2 (11.382 K.); 1.31 (11.435 K.); 3.4 (11.545 K.).36 De temper. 3.1 (p. 91.15 Helmreich, 1.655 K.); 3.2 (p. 91.19 Helmreich, 1.655 K.); 3.4 (p. 100.22–4Helmreich, 1.670 K.); cf. De alim. facult. 1.1.24–29 (CMG v4, 2, pp.209.16–211.3 Helmreich,6.467–70 K.); De simpl. med. fac. 1.1 (11.380 K.); 1.3 (11.385 K.); 3.3 (11.545 K.); 5.1 (11.705 K.). On thisdistinction, and on the physiological factors determining whether a substance acts as a foodstuff, ora drug, or a poison, see Harig (1974) 87–95.37 De temper. 3.5 (p. 109.14ff. Helmreich, 1.684 K.); cf. De simpl. med. fac. 1.2 (11.382 K.). On thisdistinction see Harig (1974), p. 84 nn. 26–7, who refers to De simpl. med. fac. 1.40 (11.455f. K.); 2.3(11.467 K.); 2.20 (11.518 K.); 3.6 (11.552 K.); 3.9 (11.557 K.).38 De temper. 3.5 (p. 111.24ff. Helmreich, 1.688 K.).