Medicine and philosophy - Classical Homeopathy Online

The Methodism of Caelius Aurelianus 323manifestam rationem, 87 or praua ratione aestimatum, 88 or ratione commotiuera quidem, sed deficienti. 89 Ratio refers here to a reasonable account, arational justification. 90 This might suggest that Caelius is just fighting themwith their own weapons without necessarily endorsing the premises of theargument (although this criticism is not restricted to Dogmatist doctors,but also directed against Themison and Heraclides).Yet ratio is also used in non-polemical contexts. These usages can bedivided into two further categories.(ii) ratio is referred to as a source or criterion of knowledge, mostly concerningtreatment (primarily pharmacological, but also dietetic andsurgical), as in the following passage:(32a) dabimus ea, quae non satis aliena sint ab his, quae rationi conueniunt, utolus aut ptisana. (Acut. 1.11.81)We will give things that are not very different from those that are in accordancewith reason, such as vegetables and barley-gruel.where the ‘reason’ is stated in dietetic terms:(32b) dabit enim quiddam laxamenti atque indulgentiae asperitatibus animorumconcupita oblatio, et non omnino sine cibo atque nutrimento perseuerabunt.For giving the patients what they wish will give some relaxation and alleviation ofthe diseased state of their minds, and also they will not have to carry on withoutany food and nourishment at all.A similar ratio curationis is referred to in the following passages:(33) cataplasma laxatiuum et, si ratio coegerit, phlebotomia. (Chron. 4.8.119)A loosening plaster and, if reason calls for it, venesection.(34) . . . sicut ratio probat atque Democriti dilatae mortis exemplum fama uulgatum.(Acut. 2.37.206). . . as is proved by reason and the famous example of the delayed death ofDemocritus.It seems that ratio here refers to a reasoning (no doubt partly based onexperience, but probably also partly of a theoretical kind) as to the best87 E.g. Chron. 2.2.64. 88 E.g. Chron. 5.11.140. 89 E.g. Acut. 3.14.116.90 See also Acut. 2.38.219: ‘For that venesection differs in no way from killing is shown by reason, sinceit brings about what the affection itself aims for, namely the disruption of the body, etc.’ (etenimphlebotomiam nihil iugulatione differre ratio testatur, quippe cum haec faciat, quae ipsa nititur passio,meatum disicere et corpus ...), and Acut. 3.15.122: ‘Reason evidently shows this’ (ratio quoque hocostendere uidetur). Related to this is the usage of ratio in the context of Caelius’ attack on superstition(e.g. Acut. 3.16.137); see Mudry (1998).