Hippocrates describes accurately the bad effects of plethora, but at so
great length that we cannot venture to give an outline of his practice.
We may mention, however, that purging with hellebore, emetics, the warm
bath, and venesection are his most powerful remedies. (De Diæta, iii, 16
et seq.)
Galen has also a treatise of considerable length on the same subject.
Among the causes of plethora enumerated by him, we remark that he
mentions the use of the warm bath after meals, whereby he holds that the
system is overloaded with imperfectly concocted chyle. (De Plenitudine,
and Meth. Med. ix, 5.) See also Rhases (ad Mansor. ii); Haly Abbas
(Pract. i, 12); Alsaharavius (Pract. v, 4); Averrhoes (Comment. in Cant.
Avicennæ); Avicenna (i, 2, 3.)
Alsaharavius says that plethora is marked by ruddiness of the body,
heaviness, torpor, large veins, somnolency, a large face, and brawny
limbs. It is usually accompanied, he adds, by impairment of the
understanding, forgetfulness, heaviness of the head, weakness of sight,
great pulsation of the arteries, and a disposition to epistaxis. He
recommends a restricted diet, consisting of articles not very nutritious,
exercise, the bath, along with friction, and medicines calculated to
evacuate the prevailing humour, whether blood, phlegm, or bile.
Haly’s account is very like our author’s.
Rhases gives a good description of repletion, which, he says, is
generally brought on by excess in eating and drinking, along with too
much indulgence in sleep. Avicenna’s description is similar.