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OF ARETÆUS, THE CAPPADOCIAN, ON THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC DISEASE
BOOK I.
[p. 301]
CHAPTER VI. ON MADNESS
THE modes of mania are infinite in species, but one alone in
genus. For it is altogether a chronic derangement of the
mind, without fever. For if fever at any time should come
on, it would not owe its peculiarity to the mania, but to some
other incident. Thus wine inflames to delirium in drunkenness;
and certain edibles, such as mandragora and hyoscyamus,
induce madness: but these affections are never called mania;
for, springing from a temporary cause, they quickly subside,
but madness has something confirmed in it. To this mania
there is no resemblance in the dotage which is the calamity of
old age, for it is a torpor of the senses, and a stupefaction of
the gnostic and intellectual faculties by coldness of the system.
But mania is something hot and dry in cause, and tumultuous
in its acts. And, indeed, dotage commencing with old age
never intermits, but accompanies the patient until death;
while mania intermits, and with care ceases altogether. And
there may be an imperfect intermission, if it take place in
mania when the evil is not thoroughly cured by medicine, or
is connected with the temperature of the season. For in certain
persons who seemed to be freed from the complaint, either
the season of spring, or some error in diet, or some incidental
heat of passion, has brought on a relapse.
Those prone to the disease, are such as are naturally passionate,
irritable, of active habits, of an easy disposition, joyous,
puerile; likewise those whose disposition inclines to the opposite
condition, namely, such as are sluggish, sorrowful, slow
to learn, but patient in labour, and who when they learn
anything, soon forget it; those likewise are more prone to
melancholy, who have formerly been in a mad condition. But
in those periods of life with which much heat and blood are
