Hippocrates lived to a great age ; some say 109, others, however, make it much less. He died at Larissa, and was buried between that city and Gyrtona. He left, among numerous other disciples, his two sons, Thessalus and Draco, both eminent physicians, and his son-in-law Poly bus, who had been a favourite pupil, and afterwards became a celebrated teacher, and arranged and published the works of his friend and master. In statues and paintings Hippo crates is represented with his head covered, which is dif ferent from the usual manner of the Greeks, and was proba bly done on account of his having been so great a traveller, as that was the only description of inditiduals who were uniformly thus distinguished.
Hippocrates has always been regarded as the father of his art. The honour in which he was held, both during his life and after his death, was very high. The inhabitants of Argos erected a statue of gold to him. The Athenians more than once voted him a crown of gold, and initiated hint in their great religious mysteries. This last was a favour very seldom conceded to strangers. Although he did not cultivate general philosophy, except as subservient to me dicine, he exemplified so ably its spirit, that Plato, Aristo tle, and others, looked up to him as a master, and some times commented on his opinions. Aristotle even followed him as a model of style. His works have been held in high esteem in all subsequent ages ; they have been translated or commented on by Galen, Celsus, and numerous other physicians of the most eminent genius, both in ancient and modern times.
The treatises which have gone under his name are 72 in number ; but they are not all of equal authenticity. Doc trines so contradictory are sometimes contained in them, as slim them plainly to have been the works of distinct authors. Some are probably of much more ancient origin than Hip pocrates himself. Some are thought to have been written by his grandfather, who bore the same name : and several have been either much altered and interpolated, or entirely written by subsequent authors. Those which are univer sally allowed to be genuine are, " The Aphorisms," " The Prognostics," the first and third book " On Epidemics ;" and the book " On the Influence of Air, Water, and Local Situation." Some are regarded as supposititious,because they deviate from the character of Hippocrates, as shown in the works now enumerated, both in solidity, method, and cor rectness of language ; while others bear only in part the character of this master, and incline the critical reader to suspend his judgment of their authenticity. These last
seem to have been such as Hippocrates left in an unfinish ed state, or the substance of notes or copies taken from his prelections by his pupils. Such are" The Four Prog nostics ;" The Predictions ;" the 2d, 5th, 6th, and 7th, books " On Popular Diseases ;" that " On Diet in acute Dis eases ;" the books " On the Parts of the Human Body ;" " On Aliment ;" " On the Recoveries that happen on criti cal Days ;" and " On the Humours." There is considera ble difficulty, however, in deciding in the negative respect ing the works said to belong to a particular author. We may give a judgment on the positive authenticity of certain performances, which bear the stamp of the genius and man ner of a masterly writer. But such writers often produce works which are not equal to their genius, works which have been written under inauspicious circumstances, which have diminished their attachment to their subject, impaired their confidence in themselves, and obstructed the full ex ercise of their talent. Great differences may also depend on the period of life. Juvenile performances may be com paratively lame or volatile, and old age brings along with it a decay of the mental powers, which may appear in the literary performances to which it gives origin. Differences of the time of life will sometimes also account for inconsist encies of doctrine, produced by changes of opinion, which have taken place between the times at which different works have been composed.
The principal editions of the works of Hippocrates in the original are, those of Aldus at Venice in 1526; and of Frobenius at Basle in 1538, both in folio.
The editions of Greek accompanied by Latin translations are, those of Hieronymus Mercurialis, at Venice, in 1578 ; of Zwinger, at Basle, in 1579 ; of Anutius Feesius, at Francfort, in 1595 ; of J. A. Vander Linden, at Leyden, in 1665 ; of Renatus Chartrier, with the works of Galen, at 'Paris; and of Stephen Mack at Vienna, in 1743, 1749, and 1759.
The editions of Latin translations, ,without the origi nal, are that of Cratander at Basle, by several translators, in 1526; of M. F. Calous, at Rome, in 1525, from MSS. in the Vatican ; of J. Cornarius, at Venice, in 1545 ; and that of Anutius Fcesius, at Francfort, in 1596, in Svo, by We die].