The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c15.14

c15.14

Mr. Labat has then compared the Accadian and Greek prognostics, noting in the *Hippocratic Collection* as also in the Accadian literature, the existence of works specially dealing with prognostics, diagnosis being less mixed up with prognostics among the Greeks. Certain similarities of detail appear, but there are also big differences. Mr. Labat thinks that the personal action of Hippocrates has eliminated from Greek medicine, many teachings which could have borne the traces of Babylonian heritage (p. xlii). [This marked a great step forward.] One may also think that Greek medicine developed entirely out of the important influence of Babylonia. However, in the domain of the veterinary art, not turned upside down by the intervention of a Hippocrates, Mr. Labat notices closer concordances with the Accadian manual, specially in the listing of the enunciation of prognostics, although these latter were not gathered together in special manuals.