CLST203 Assignment 1
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School
Queens University *
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Course
203
Subject
Medicine
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
Pages
4
Uploaded by vvictoria31
Dear Colleagues,
I am a Thessalian physician writing to share a current medical case in the region of
Thessaly. I was called to tend to a man, patient E, identified as Erysichthon of Thessaly
1
, after
reports were made by local Thessalians of him displaying signs of psychosis and harassing
civilians, begging for food and drachma. According to the city officials, they were initially
alerted by local farmers, describing a slender man slaughtering their cattle, equine, caprine, and
other livestock before ferociously eating them
1
. This report is written to alert the public of this
case in hopes of shedding light on this medical mystery and gaining knowledge from any nearby
colleagues with medical knowledge that may be able to aid in my treatment of this patient.
I began my investigation after authorities were able to restrain patient E from the streets
of Thessaly. Authorities report that while in captivity, patient E relentlessly spoke of a ‘bleeding
poplar’
3
, shouting how he regrets his orders to his men to collect wood from ‘the beautiful oak
tree'
2
. Upon arrival at my home, the patient was violent and continued to exclaim of the poplar,
as well as demanding food, despite his former servants stating that he had eaten so much that no
food was left in his home and his fortune was depleted completely
1
, according to the report.
Patient E was so desperate to earn drachma through any manner that he even resorted to selling
his daughter for currency to buy more food
1
. My initial physical examination on day 1 revealed
severe signs of emaciation and agitation.
By day 3 of observation in my home, patient E’s hunger remained insatiable though he
received regular and sufficient feeding by nurses upon arrival. Following observation, the patient
continued to show signs of rapid weight loss, hair loss, loss of muscle and bone mass, despite
regular nutrition. This worsened as days went on. Along with these symptoms, the patient
remained violent, and presented with grinding teeth
3
and insomnia. On day 5, patient E reported
that on the rare occasion that he is able to sleep, he dreams of dining at banquets and feasts
3
,
possibly explaining the teeth grinding.
I write to you on day 7 of observing patient E, as his condition is worsening rapidly and I
am failing to come to a conclusion of what may be the cause of his ailment. On the night of day
6, despite growing weaker and having lost much of his muscle mass, patient E was able to escape
his restraints. He began to eat his own flesh
1
, and even attempted to bite nurses upon attempts to
replace restraints. I theorize that this behavior is a result of his apparent inability to calm his
hunger.
My theories for explaining this mysterious medical case are limited. One theory involves
the condition of patient E being a punishment of endless hunger by Demeter, goddess of
agriculture and harvest
1
, as a discipline for his greed and lack of gratuity. This is supported by
official reports of iron axes and hatches found in the grove of Demeter
1
, leading me to theorize
that these may have been left by men of Erysichthon attempting to attain wood and other
materials for his plans to build what he has mentioned to be a new feast hall in his home
1
.
Another possible explanation for patient E’s current symptoms is a humoral imbalance
4
. I
hypothesize that this patient may be experiencing an excess of yellow bile, explaining his
choleric nature
5
, though not explaining his insatiable hunger. A confirmed diagnosis of humoral
imbalance would require further investigation of the patient’s lifestyle and symptoms, and
extensive observation of his bodily excretions
5
.
In the case that the patient is experiencing an imbalance of his humors, specifically an
excess of yellow bile, I would prescribe a dietary change involving an increase in cold and wet
food consumption, such as cucumber and spinach, to encourage humoral balance
5
. If patient E
does not respond to dietary changes, I would then prescribe purging by use of emetics, and
bloodletting, as this would aid in his condition if the cause is excess blood, black bile, or
phlegm
5
, and then continue observation of his condition.
I will move forward with beginning the treatment involving increased consumption of
cold and wet foods, as I suspect that this will rid patient E of excess yellow bile and re-establish
humoral harmony. If unsuccessful I will then move forward with alternative methods of
treatment.
If this treatment fails to alleviate patient E’s symptoms, I am afraid that he does not have
long before death. Please consider this report as an invitation to any suggestions or theories that
may explain the case of my patient and aid in his treatment. I hope to hear from you soon.
Be Well,
Valerie Victoria, Physician of Thessaly
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6. You are a physician who has encountered an unusual patient in Erysichthon. Write a report to a
leading medical journal outlining the case of “patient E”. Describe the symptomatology,
speculate on the causes of his condition and discuss the treatment you prescribed.
Erysichthon.
1.
Eidinow, E., Hornblower, S., & Spawforth, A. (2012).
The oxford classical dictionary
Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth ; assistant editor: Esther Eidinow
. Oxford
University Press 4 ed.
2.
Callimachus, hymns 4 - 6
. CALLIMACHUS, HYMNS 4-6 - Theoi Classical Texts
Library. (n.d.). https://www.theoi.com/Text/CallimachusHymns2.html
3.
Ovid, & Melville, A. D. (1986).
Metamorphoses
. Oxford University Press.
4.
Humoral theory
. Contagion - CURIOSity Digital Collections. (2020, March 26).
https://curiosity.lib.harvard.edu/contagion/feature/humoral-theory
5.
Lagay, F. (2002). The legacy of Humoral Medicine.
AMA Journal of Ethics
,
4
(7).
https://doi.org/10.1001/virtualmentor.2002.4.7.mhst1-0207