Compassion in Soranus' Gynecology and Caelius Aurelianus' On Chronic Diseases

Compassion is considered an important quality for a successful physician today, but did ancient physicians display and value this emotion? How did they feel when faced with the pain and suffering of their patients? How did their patients' emotions affect their own? Many ancient physicians are not well-known for expressions of compassion in their writings; however, this seems to change in the second century AD. One medical writer who exemplifies this change is Soranus of Ephesus (c. 98-138 AD). In his Gynecology, there are a number of passages where compassion is addressed or expressed (such as the chapters on the qualities of the best midwife, the symptom of pica, childbirth, and superstition). The same points can be made of Soranus' On Chronic Diseases, preserved to some extent by the Latin version and adaptation by fifth century AD medical writer Caelius Aurelianus (see, for example, the chapters on chronic headache, mania and elephantiasis). Soranus and Caelius display compassion, understanding, and flexibility of approach when dealing with patient issues; they show themselves willing to change their medical technique when they see that it is doing more harm or discomfort than good. In Soranus and Caelius, we have an image of a physician who acknowledges and is aware of their patients' emotions, beliefs and attitudes, and who exhibits compassion for them.