Aretaeus on the kidney and urinary tract diseases

Hippocratic medicine based on rational thought and clinical observation was the first to develop the speciality of nephrology. Five centuries later, Aretaeus of Cappadocia incorporated in his writings the achievements of anatomy and physiology from the flourishing Alexandrian School of Medicine. His work comprises two books on acute and two books on chronic diseases and this classification is extended into the field of treatment. Nephrological diseases are examined according to the above division and healing methods include, in particular, herb therapy.