Habitual Vomiting in Classical Antiquity

Ancient sources in both Greek and Latin describe vomiting as a routine health measure (here called “habitual vomiting”). This paper reviews evidence from writings on health and pharmacology, the Sacred Tales of Aelius Aristides, and some other sources, beginning with the Hippocratic Corpus and extending through the second century CE . People resorted to vomiting to rid themselves of excess food or of the excess accumulation of humors; they vomited both after meals and during fasts. While some sources criticize as decadent the practice of vomiting during or after extravagant meals, most references to habitual vomiting are morally neutral. For Aelius Aristides, vomiting was a part of an ascetic regimen

Asceticism · Classical antiquity · Classical Literature · Hippocratic Oath · History of medicine · Vomiting · Classical Philosophy and Thought · History of Medicine Studies · Nausea and vomiting management