The Complete Works of Claudius Galen, Vol. 18 Pt. 2

We have thus rendered the narrative of the preface, with the exception of the divine signification, in the briefest possible manner; a style of interpretation that is suitable for those who are already versed in the foundations and are eager to grasp the utility of the book. But for those who are either unaccustomed to the Greek language, or who do not understand the sequence of the discourse, or who neglect the most useful parts while still eagerly lingering upon the more sophistical elements of the text, another and more particular mode of interpretation is appropriate—one that is completed through longer explanations. Those who are in haste to arrive at the utility of the book are free to bypass this entirely, if they omit the middle portions of the text until they arrive at that statement whose beginning is: “In acute diseases, one must consider in this way. It seems to me that it is best for the physician to study prognosis.” Hippocrates does not appear to use the term "prognosis" according to the common custom of the Greeks. For they use this word to signify care and solicitude, just as Euripides clearly showed when he said: