HIPPOCRATES’ TREATISE On Wounds in the Head represents an excellent
source of information regarding the extent of experience with head
injuries in classical antiquity. On the basis of clinical observation,
the great physician gives an accurate description of the external
appearance and consistency of the cranium. Fractures of the cranium are
divided into six main categories, each of which is discussed separately,
regarding its mechanism, clinical assessment, and treatment. The medical
history and clinical evaluation are considered the most important
factors when dealing with cranial trauma. Trepanation, a neurosurgical
procedure still in practice today, is presented in detail. As a whole,
the treatise, the first written work in medical history dealing
exclusively with cranial trauma, reveals that Hippocrates was a pioneer
in treating head injuries
