If the views were typical Greek medical views, there would be no reason for doxographers to introduce a distinctive political metaphor.

This is, in fact, not a fragment but a testimonium and much of the language comes from the doxographical tradition rather than Alcmaeon. The report goes on to say that Alcmaeon thought that disease arose because of an excess of heat or cold, which in turn arose because of an excess or deficiency in nutrition. Disease is said to arise in the blood, the marrow, or the brain. It can also be caused by external factors such as the water, the locality, toil, or violence. The idea that health depends o