“microcosm,” a little version of the whole universe. The rules that apply to the cosmos apply to the human body as well, an idea which is used to explain even things like respiration and the ingredients of blood and bone. Something else we’ve learned is that the Pre-Socratics managed to influence their culture more broadly. They didn’t see philosophy as a narrow, cloistered discipline, and their breadth of vision meant they could influence authors with other interests, like these doctors, who took Pre-Socratic ideas seriously and put them to use.
