A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

(Πέτρων), called also Petronas[PETRONAS], a Greek physician, born in the island of Aegina (Schol. in Hom. Il. 11.624, ed. Bekker), who lived later than Hippocrates, and before Herophilus and Erasistratus (Cels. De Med. 3.9, p. 49), and therefore probably about the middle of the fourth century B. C. He appears to have written a work on pharmacy (Galen, De Compos. Medicam. see. Cen. 3.9, vol. xiii. p. 642); but he was most notorious for his treatment of patients suffering under acute fever. In these cases he seems to have been commonly supposed to have given his patients plenty of wine and meat during the continuance of the fever (Galen, De Opt. Sect. 100.14. vol. i. p. 144, Comment. in Hippocr. "De Vict. Rat. in Morb. Acut." 1.12, 16, vol. xv. pp. 436, 437, 451), but perhaps this accusation was hardly correct, as Celsus (l. c.) says he did not adopt this diet till after the violence of the fever had subsided. [W.A.G.]