The medical care of old people during the ancient and Byzantine period.

The doc tor ' s w o r k acco rd ing to Galen a n d Aet ius is t o p r e se rve t h e h e a l t h f rom t h e beg inn ing to old age. Galen pa r t i cu la r ly says t h a t t h e doc to r ough t t o be a « very e d u c a t e d sc ien t i s t in cu r ing old people » a n d « t o w r i t e scientif ic s t ud i e s abou t t h e c u r e of old age ». H e a d d s t h a t : t h e p a r t of t h e m e d i c a l a r t p rese rv ing t h e hea l th of old people is cal led « ge rocomicon » ( t ak ing c a r e of t h e aged) .