Hippocratic face

The Hippocratic face (Latin: facies Hippocratica) is the change produced in the face by impending death or long illness, excessive evacuations, excessive hunger, and the like.

"[If the patient's facial] appearance may be described thus: the nose sharp, the eyes sunken, the temples fallen in, the ears cold and drawn in and their lobes distorted, the skin of the face hard, stretched and dry, and the colour of the face pale or dusky…and if there is no improvement within [a prescribed period of time], it must be realized that this sign portends death."[1]

The Hippocratic face is named after Hippocrates, who first described it.

A related term is cachexia, which is the bodily wasting syndrome often associated with death.

References

Chadwick, J. & Mann, W.N.(trans.) (1978). Hippocratic writings. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin. pp. 170–171. ISBN 0-14-044451-3.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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[Chadwick_1978-1] Chadwick, J. & Mann, W.N.(trans.) (1978). Hippocratic writings. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin. pp. 170–171. ISBN 0-14-044451-3.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)