De medicina

De medicina

Incunabula

Celsus, Aulus Cornelius

Excerpts

One of the first medical books ever printed, the De medicina is a compilation of knowledge of diet, pharmacy, and surgery from the time of Imperial Rome, circa 30 A.D. In the Renaissance, Celsus' elegant style earned him the title of Cicero medicorum, the Cicero of physicians. His De medicina appeared in more editions than almost any other scientific text. It was printed four times during the fifteenth century, and over fifty editions had been produced by the nineteenth century.

The first edition of De medicina is notable for the appearance of a number of medical innovations and classic descriptions. These include the use of ligatures; surgical operations for crushing bladder stones and hernias; the first appearance of the terms insania [insanity] and cardiacus [heart disease]; plastic repair for mutilations of noses, lips, and eyelids; treatments for jaw fracture; and tooth extraction, fillings, and oral surgery. The De medicina also contains the first history of medicine, and it was Celsus who originally translated Greek medical terms into Latin.

Excerpt from the beginning of Aulus Cornelius Celsus' De medicinia (Florence, 1478)

Celsus, Aulus Cornelius

Nicolaus Laurentii

1478

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Boston Medical Library Rare Books Collection (Ballard 257)

text

excerpt ( 1 page)

Latin

text

DigID0002515

Purchased for the Boston Medical Library, 1941