Canon medicinae

Dublin Core

Title

Canon medicinae

Subject

Incunabula
Excerpts
Avicenna, 980-1037

Description

<p>The <em>Canon medicinae</em>, a compendium of medical knowledge and a guide to clinical teaching, was derived from Galenic and Hippocratic writings and infused by Avicenna with Arabic medical lore. The <em>Canon</em> includes detailed disquisitions on pathology, physiology, hygiene, therapeutics, and materia medica. The first three books were printed in Latin in 1472 and a complete edition appeared the following year. An encyclopedic and systematic treatise on medicine, it was the fundamental text in medieval and early Renaissance medical education. The text itself was read in the medical schools at Montpellier and Louvain as late as 1650, and Arnold C. Klebs described it as <em>"one of the most significant intellectual phenomena of all times."</em> Avicenna's <em>Canon</em>was translated into Hebrew in 1279.</p>
<p>This edition of Avicenna&rsquo;s <em>Canon</em> is its first appearance in print as well as the first printing of a medical treatise in Hebrew&mdash;and the only one produced during the fifteenth century. Hebrew printing in the 15th century was restricted to Italy and the Iberian peninsula; after the expulsion from Spain in 1492, printers in Italy and Portugal produced a very small number of works. The Gunzenhauser family founded the first Hebrew press in Naples in 1486; this edition of the <em>Canon</em>was one of the last Hebrew books printed in that city.</p>

Abstract

Two page excerpt from a copy of Avicenna's Canon medicinae (Naples, 9 November 1491) written in Hebrew

Creator

Avicenna, 980-1037

Publisher

Azriel ben Joseph de Gunzenhausen

Date Created

1491 November 09

Rights

The Boston Medical Library does not hold copyright on all materials in this collection. For use information, consult Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu

Access Rights

Access to the original work depicted requires advance notice. Contact Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu for additional information

Is Part Of

Boston Medical Library Rare Books Collection (Ballard 160)

Format

text

Extent

excerpt (2 pages)

Language

Hebrew

Type

text

Identifier

DigID0002514

Provenance

Purchased for the Solomon M. Hyams Collection of the Boston Medical Library, 1931

Files

http://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/file_upload/0002514_dref.jpg

Citation

Avicenna, 980-1037, “Canon medicinae,” OnView, accessed March 28, 2024, https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/items/show/12550.