Facets

c. 512

#6816

Vienna Dioscorides. Codex Vindobonensis Med. Gr. 1.

The oldest surviving copy of Pedanius Dioscorides's treatise on medical botany and pharmacology, De materia medica, is an illuminated Byzantine manuscript produced about 512 CE. Dioscorides, a Greek physician, who may…

c. 850

#6900

The Syriac Galen palimpsest.

This ninth century palimpsest codex contains as its undertext a text of Galen's On Simple Drugs in the Syriac translation by Sergius of Reshaina. It has not yet been formally published. For further information see the…

1469

#89

Historia naturalis, libri XXXVII.

The most ancient Western encyclopedia extant, Pliny’s Historia contained essentially all that was known in his time concerning geography, mineralogy, anthropology, botany, zoology and meteorology. Books XX-XXXII deal …

1478

#6934

De materia medica. Ed: Petrus de Abano. Comm: Petrus de Abano.

The first printed edition of Dioscorides, translator unidentified. A Greek physician from Anazarbus in Cilicia (now Turkey), Dioscorides traveled to the Greek mainland, to Crete, Egypt and Petra. He is believed to hav…

1481

#6313

Liber ad Almansorem sive Tractatus medicinae I-X. Add: Liber divisionum; De aegritudinibus juncturarum; De aegritudinibus puerorum; De secretis sive aphorismi; De sectionibus et ventosis; Synonyma. Galenus: De medicinis experimentatis. Mesue (the elder): Aphorismi. Hippocrates: secreta; Capsula eburnea; De humana natura; De aere et aqua et regionibus; De pharmaciis. Tabula de herbis medicis.

Rhazes was the first to devote an entire treatise to diseases of children. Although he lived so many years before the advent of printing, he was still regarded as an authority in the 15th century and his works were am…

c. 1481 –c. 1482

#6811

Herbarium Apulei.

The first printed herbal with illustrations was an illustrated edition of the Herbarium Apulei by Apuleius Platonicus or Pseudo-Apuleius, originally compiled circa 400 CE or earlier, and issued in Rome by the printer …

1483

#1783

De historia et causis plantarum. Edited, with a table, by Georgius Merula. Translated by Theodorus Gaza.

A student of Aristotle, Theophrastus succeeded his teacher as head of the Athens Peripatetic School. This is the earliest work of scientific botany, a subject not addressed in any of the writings of Aristotle. Theophr…

1495 –1498

#8395

Aristotle. [Opera omnia]. 5 vols.

Between November 1495 and June 1498 scholar printer Aldus Manutius (Teobaldo Mannucci) of Venice issued the first edition in the original Greek of Aristotle's Opera omnia. The set appeared in five thick quarto or smal…

1499

#2069

Dioscorides, De materia medica [Greek]. Add: Pseudo- Dioscorides, De venenis, De venenatis animalibus [Greek]; Add: Nicander, Theriaca; Add: Alexipharmaca; Scholia [Greek].

Nicander was a Greek poet and physician. His Theriaca, in 958 hexameters, dealt with the symptoms and treatment of poisoning by the bites of poisonous animals; the Alexipharmaca considered intoxications through animal…

1509

#8445

Medicinae Pliniae libri quinque finiunt foeliciter.

The Medicina Plinii was an anonymous compilation of remedies dating to the early 4th century CE ."The excerptor, saying that he speaks from experience, offers the work as a compact resource for travelers in dealing wi…

1519

#1959

Galeni methodus medendi, vel de morbis curandis.

The first separately published Latin translation from the Greek by Thomas Linacre. Galen's Method of medicine was a systematic and comprehensive account of the principles of treating injury and disease and one of Gale…

1528

#36

In principio singulorum librorum omnia indicantur, quae in eo libro continentur. [Title in Greek and Latin].

Paul of Aegiina was the most famous physician and surgeon in the Byzantine Empire during the seventh century, and probably thereafter. According to Eugene F. Rice, "Paulus Aegineta", Catalogus translationum et comment…

1528

#1785

De compositionibus medicamentorum liber unus

Written in 47 CE, this is an important compilation of drugs and prescriptions. Among the 271 remedies are the first use of electrotherapy (for headaches) using the shock of the torpedo fish. and it records the drinkin…

1529

#1959.1

Caelii Aureliani Siccensis Tardarum passionum libri V. D. Oribasii Sardi Iuliani Caesaris archiatri Euporiston lib: III. Medicinae comperi: lib: 1. Curationum lib: 1. Trochiscoru confect: lib: 1.

From a clinical point of view, the two works of Caelius Aurelianus, which were translated into Latin from Greek originals by Soranus of Ephesus that were later lost, represent the high-point of Graeco-Roman medical ac…

1530

#11083

De compositione medicamentorum... lib VII per Ioannem Guinterium Andernacum imprimum latinitate donati. Eiusdem De ponderibus & mensuris liber, D. Andrea Alciato interprete.

First separate edition in Latin of Galen's De compositione medicamentorum, On the Composition of medicines, translated by Johann Winter of Andernach, to which was added Galen's treatise on weights and measures transla…

1536

#10961

De medicamentis empiricis physicis ac rationalibus liber.... Edited by Janus Cornarius. Item Claudii Galeni libri novem nunc primum Latini facti.... Jani Cornarii.

The Gallo-Roman physician Marcellus was born in Bordeaux. He may have served as magister officiorum under Theodosius I, or may have been royal physician. Sarton (Introduction to the history of science I, 391) consider…

1569

#1986.1

Artis gymnasticae apud antiquos celeberrimae, nostris temporibus ignoratae.

A history, based on extensive study of the classical literature, of the attitudes and practices of the Greeks and Romans concerning diet, hygiene, bathing, and exercise. This is one of the earliest books to discuss th…

1582

#7327

Aigentlich Beschreibung der Raiss, so er vor diser Zeit gegen Auffgang inn die Morgenländer, fürnemlich Syriam, Iudaeam, Arabiam, Mesopotamiam, Babyloniam, Assyriam, Armeniam etc....

Rauwolf provided the first modern descriptions of the flora of the area east of the Levantine coast. He was also the first to describe the riparian flora of the Euphrates, and the first European to publish an account …

1735

#9416

Historiae Aegypti naturalis qua continentur rerum Aegyptiarum libri quatuor. Opus posthumum nunc primum ex auctoris autographo, diligentissime recognito, editum; atque ex eodem tabellis aeneis XXV illustratum et uberimmo indice auctem. (2 vols.) Vol. 2: Pars secunda, sive, de Plantis Aegypti liber auctus & emendatus. Accedunt tabella aenae LXXVII plantis summo artificio incisis; ut & dissertatio eiusdem de laserpitio, & lotoaegyptia. Cum observationibus & notis Joannis Veslingii, equitis, In Patavino Gymnasio Anatomiae & Pharmaciae professoris primarii. Accedunt Eiusdem Joannis Veslingii paraeneses ad rem herbariam & vindiciae opobalsami cum indicibus necessariis.

Posthumously published works of Alpini on the natural history and botany of Egypt, and Vesling on the botany of Egypt. The second volume, on botany by Alpini was edited by Johannes Vesling, with the addition of his ow…

1794

#19

Aesclapiadis Bithyni fragmenta. Digessit et curavit Christianus Gottlieb Gumpert. Praefatus est Christian. Gothfridus Gruner.

After the fall of Corinth (146 BCE), Greek physicians migrated to Rome. There, before the advent of Asclepiades, Greek physicians were despised and distrusted. Asclepiades may be said to have established Greek medicin…

1800

#1768

Historiae Aegypti compendium, Arabice et Latine. Partim ipse vertit, partim a Pocockio versum edendum curavit, notisque illustravit J. White.

Arabic-Latin bilingual text, edited by White, incorporating a translation begun by Edward Pococke the Younger (1648-1727). Abd al-Latif gave a good description of the fauna and flora of Egypt, its inhabitants and some…

1833

#8208

The Taleef shereef, or Indian materia medica translated from the original by George Playfair, Superintending Surgeon, Bengal Service. Published by The Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta.

Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1841

#1984

Des Asclepiades von Bithynien Gesundheitsvorschriften, nach den vorhandenen Handschriften zum ersten Male vollständig bearbeitet und erläutert. Von Robert Ritter von Welz.

The Greek physician Asclepiades acquired a great reputation in Rome. His remedies included change of diet, friction, bathing, and exercise. The above edition includes Greek, Latin, and German texts. Digital facsimile …

1844 –1850

#11

Suśrutas. Áyruvédas. Id est medicinae systema a venerabili d'hanvantare demonstratum a Suśruta discipulo compositum. Nunc primum ex Sanksríta in Latinum sermonem vertit, introductionem, annotationes et rerum indicem adjecit Dr. Franciscus Hessler. 3 vols.

First translation of the Suśruta Samhitā into Latin, and the first publication of this text in the West. Suśruta is said to have lived in the 6th or 5th centuries, BCE. The principal medical contribution of the ancien…

1844 –1847

#8306

The seven books of Paulus Aegineta: Translated from the Greek, with a commentary embracing a complete view of the knowledge possessed by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabians on all subjects connected with medicine and surgery by Francis Adams. 3 vols.

Book VI is entirely devoted to operative surgery. Adams himself says that it “contains the most complete system of operative surgery which has come down to us from ancient times”. Book IV contains much information on …

1851 –1876

#31

Oeuvres d’Oribase, texte grec, en grande partie inédit…traduit pour la première fois en français; par les Drs. Bussemaker et Daremberg. 6 vols.

Oribasius was a compiler of existing knowledge rather than an original writer. His output was immense; he compiled the Synagoge, an encyclopedic digest of medicine, hygiene, therapeutics, and surgery from Hippocrates …

1856

#9603

Nicandrea. Theriaca et Alexipharmaca recensuit et emendavit fragmenta collegit, commentationes addidit Otto Schneider. Accedunt scholia in Theriaca excensione Henrici Keil.

Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1866

#8963

Botanik der spaeteren Griechen vom dritten bis dreizehnten Jahrhuntert.

Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1875

#8443

Plinii Secundi quae fertur una cum Gargilli Martialis medicina: Nunc primum edita a Valentino Rose.

Fragments of Martialis's work (probably called De hortis), which treated of the cultivation of trees and vegetables, and also of their medicinal properties, survived, chiefly in the body of and as an appendix to the M…

1889

#8330

Marcelli De medicamentis liber. Edited Georgius Helmreich.

Marcellus's compendium of pharmacological preparations drawing on the work of multiple medical and scientific writers as well as folk remedies and magic. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1897

#9015

Krateuas. Von M. Wellmann.

Crateuas was the personal physician of Mithridates VI. Of Pontos. He wrote a three-part herbal book describing the medicinal properties of plants. This work, which was illustrated, is the earliest known herbal book to…

1897 –1904

#11935

Les plantes dans l'antiquité et au moyen âge. Histoire, usages et symbolisme. 2 vols.

Digital facsimile from Biodiversity Heritage Library at this link.

1902

#8569

Des Pedanios Dioskurides aus Anazarbos Arzneimittellehre in fünf Büchern. Übersetzt und mit Erklärungen Versehen.

Analysis of Dioscordes from the pharmacological standpoint, including determination of his units of measurements, critical in dosage. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1906 –1914

#1786

De materia medica. Edidit Max Wellmann. 3 vols.

Dioscorides’ work is the authoritative source on the materia medica of antiquity. He described over 600 plants and plant principles. The above edition by Wellman is the definitive Greek text. It also contains the Frag…

1906

#13137

La pharmacie en Egypte.

Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1908

#9018

Philumeni de venenatis animalibus eorumque remediis capita XXXVIII ed. M. Wellmann. Corpus medicorum graecorum X 1, 1.

This work on venoms and their antidotes is the only surviving work of the Byzantine physician Philomenos. Within this context Philomenos also discusses the bites of rabid dogs. Digital facsimile from Corpus medicorum …

1913

#8974

Garci da Orta: Colloquies on the simples & drugs of India. New edition (Lisbon, 1895) edited and annotated by the Conde de Ficalho. Translated with an introduction and index by Sir Clements Markham.

Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1914

#1985

De sanitate tuenda ed. K. Koch. Corpus Medicorum Graecorum V, 4, 2, 1-198

English translation by R. M. Green, Springfield, Ill., 1951.

1916

#9615

Theophrastus: Enquiry into plants and minor works on odours and weather signs. With an English translation by Sir Arthur Hort. 2 vols.

Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1924

#1787

The Assyrian herbal: A monograph on the Assyrian vegetable drugs, the subject matter of which was communicated in a paper to the Royal Society, March 20, 1924.

A study of Assyrian material medical reproduced by cyclostyle, in the author's handwriting.

1927

#11383

The herbal in antiquity and its transmission to later ages.

1934

#8564

The Greek herbal of Dioscorides, illustrated by a Byzantine, A.D. 512; Englished by John Goodyer, A.D. 1655; edited and first printed, A.D. 1933, by Robert T. Gunther ... with three hundred and ninety-six illustrations.

Goodyer's translation is considered more of a paraphrase than a translation.

1949

#8514

A dictionary of Assyrian botany.

1954

#11916

First pharmacopeia in man's recorded history.

The most ancient testimony concerning the opium poppy found to date was inscribed in cuneiform script on a small white clay tablet at the end of the third millennium BC. This tablet was discovered in 1954 during excav…

1955

#8329

Asclepiades, his life and writings: A translation of Cocchi's life of Asclepiades and Gumpert's fragments of Asclepiades, by Robert Montraville Green.

Digital facsimile from the Hathi Trust at this link.

1955

#8873

Textes Grecs inédits relatifs aux plantes.

Previously unpublished ancient Greek textes on botany, with French translations.

1967

#8490

Index of Arabic manuscripts on medicine and pharmacy at the National Library of Cairo.

1974

#8280

Ancient ophthalmological agents: A pharmaco-historical study of the collyria and seals used during Roman antiquity, as well as of the most frequent components of the collyria.

1974

#9008

Bestimmung der Instensität im medizinischen System Galens: Ein Beiträg zur theoretische Pharmakologie, Nosologie und Therapie in der Galenischen Medizin.

1976 –1990

#9616

Theophrastus: De causis plantarum Books 1-2, Books 3-4, Books 5-6. Edited and translated by Benedict Einarson and George K.K. Link. 3 vols.