16th Century Treatise of Medical Instruction

Lyons: (J. Quadratius, for) A. de Harsy, 1576. 120 by 80mm (4¾ by 3¼ inches). Sm. 8vo. Cont. vellum; 804, [24] pp. With the final 2 leaves blank. Index. In Latin. Vellum soiled, otherwise very good. Interior quite crisp. One leaf with a marginal repair. Alexander of Tralles (525–605AD) was the first parasitologist in medical history and the younger brother of Anthemius, architect of the Hagia Sophia in Turkey. Alexander is credited with the discovery that depression can lead to suicide.

This is his most important work. In its handy pocket size format it covers a wide variety of serious diseases, but also eternally relevant topics such as hair loss.

The twelve books (i.e. chapters) cover the following topics.

Book 1: Diseases of the head and includes lethargy;

Book 2: Eye diseases;

Book 3: Ailments of the mouth and salivary glands including ​“cankers”;

Book 4: Heart trouble;

Book 5: Lung diseases with frequent descriptions of pneumonia;

Book 6: Pleurisy;

Book 7: Stomach problems (with exceedingly accurate anatomy descriptions);

Book 8: Intestinal diseases (cholera and colic);

Book 9: Liver ailments;

Book 10: Dysentery and edema;

Book 11: Genitals and urinary tract;

Book 12: Gout.

This book served as a basis for centuries of medical instruction and is an important work for collectors of medical texts.

This copy translated from Greek into Latin by Johann Günther (i.e. Johann Winter von Andernach) (1505–1574).

Catalogue of Sixteenth Century Printed Books in the National Library of Medicine #154.