The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 1 (of 3) : $b 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 surgeryPaulus, Aegineta
History
The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 1 (of 3) : $b 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
Paulus, Aegineta
Medicine; Medicine, Arab; Medicine, Greek and Roman
But, whatever may have been the period at which he lived, there can be no
doubt that he attained great eminence in his profession, and continued
to be looked up to as one of the highest authorities in Medicine and
Surgery during a long succession of ages. His countryman Nonnus,
although he does not mention him by name, gives a brief compendium of a
considerable portion of his work; and Psellus does the same in politic
verses of some elegance. All the medical authors, in a word, of the
distinguished Arabian period, quote his opinions in almost every page of
their works, and never fail to recognize him as one of the most eminent
of their Grecian masters. At the revival of literature in modern times,
the Latin translations of the Arabians continued for a time to be the
ordinary guides to practice; but when the superior merit of their Greek
originals came to be properly appreciated, our Author rose again into
high consideration. As a proof of this, I may mention that the surgery
of Fabricius ab Aquapendente is made up almost entirely from his works.
Portal, therefore, had no good occasion for representing him as “one of
those unfortunate writers to whom posterity had not done justice.” I
admit, indeed, that for some time past, since professional research and
the study of ancient models have been superseded by a restless desire of
novelty in theory and in practice, he has not enjoyed that consideration
to which he is justly entitled; but, in this respect, he has only shared
the fate of other names, equally eminent for their contributions to
medical science, who have now been suffered to fall into neglect.
Of the Latin translations, which are very numerous, the most celebrated
is that of Cornarius, published by Henry Stephens in his ‘Medicæ Artis
Principes;’ which, however, after a careful examination, I have not
found to be so trustworthy as I expected to find it. There once existed
an Arabic edition by Honain, or Joannitius, (see Choulant, Handb. der
Bücherkunde für die Aeltere Medicin,) but of it I know nothing. The only
part which has been translated into any modern language is the Sixth
Book, a French translation of which was published at Lyons, A. D. 1539.
Of the original there are two editions, namely, the Aldine of 1528 and
the Basle of 1538, in neither of which is the text so accurate as could
be wished.
F. A.
BANCHORY-TERNAN; _Nov. 12th, 1833_.
THE AUTHOR’S PREFACE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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