A. Cornelius Celsus was author, probably during the
reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius (1437 CE), of a
general encyclopaedia of agriculture, medicine, military
arts, rhetoric, philosophy, and jurisprudence, in that
order of subjects. Of all this great work there survives
only the 8 books on medicine ("De Medicina"). Book I:
after an excellent survey of Greek schools (Dogmatic,
Methodic, Empiric) of medicine come sensible dietetics
or health preservation which will always be applicable.
Book II: deals with prognosis, diagnosis of symptoms
(which he stresses strongly), and general therapeutics.
Book III: internal ailments: fevers and general
diseases. Book IV: local bodily diseases. Next come two
pharmacological books, Book V: treatment by drugs of
general diseases; and Book VI: of local diseases. Book
VII and Book VIII deal with surgery; these books contain
accounts of many operations, including amputation.
Celsus was not a professional doctor of medicine or a
surgeon, but a practical layman whose "On Medicine,"
written in a clear and neat style, for lay readers, is
partly a result of his medical treatment of his
household (slaves included) and partly a presentation of
information gained from many Greek authorities. From no
other source can we learn so much of the condition of
medical science up to his own time. The Loeb Classical
Library edition of Celsus is in three volumes.
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