ORIBASIUS

£1,950 · Offered by Sokol Books

First Paris edition, appearing simultaneously with, and copied from, an undated edition published in Venice by Paulus Manutius, of the chief work of the Roman Greek physician Oribasius (b. 4.th. century AD). A long note, enclosed, by D. Jean Manet of Marseille describes Oribasius as the first (medical) writer of importance after Galen. Drawing almost entirely from Galen, Oribasius s eclectic work is a manual of ancient humoral medicine. It is predominantly dedicated to diet, with five of the seventeen books being given over to the humoral qualities of different foods and drinks and the effects of diet on the humours. The first book contains descriptions of the qualities (dry, hot, cold, etc.) and medicinal uses of various grains, seeds, fruits and nuts, while the second covers other plant matter such as tubers and bulbs, and the edible parts of animals and fish, honey, etc. Oribasius then addresses the general effects of diet, before turning to liquids: wine, healing waters including those from certain Greek mountain springs and various tinctures such as rosewater, chamomile, absinthe, etc., for which recipes are given. The sixth, seventh and eighth books are on purgation techniques and include discussions of circulatory anatomy, veins, arteries, etc.: therapeutic massage, cupping, bleeding through scarification (especially effective for women for whom other techniques do not work), and enemas and vomiting, for which there are more herbal recipes. In the ninth book Oribasius

• Binding: Hardcover

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