THE BOOK OF THE CANON IN MEDICINE

WHICH THE MOST WISE PRINCE AND PHILOSOPHER ABU ALI

AL-HUSAIN, SON OF ALI IBN SINA COMPOSED

Translated from Arabic into Latin by Gerard of Cremona in Toledo

With the castigations which the most clear philosopher and physician

ANDREAS ALPAGUS OF BELLUNO had formerly placed in the margin from the collation

of many Arabic codices,

NOW FIRST inserted into their places with keen judgment:

With many other new corrections also added in the margin. The places have also been

demonstrated in which the author himself repeats the same sentiment: and finally whatever

he translated into his work from Aristotle, Hippocrates, Dioscorides, Galen, Paul, Aetius, Alexander,

Serapion, Razi, Haly Abbas, and Alsaharavius:

BY THE GREAT LABOR AND DILIGENCE

OF BENEDICTUS RINIUS OF VENICE,

MOST EXCELLENT PHILOSOPHER AND PHYSICIAN.

A decorative historiated initial 'I' depicts a peaceful landscape with trees and a building in the distance, framed within a square border.

First, let us give thanks to God, as the loftiness of His order and the multitude of His benefits deserve, whose mercies exist above all the prophets. And after this I shall say that a certain one of the better friends I seem to have—to whom I must satisfy in all things for which he has entreated me—asked me regarding a matter I am able to do: that I make for him a book on medicine, embracing its universal and particular rules in such a way that explanation is joined with brevity in it, and as much as possible, I shall bring forward as much as is to be brought forward of declaration in few words. Which, indeed, I have granted.

And it pleased me that I should first speak about the common and universal things of both parts of medicine, namely the theoretical and the practical. Afterward, I would speak about the universal judgments of the virtues of simple medicines, and after that, about the particulars of the same. Then I would speak about the sicknesses that occur in each member. First, however, I shall begin from the anatomy of that member and its purpose, for I will have already spoken about the anatomy of simple members and likewise their purposes in the first universal book. But when I have finished the anatomy of the member, I shall begin to demonstrate in many places how its health is preserved. Then, the discourse being finished, I shall show its universal sicknesses, and the causes, and the paths of knowing them, and the ways of treating them in a universal discourse also.

After I have completed these universal matters, I shall return to particular sicknesses, and in many of them I shall demonstrate first the universal judgment in its definition, and its causes, and signs, and then I shall return to particular judgments. Afterward, I shall show the universal rule in treating. Then I shall descend to treating particularly with each simple or compound medicine. Regarding that which I will say first about the purposes of simple medicines in sicknesses, I will not return to speak but a small amount in the book of simple medicines in the illustrated tables, which it is good to be made, as you will see in the method of the discipline when you arrive at it. Regarding the purposes of compound medicines, which will seem to me better to be placed in the antidotarium book of antidotes, and how they may be mixed, I will leave off speaking until there.

It pleases me, however, that after I have finished this book, I shall compose another book about particular things which are properly named sicknesses not appropriated to one single member, in which we shall also speak about decoration, and in this book I shall proceed on that path on which I proceeded in the particular book that is before it. But if God has aided me, and I have finished this book, I shall add later the antidotarium book of antidotes in one book. It is not good, however, that this book is not in the possession of everyone and in the memory of him who desires to be called by the name of this doctrine and to profit by it; for it contains less than what is necessary for a physician, but that which is added above it is incomprehensible. If God has prolonged my term, I shall prepare myself for that with a second preparation. Now, however, I shall compose this book, which I shall divide into five books thus:

Book 1 is about the things used in the science of medicine.
Book 2 is about simple medicines.
Book 3 is about particular sicknesses that occur in the members of man, from the head to the feet, manifest and occult.
Book 4 is about particular sicknesses that, when they occur, are not proper to one member, and about decoration.
Book 5 is about compounding medicines, and it is the antidotarium book of antidotes.

->The first book has four fen sections/chapters.-<
Fen Section one is about the definition of medicine and the subjects.