Works of Constantine the African, Vol. II

it is more excellent than these. Without a doubt, this art is to be preferred to all others, and because while the human being subject to it can lack all other artificial things, this one must be possessed in order to preserve the health of the body; for once health is lost, of what use will the knowledge of other arts be? Since rationality cannot exist in man without the health of the body, and the health of the body requires the temperaments of the humors, and the temperaments of the humors demand the aid of medicine, it is clear that this art is necessary and more worthy than all others. Thirdly, this book is useful because neither before it nor after it are other books of medicine necessary. However, he who wishes to obtain the primacy in this art must have knowledge of dialectica logic and the entire quadrivium the four mathematical arts: arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. The ancients treated the utility of books so that, once known, one is more animated to read what follows. The title of the book is Pantechni, that is, the art of universal medicine, which is to be placed at the head of the book so that its meaning may be opened to those who read it. For as someone says, if the head of the book is erased, the page appears to remain mute. This book seems to pertain to division. For all doctrine is divided into five parts: either according to dissolution, or according to composition, or according to the dissolution of a term, or according to notation or description, or according to division. Dissolution is to lead things conceived in the mind down to unknown parts. For example, the human body into official members organs with specific functions; official members into similar members tissues like bone or nerve; similar members into humors; humors into food; food into elements. Composition is the reduction of dissolved things from lower to higher, such as elements into food, food into humors, humors into similar members, similar members into official members, and official members into the whole body. The dissolution of terms is to dissolve the definition of a thing into individual parts, such as into genus and substantial differences. Thus did Galenus Galen in his book Techni The Art of Medicine: "Medicine is the science of the healthy, the sick, and the neutral." This, according to Heraclius, is it. Therefore, he later dissolved this definition into the science and the difference of the healthy, the sick, and the neutral. There are seven modes of division among physicians. Either of a genus into species, such as one fever in the spirits, another in the humors, another in the solid members; or of a species into individuals, such as one fever of Socrates, another of Plato, another of similar persons; or of a whole into parts, such as the human body, one part being the head, another the hands, another the feet. Or of a word into its meanings, as 'dog' can mean a barking animal, a marine animal, or a celestial star. Or of a subject into accidents, as of a body, one is white, one black, one medium. Or of an accident into substance, as of white things, one is snow, another milk or similar. Or of an accident into accidents, as of sweet things, some are hard, others liquid. Notation or description is when a thing is divided into parts not by substantial but by accidental differences. For example: "Man is an erect animal having broad nails and limbs," and we suppose the art of health gives us knowledge because we need it in many things, so that once the division is known, it gives an easier understanding to those entering, and makes the mind lighter.