Works of Constantine the African, Vol. II

medicine becomes the preservation of health, the healing of infirmity, and so forth. Therefore, all medicine is either Theorica or Practica. Theorica is the perfect knowledge of things to be grasped by the intellect alone, which are subjects for the memory of things to be performed. Practica is to show the subject theory in the evidence of the senses and in the operation of the hands according to the intellect of the preceding theory. Theorica is divided into three parts: namely, the science of natural things, non-natural things, and those that are against nature. A natural thing exists in animated beings proceeding from the earth, and in bodies, both sensible and insensible. If this does not subsist, it is necessary that the bodies pertaining to construction or destruction do not subsist. This is divided into seven parts: elements, complexions, humors, members, virtues, actions, and spirits. For through these, the animated body and its regimen subsist. Three of these are common to sensible and insensible things: that is, elements, complexions, and actions. Four are proper to sensible beings: humors, members, virtues, and spirits. Certain philosophers add four things to these seven: ages, colors, figures, and the differences between male and female. But these seem to pertain to complexions. Hence, it is not necessary for us to treat of them as if they were singular. There are six non-natural causes: the air surrounding the human body, motion and rest, food and drink, sleep and wakefulness, evacuation and retention, and the accidents of the soul. Those things that are outside of nature are divided into three: disease, the causes of disease, and the significations and accidents of disease. Practica is divided into two: the guarding of health and the curing of illness. Guarding health is divided into three: guarding the health of bodies, the health of unstable bodies, and guarding bodies already transitioning to health, and guarding the fragile, such as infants, the elderly, and those recovering from illness. Healing the sick is divided into two: either with potion and diet, or with surgery. Surgery, in turn, is divided into two: either cutting, dividing, sewing, or cauterizing the flesh, or bone fractures and restoring them to their proper place if they have become dislocated. This division of medicine seems better to me and to other philosophers.

On the elements. Cap. III.

Philosophers define the element as the simple and smallest particle of a composite body. We call a thing simple if, while it is the same in essence, it is similar in its parts, as fire, air, water, and earth are seen to be. However, there are some things that are simple to sight but composite to the intellect, such as stones, metals, and the like. Therefore, philosophers, seeing that elements are simple to the intellect and that all bodies subject to construction and destruction are composed of them, called them the first elements. Subsequent ones are second and third, and from this some are called universal, some particular, and some intermediate. Universal are those from which many and diverse bodies are composed. Particular are those that are proper to each body composed from them. Intermediate are those that subsist in both universal and particular things, such as...