The Complete Works of Galen, Vol. 1

PREFACE.

To remove these errors, a great deal of preparation is required. One must gather both original manuscripts and editions of individual books. A vast number of these appeared, especially in the sixteenth century. Indeed, more than the life of a single man, however long it might be, would be required to compare all those editions with the Basel or Chartier texts of Galen. The Basel edition was published in 1538. The Chartier edition, edited by René Chartier in Paris between 1639 and 1679, was the previous standard for Galen's complete works but was famously filled with errors.

No less a difficulty arises from the rarity of many editions. This rarity is often so great that even the wealthiest libraries in Germany lack them. I was informed of this fact by those who tried to console me when my expectations were not met. They at least offered a response. Others, however, considered this duty of kindness to be of no importance. original Latin: "humanitatis officium alii susque deque habuerunt." Kühn is expressing his frustration with librarians or scholars who ignored his requests for assistance or access to books.

Since it was not granted to me to completely overcome these difficulties, I did what I could. Specifically, I compared the Basel edition with the manuscripts that I was permitted to inspect and compare with the printed versions. I did not rest on this alone. I also consulted editions of individual books by Galen that were available to me. Some of these are rarely found. They were either based directly on manuscripts or were produced by men skilled in the Greek language and me- The text cuts off mid-sentence. The author is likely referring to "medicae artis," meaning the medical art.