Galen and Galenism Theory and Medical Practice from Antiquity to the European Renaissance

Galenism, a rational, coherent medical system embracing all health and disease related matters, was the dominant medical doctrine in the Latin West during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Deriving from the medical and philosophical views of Galen (129-c.210/6) as well as from his clinical practice, Latin Galenism had its origins in 12th-century Salerno and was constructed from the cultural exchanges between the Arabic and Christian worlds. It flourished all over Europe, following the patterns of expansion of the university system during the subsequent centuries and was a major factor in shaping the healing systems of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities - the subject of a previous volume by Professor García-Ballester. The present collection deals with a wide array of issues regarding the historical Galen and late medieval and Renaissance Galenism, but focuses in particular on the relationship between theory and practice. It includes first English versions of two major studies originally published in Spanish.

Contents: Preface; Galen: Galen’s medical works in the context of his biography; Galen as a clinician: his methods in diagnosis; Soul and body, disease of the soul and disease of the body in Galen’s medical thought; On the origin of the ’Six non-natural things’ in Galen; Galenism: The New Galen: a challenge to Latin Galenism in 13th-century Montpellier; Artifex factivus sanitatis: health and medical care in medieval Latin Galenism; The construction of a new form of learning and practising medicine in medieval Latin Europe; La recepción del Colliget de Averroes en Montpellier (c. 1285) y su influencia en las polémicas sobre la naturaleza de la fiebre; La fiebre y la doctrina de las cualidades y los grados, según Arnau de Vilanova; Galenism and medical teaching at the University of Salamanca in the 15th century; The circulation and use of medical manuscripts in Arabic in 16th-century Spain; Index.