Synonyma medicinae, seu clavis sanationis.

The first printed medical dictionary. It was originally published at Ferrara, 1471-2?, of which the only recorded copy is a fragment of 21 leaves in the Bodleian Library. ISTC No. is00526000. “The great work of Simon Januensis, physician, sub-deacon and capellanus to Pope Nicolas IV, called Clavis Sanationis by his friend the mathematician Campanus to whom he inscribed it, is better known as Synonyma Medicinae. In the preface he tells of thirty years of labour devoted to the work and of arduous travels in search of knowledge .. The authorities quoted show the working library of a physician at the beginning of the thirteenth century ... Most of the terms are briefly defined, and longer accounts with references to authors are given of the more important drugs, as of the poppy, taken chiefly from Dioscorides. Arabic and Greek names are about equally divided. No classification of drugs is attempted, but under such terms as “coloris” and “oleum” long lists are given. The ophthalmic definitions are excellent and taken, as a rule, from Demosthenes, whose works were then available” (Osler, quoted by Deborah Coltham, 02-2017). Digital facsimile of the 1473 edition from BnF Gallica at this link. Simon's lexicon is being edited and translated into English as a wiki project at Simon Online.