France

1478 CE

#3666.83

Chirurgia [French]. Translated by Nicolaus Panis.

Guy de Chauliac studied medicine and surgery in Montpellier and Paris, and served as the personal physician to Popes Clement VI, Innocent VI and Urban V. His Chirurgia magna, written in the early 1360s, remained a sta…

1490 CE

#5553

La chirurgie da Lanfranc traduit du latin par Guillaume Yvoire.

Lanfranc, the founder of French surgery, was a pupil of William of Salicet. He enjoyed a great reputation for his lecturing and bedside teaching. His Chirurgia magna was completed in 1296. According to Hirsch and othe…

1504 CE

#8345

Hec sunt opera Arnaldi de Villa noua que in hoc volumine continentur.

Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1504 CE

#34

Practica Alexandri yatros greci cum expositione glose interlinearis Jacobi de Partibus et Januensis in margine posite.

First printing of an incomplete medieval Latin translation by Jacques Despars of the main medical work of Alexander, a Byzantine physician from Tralles in Lydia, Asia Minor (now Aydin, Turkey). Digital facsimile from …

1506 CE

#6376

De medicine claris scriptoribus in quinque partitus tractatus. In his: Libelli duo

French physician and writer Symphorien Champier's biographical study of famous medical writers, De medicine claris scriptoribus in quinque partibus tractatus, issued as part of his Libelli duo, has been called the fir…

1513 CE

#2269

Galen: De affectorum locorum notitia libri vi.

First separate dated Latin translation of De locis affectis, made by Wilhelm Copp of Basel. In this work devoted to pathology, Galen made many valuable deductions on inflammation and on tumors. He was familiar with ch…

1514 CE

#2664

Galen: De differentiis morborum libri ii…

First Renaissance Latin translation by Niccolò Leoniceno of Vicenza of Galen's work on physical diagnosis.

1517 CE

#6944

Galeni de sanitate tuenda libri sex.

First separate dated Latin translation of Galen's De sanitate tuenda (On the preservation of health), which contained his views on maintaining health and hygiene and preventing disease. Translated from the Greek by Th…

1519 CE

#1959

Galeni methodus medendi, vel de morbis curandis.

The first separately published Latin translation from the Greek by Thomas Linacre. Galen's Method of medicine was a systematic and comprehensive account of the principles of treating injury and disease and one of Gale…

1526 CE

#11910

Passionarius Galeni (Galeni Pergamini passionarius) a doctis medicis multum desideratus; ægritudines a capite ad pedes usque complectens; in quinque libros particulares divisus, una cum febrium tractatu eorumque sintomatibus. Lege igitur, et in tibi mens hebes fuerit, eundem Galeni et non alterius, ut falso quidam credunt, esse perpendes.

Regarding Garioponto or Gariopontus see Florence Eliza Glaze, "Galen refashioned: Gariopontus in the Later Middle Ages and Reniassance," Textual healing: Essays on Medieval and early modern medicine, edited by Elizabe…

1528 CE

#13148

Claudii Galeni ... Liber de plenitudine. Polybus De salubri victus ratione privatorum. Guinterio Ioanne Andernaco interprete. Apuleius Platonicus De herbarum virtutibus. Antonii Benivenii Libellus de abditis nonnullis ac mirandis morboru & sanitationum causis.

First separate edition of Galen's Liber de plenitudine and Polybus's De salubri victus ratione privatorum, edited by Johan Guinter von Andernach. Digital facsimile from Biodiversity Heritage Library at this link.

1528 CE

#1785

De compositionibus medicamentorum liber unus

Written in 47 CE, this is an important compilation of drugs and prescriptions. Among the 271 remedies are the first use of electrotherapy (for headaches) using the shock of the torpedo fish. and it records the drinkin…

1530 CE

#6960

Catalogus illustrium medicorum sive de primis medicinae scriptoribus.

The first separately published medical bibliography, containing 750 entries listing over 300 authors and their works in chronological order. Opens with an alphabetical index of authors, and ends with a subject index. …

1530 CE

#12774

Lentretenement de vie, summairement compose par maistre Jehan Goeurot docteur en medicine... Contenant les remedes de medicine & cyrurgie, contre toutes maladies survenantes quotidiannement es corps humains. Lesquelles il a approuvees, & en ce petit livre inserees a la requeste de madame, pour la sante utilite & proffit de tout le monde...Item une régime singulier contre peste approuve sur plusieurs. Item une table pour plus facilement trouver le contenu dudict livre.

Concerns medical and surgical treatment of the diseases of the head, ears, eyes, chest, heart, liver, and intestines, and plague. Also includes treatments for tooth aches, bad breath, and how to whiten teeth. The Lyon…

1530 CE

#7197

Veterinariae medicina libri II Johanne Ruellio Suessionensi interprete. [Hippiatrika].

Ruel, a native of Soissons, was physician to François I. This book, commissioned by the king, was a Latin translation of a collection of excerpts from Greek veterinary writers on equine disease, compiled circa …

1530 CE–1536 CE

#1803

Herbarum vivae eicones ad naturae imitationem, summa cum diligentia & artificio effigiatae, una cum effectibus earundem, in gratiam veteris illius, & jamjam renascentis herbariae medicinae ... Quibus adjecta ad calcem, appendix isagogica de usu & administratione simplicium. 3 vols.

Brunfels published the first two volumes of Herbarum vivae eicones ad nature imitationem, sum[m]a cum diligentia et artificio effigiatae. . .. in 1530 and 1532; the third volume was edited by Michael Heer and publishe…

1531 CE

#359

De anatomicis administrationibus libri novem.

First separate printed edition in Latin, translated by Johann Guinter von Andernach, of Galen's dissection manual, in which Galen both described his dissection techniques and described anatomical details that were pre…

1531 CE

#12807

Pharmaca simplicia, Othone Brunfelsio interprete. Idem De ratione victus Guilelmo Copo Basilensi interprete.

First edition in Latin of Paul of Aegina's treatise on pharmacological simples, the ingredients for preparing medicines. This describes the properties of about 750 plants and minerals, listing them in alphabetical ord…

1531 CE

#7627

Tacuini sanitatis Elluchasem Elimithar Medici de Baldath, de sex rebus non naturalibus, earum naturis, operationibus, & rectificationibus, publico omnium usui, conseruandae sanitatis, recens exarati. Albengnefit De uirtutibus medicinarum, & ciborum. Iac. Alkindus De rerum gradibus.

A Christian physician of Baghdad, Ibn Butlān traveled widely, eventually settling in Antioch. His treatise on hygiene and dietetics, Taqwām al-sihhah (The Almanac of Health) presented a guide to medical regimen in tab…

1533 CE

#9366

Caelii Aureliani methodici Sicensis liber celerum vel acutarum passionum, qua licuit diligentia recognitus, atque nunc primum in lucem aeditus.

Caelius's / Soranus's Treatise on acute diseases, edited by Johannes Guinter von Andernach. From a clinical point of view, the two works of Caelius Aurelianus, which were translated into Latin from Greek originals by …

1533 CE

#8952

Ex Aeliani historia per Petrum Gyllium latini facti, itemque ex Porphyrio, Heliodoro, Oppiano: Tum eodem Gyllio luculentis accessionibus aucti libri XVI. De ui & natura animalium. Eiusdem Gyllij liber unus, de gallicis & latinis nominibus piscium.

Editio princeps of Aelianus's late antique work on natural history. Along with Aelianus's text Gyllius included his own “Liber summarius de Gallicis et Latinis nominibus piscium Massiliensium” [Book on the…

1535 CE

#369

Anatomica methodus, seu de sectione humani corporis contemplatio.

Includes the first description of the ileo-caecal valve. Laguna, a Spanish anatomist, travelled much in Europe and became physician to Charles V. English translation in No. 461.3. Digital facsimile of the 1535 edition…

1536 CE

#7204

Institutiones anatomicae secundum Galeni sententiam.

A handbook presenting the principles of Galenic anatomy in a form that was easily accessible to medical students. It epitomized the revolution in the teaching of anatomy, and the new emphasis on dissection, that occur…

1536 CE

#12765

Reformation der Apotecken, welche inhaltet vil guter stück, die eynem yeglichen fast nützlich sein [.]. Von edlen steynen, wie die zuken[n]en [.] Wie man Syrupen, Latwergen, und Confect machen soll, verteütscht auß dem Latein durch D. Hansen Eles.

A manual for equiping and operating a pharmacy and making drugs and syrups. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1539 CE

#9016

Actuarius de medicamentorum compositione. Ruellio interprete.

The 5th and 6th books of Actuarius's De methodo medendi, concerning materia medica. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1540 CE

#6959

Eyn new Wund Artznei M. Johans von Parisijs. Wie mann alle wunden, sie seien gestochen, gehawen, geschossen mit pfeil oder lot gequetzt vnd gestossen [et]c. mit salben, pflastern vnnd wundttranck, durch den gantzen leip dess menschens, vom Kopff an biss auff die füss, heylen solein kurtzer, ordenlicher Bericht M. Johan von Parisiis jtzunt am newsten auss gangen.

Johannes von Beris (or Paris) lived in the mid-15th century near Metz, and is thus the earliest identifiable German surgeon, and the first to write about gunshot wounds and wound surgery. His work, which was first pub…

1541 CE

#373.1

Des aller fürtrefflichsten…erschaffen. Das is des menchen…warhafftige beschreibung oder Anatomi…

This plagiarism of Vesalius’s Tabulae anatomicae sex contains 25 woodcuts by Hans Baldung Grien (1484/1485-1545), and represents the artist’s only contribution to medical illustration. The woodcuts include…

1541 CE

#1807

Historia plantarum et vires ex Dioscoride, Paulo Aegineta, Theophrasto, Plinio, & recentioribus Graecis, iuxta elementorum ordinem, per Conradum Gesnerum Tigurinum. Vna cum rerum & verborum locupletissimo indice.

A pocket dictionary of plants. Gesner, the “German Pliny”, produced the most encyclopedic bibliographies of his time. He attempted a Historia plantarum, which was unfinished at his death. See No. 1809.1. D…

1542 CE

#572

De naturali parte medicinae libri septem.

The earliest work devoted exclusively to physiology and the first to call the subject by that name. It was re-issued in 1554 as part of Fernel’s Medicina (No. 2271). Femel suggested that physicians should study …

1542 CE

#9415

Joannis Mesuae Damasceni De re medica libri tres Jacobo Sylvio medico interprete.

Dubois, better known as Sylvius, produced a new translation of the complete works of Mesue, which became the standard text, and was reprinted 21 times. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1544 CE

#4406.1

Chirurgia e graeco in latinum conversa.

This elegantly printed and illustrated small folio included 210 text woodcuts, most probably after drawings by the school of Francesco Salviati (Francesco de'Rossi). It was issued from the press operated by Pierre Gau…

1544 CE

#6009.1

Experimentarius medicinae. Continens Trotulae curandarum aegriudinum muliebrium ante, in & post partium lib. unicum, nusquam antea editum…[Georg Kraut]

First printed edition of the gynecological writings attributed to the woman physician, Trota, who is frequently called Trotula after the name of the collection of works with whom she is associated. Trota is said to ha…

1545 CE

#378

De dissectione partium corporis humani.

De dissectione partium corporis humani libri tres by French physician, writer, and translator, Charles Estienne, of the Estienne printing dynasty, is one of the most interesting woodcut books of the French Renaissance…

1545 CE

#2139

La méthode de traicter les playes faictes par hacquebutes et aultres bastons à feu: & de celles qui sont faictes par fleches, dardz & semblables: assy des combustions specialement faictes par la pouldre à canon.

Paré’s first book was his treatise on gunshot wounds. He is one of the greatest of the military surgeons, and is particularly remembered for his abandonment of the practice of cauterization of gunshot wou…

1548 CE

#11111

Alexandrū Trallianū Iatrū Biblia Dyokaideka. Alexandri Tralliani medici libri XII. Rhazae De pestilentia libellus ex Syrorum lingua in Graecam translatus. Edited by Jacques Goupil.

First edition of the Greek text of the works of Alexander of Tralles, together with an edition of Rhazes on the plague. Both texts were edited by Jacques Goupil. The work was issued by the distinguished scholar printe…

1549 CE

#6140

Briefve collection de l'administration anatomique: avec la manière de conjoindre les os: et d’extraire les enfans tant mors que vivans du ventre de la mere, lors que nature de soy ne peult venir a son effect.

Paré’s revival of podalic version repopularized the procedure, which had been described by Soranus of Ephesus (No. 6008). English translation in The Workes of Ambroise Parey [sic], London, 1634. Digital f…

1551 CE

#278

L'histoire naturelle des estranges poissons marins, avec la vraie peincture & description du daulphin, & de plusieurs autres de son espece.

This, Belon’s first biological work, is regarded as the earliest modern scientific work in the field of comparative anatomy. Finely illustrated with woodcuts. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this …

1552 CE

#281

De differentiis animalium.

Basing his work on Aristotle, Wotton rejected the fantastic additions which had accrued to the writings of the latter during the Middle Ages. His book was beautifully printed but not illustrated. Digital facsimile fro…

1552 CE

#2368

La méthode curatoire de la maladie venerienne.

De Héry made a fortune from treating syphilitic patients. He recommended mercurial inunctions and guaiac internally.

1553 CE

#754

Christianismi restitutio.

Contains (pp. 168-73) the first printed description of the lesser circulation. Because of the heretical nature of this book on the reform of Christianity, it was printed secretly and anonymously at Vienne, France. Cop…

1553 CE

#279

De aquatilibus, libri duo cum [epsilon] [iota] conibus ad viuam ipsorum effigiem, quoad eius fieri potuit, expressis.

Considerably expanded from Belon's work of 1551. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1553 CE

#8983

De arboribus coniferis, resiniferis, aliis quoque nonnullis sempiterna fronde virentibus, cum earundem iconibus ad viuum expressis. Item de melle cedrino, cedria, agarico, resinis, & iis quae ex coniferis proficiscuntur.

One of the first treatises on conifers and other evergreen plants. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1553 CE

#8982

Les observations de plusieurs singularitez et choses memorables, trouuées en Grece, Asie, Iudée, Egypte, Arabie, & autres pays estranges, redigées en trois livres.

Belon was first trained as an apothecary, and worked in that capacity for the bishop of Clermont, Guillaume Duprat. Around 1542 he studied medicine In Paris, and obtained a licentiate in medicine, though he never took…

1554 CE

#23

De vesicae renumque morbis. De purgantibus medicamentis. De partibus corporis humani...

First printed edition in Greek, edited by Jacques Goupyl. Rufus was a Greek physician who lived during the rule of Trajan. He wrote wrote treatises on dietetics, pathology, anatomy, and patient care. His De partibus c…

1554 CE

#2271

Medicina. 3 pts.

The first systematic treatise on pathology, which also introduced the names for the sciences of pathology and physiology. In the second part, entitled “Pathologia”, Fernel provided the first systematic ess…

1554 CE–1555 CE

#282

Libri de piscibus marinis, in quibus verae piscium effigies expressae sunt. (Universae aquatilium pars altera.) 2 vols.

Rondelet wrote this book with the idea of verifying Aristotle, but in it he described many forms of fishes for the first time. The book is an accurate account of his investigation of Mediterranean fishes and marine an…

1555 CE

#283

L'histoire de la nature des oyseaux, avec leurs descriptions, et naïfs portraicts retirez du naturel escrite en sept livres.

Belon’s book on birds is well illustrated, including plates of the skeletons of man and bird side by side and in the same posture, to compare them bone for bone. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at th…

1556 CE

#3573

Petit traité contenant une des parties principalles de chirurgie, laquelle les chirurgiens hernieres exercent.

Clifford Allbutt considered Franco the best lithotomist of the 16th century. His skill in extracting the stone by the perineal route was of a high order; in 1556 he introduced the operation of suprapubic cystotomy in …

1556 CE

#12775

Ta ton Oribasios iatrikon snyagogon ek tou galenou anatomika. Collectaneorum artis medicae liber, quo totius corporis humani sectio explicatur, ex Galeni commentariis.

Editio principes (first printed edition in Greek) of the anatomical portions (Books 24 and 25) of Oribasius's Synagoge, or Encyclopaedia of Medicine. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1557 CE

#13203

Περὶ ἐνεργειῶν καὶ παθῶν τοῦ ψυχικοὺ πνεύματος καὶ τῆς κατ' αὐτὸ διαίτης. Actuarii de actionibus & affectibus spritus animalis, eusque victu, Libri II. Nunc primum in lucem prodeunt, Jac. Goupyli beneficio, qui nobis eorum exemplum dedit.

Editio princeps of this physiological and physiological work in two books. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link. A Latin translation by Julius Alexandrinus was published in 1547.