Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 152

GIOVANNI DE VIGO (1460?-1520?) Practi[ca] . . . copiosa in arte chirurgica. Impressum ere ac sollerti cura heredum Octaviani Scotis, & sociorum 1520] 113 ll. 29.4 cm.

Vigo was born near Genoa and came to Rome in 1503 as physician to Pope Julius II. The present work, first published in 1514, immediately met with great success, and in less than thirty years it went through twenty-one editions and was translated into Italian, English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese. It is mostly a compilation from other authors blended with Vigo's own experience, showing little originality. Nevertheless, this was the chief surgical textbook until the time of Paré. Part of its great popularity was no doubt due to Vigo's discussion of the two major problems of his time: gunshot wounds and syphilis. He recommended cautery and boiling oil for treating gunshot wounds and mercury-based ointments and inunctions for syphilis. Vigo was also interested in dentistry and was one of the first to use gold leaf to fill cavities of the teeth. In spite of the fact that his works were widely published, early editions, such as the present work, are rare.

See Related Record(s): 153

Cited references: Cushing V144 (1514 ed.); Durling 4609; Garrison-Morton 5559.1 (1514 ed.); Waller 9976 (1514 ed.); Wellcome 6610 (1516 ed.)

Gift of John Martin, M.D.