Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 202

THOMAS ELYOT (1490?-1546) The castell of helth. Thomas Powell [1560?] [7] 96 (misnumbered 97) [1] ll. 14 cm.

Although not a physician, Elyot was well educated and had studied the works of Hippocrates, Galen, Celsus, Avicenna, and other noted medical writers. He was a member of the court of King Henry VIII of England and had served as Henry's personal representative to Emperor Charles V of Spain. Elyot published a Latin-English dictionary, wrote a book outlining a training program for young men of high birth, and also made translations of many Latin classics. The Castell of helth was first published in 1534 and is the earliest work written in English on health for the layperson. Although the book was ridiculed by the medical profession, it enjoyed wide popularity and retained its appeal until the beginning of the seventeenth century. Written from the Galenic point of view, the volume discussed the efficacy of foods and beverages and their role in the diet, the value of exercise, proper attention to the digestive process, the qualities and significance of different urines, the reasons for employing various therapeutic measures, the influence of the seasons on health, and the temperaments and constitutions of man. Bibliographers have estimated that the book was printed in nearly twenty editions during the period of its popularity. As a result it is often difficult to identify with certainty the date of a particular edition. This copy bears the date 1534 within the ornamental border on the title page but it is known that the printer, identified in the colophon, was only active between 1556 and 1565. The present copy is wanting leaves 66-67 which have been replaced in facsimile.

Cited references: Cushing E52; Durling 1356 (1541 ed.); Osler 4773; Waller 2747 (1576 ed.); Wellcome 2001

Gift of John Martin, M.D.