Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 85

MESUË THE YOUNGER (fl. ca. 1200?) Canones universales. [n. publ.] 1502] 355 ll. 28.9 cm.

Masawayh al-Mardini (known in the West as Mesuë the Younger) is supposed to have been a Jacobite Christian who lived in the tenth century. Since none of his writings has been found in its original language and no Arabian historian or bibliographer seems to know him, it is now believed that a Latin author (perhaps an Italian) of the early thirteenth century assumed the name of Mesuë, hoping thereby to gain ready recognition for his works under the guise of the ninth century Syrian physician who wrote in Arabic. At any rate, his writings were accepted as genuinely Arabian and held such a place of importance that they went through more than a dozen editions between their first printing in 1471 and 1500. The work contains the whole of the Pseudo-Mesuë's writings, consisting of three works: one on laxatives; an antidotarium, or apothecary's manual, which was the most popular handbook of drugs in medieval Europe; and an incomplete manual of special therapeutics. In addition, there are commentaries of Mondino dei Luzzi (see No. 97 ff.) and additional works by Pietro d'Abano (see No. 93), Nicolaus Salernitanus (fl. 1140), and others.

See Related Record(s): 97 93 1140

Cited references: Cushing M318 (1510 ed.); Durling 3121; Osler 3400 (1510 ed.); Wellcome 4276

Gift of John Martin, M.D.