Research Catalog

Title

Vesalius, the China root epistle : a new translation and critical edition / Andreas Vesalius ; edited and translated by Daniel H. Garrison ; with added illustrations from the 1543 and 1555 De humani corporis fabrica.

Author

Vesalius, Andreas, 1514-1564

Publication

• New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2015.
• ©2015

Supplementary Content

Contributor biographical information

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Garrison, Daniel H.
• Vesalius, Franciscus, -1555

Description

xxvii, 263 pages : illustrations; 24 cm

Summary

"In this work on the discovery and therapeutic use of the china root in the treatment of syphilis, Vesalius described the first attempt to formulate methods of identification of an exotic drug. He also offered physicians an opportunity to determine whether or not a drug coming into common use might be adulterated. The work contains Vesalius's defense of his anatomical methods and doctrines as described in the Fabrica (No. 375), as well as important autobiographical data."--Garrison & Morton (1991).

Uniform Title

Epistola, rationem modumque propinandi radicis Chynae decocti. English

Alternative Title

• Epistola, rationem modumque propinandi radicis Chynae decocti.
• China root epistle

Subjects

• Materia medica, Vegetable
• Vesalius, Andreas, 1514-1564 > De humani corporis fabrica
• Galen
• Smilax
• Dubois, Jacques, 1478-1555
• Medicinal plants

Note

• Translated from the Latin with annotations.
• Added title page transcription: Andreas Vesalius of Brussels, Imperial Physician : Epistle explaining the method and technique of administering boiled China root which the invincible Charles V recently employed, and summarizing among other things the substance of an epistle to Jacobus Sylvius, that is of great usefulness to students of the truth, especially of the Human Fabric; since it shows how easily Galen has heretofore been excessively trusted on that subject. There is also attached to this epistle an index of important subjects and words. Basel : from the press of Joannes Oporinus, in the year of Human Salvation 1546, in the month of October.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

1. Dedicatory preface Franciscus Vesalius -- 2. Author's greeting to Joachim Roelants -- 3. Occasion for writing about the China root -- 4. With what success many have used the China -- 5. Description of the China root -- 6. Method of preparing the China decoction -- 7. Quantity of the first China decoction to be delivered, and the time to give it -- 8. How a sweat should be induced -- 9. What drink is useful -- 10. Sleep and wakefulness -- 11. Movement and rest -- 12. Concern about bodily wastes -- 13. What affects of the mind are applicable -- 14. Sexual activity -- 15. How long the first decoction should be used -- 16. A method of taking and preparing a second decoction -- 17. A way of administering sparta parilla -- 18. Native and familiar drugs should be put to use rather than exotics -- 19. Decoction of chamaedrys -- 20. No small results can be expected from genuine rhapontic -- 21. Hapless people who gratify themselves by publishing something -- 22. Occasion for the letter of Sylvius in which it was declared that nothing written by Galen is completely in error -- 23. Occasion for the opinion, here to be recorded, of the letter in which Vesalius replied to Sylvius -- 24. Galen did not dissect humans, but teaches the study of animals instead of man -- 25. A number of conjectures from the bones -- 26. Conclusions drawn about the fat, muscles, and ligaments, whereby it is concluded that Galen did not describe the human fabric -- 27. Several places taken from the series of veins and arteries in which it is inferred that Galen did not dissect humans -- 28. Reasons taken from the nerves by which it is known that humans were not dissected by Galen -- 29. Reasons selected from the contents of the peritoneum -- 30. Some conjectures based upon the parts that are contained in the thorax -- 31. Reasons taken from those contained in the skull -- 32. Some places where Galen openly criticized the Ancients because they had dissected humans and not apes, as he did -- 33. Not everything in his description of the parts was correctly reported and described by Galen -- 34. A number of untrue descriptions in the bones -- 35. Several inaccurate descriptions taken from the account of muscles and ligaments -- 36. Some false descriptions gathered from the account of veins and arteries -- 37. Accepted descriptions in the account of nerves which are not quite true -- 38. Descriptions of the parts that are contained in the peritoneum, which are not entirely true -- 39. Several untrue descriptions gathered from the parts contained in the thorax -- 40. False descriptions among the parts that are surrounded by the skull -- 41. Some places where it is known that Galen was not altogether sound in assigning the functions and uses of the parts -- 42. In his account of the bones -- 43. Several uses and functions not well assigned in Galen's account of the muscles and ligaments -- 44. Places collected from the description of veins, arteries, and nerves where it is known that Galen consistently assigned incorrect uses and actions -- 45. A description of some things that are contained in the peritoneum -- 46. From the description of parts located in the thorax and skull -- 47. Some invalid anatomical proofs of Galen are mentioned -- 48. How useful the annotations of Vesalius have been in Galenic anatomy, and how little they are to be needed hereafter -- 49. Method of administering the water of the China root.

Call Number

JFE 16-10421

ISBN

• 9781107026353
• 1107026350

LCCN

2012008272

OCLC

781991815

Author

Vesalius, Andreas, 1514-1564, author.

Title

Vesalius, the China root epistle : a new translation and critical edition / Andreas Vesalius ; edited and translated by Daniel H. Garrison ; with added illustrations from the 1543 and 1555 De humani corporis fabrica.

Publisher

New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Copyright Date

©2015

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Original Version

Originally published in Latin: Epistola, rationem modumque propinandi radicis Chynae decocti. Basileae : Ex officina Joannis Oporini, 1546.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Connect to:

Table of contents

Contributor biographical information

Added Author

Garrison, Daniel H., editor, translator.

Vesalius, Franciscus, -1555, writer of preface.

Vesalius, Andreas, 1514-1564. De humani corporis fabrica.

Research Call Number

JFE 16-10421