A source book in medieval science

our knowledge of the history of physiology, of scientific methodology, and of the early history of biochemistry. His book, which is attractively written and documented very fully and accurately, can be highly recommended, and will be especially important to all historians of medicine and biology who are concerned with nineteenth-century science. There are twelve source-books in this excellent series, and Professor Grant's, the thirteenth, is one of the largest and most comprehensive. The general format of the book is as in its predecessors: an anthology of primary sources with scholarly introductions , critical commentaries, and copious annotations. Unlike them, however, many new translations have had to be prepared as no English version exists; in fact, about one-half appear here for the first time. There are approximately 190 selections from about eighty-five authors, and the type of material chosen represents medieval science as it was presented at the time, often contained in books on astrology, logic, philosophy, theology and other works that today would not be regarded as scientific writings. The chosen material deals with the mathematical, physical and biological sciences, but technology has been excluded. The time period extends from the Latin encyclopaedists of the Early Middle Ages (third to seventh centuries A.D.) to the Later Middle Ages (up to the fifteenth century). In the section on the Later Middle Ages, the selections are grouped by subject, those of main interest to readers of Medical History being optics, astrology, alchemy, chemistry, zoology, botany and medicine. However, the historian of medicine should also sample other parts of this book in order to add to his knowledge of the history of science, which is such an important part of the multi-discipline background essential to his studies. Most extracts are from the Latin West and it could be argued that the Arabic tradition has been given space less than it deserves. This seems to be the case with medicine, to which are devoted thirty-seven pieces altogether (pp. 700-808). Professor Michael McVaugh of the Department of History, University of North Carolina, is responsible for this section and most of the admirable translations have been prepared and/or annotated by him specially for the book. The selection of authors and topics is adequately representative, except that Rhazes' account of smallpox might have been a better choice than that by John of Gaddesden and perhaps Albucasis should have been included. Anatomy, physiology, medical practice and diagnosis, treatment …