Book Review:ANDREAS K. DEMETRIADES (ed.), Iatrosophikón. Folklore Remedies from a Cyprus Monastery: Original text and parallel translation of Codex Machairas A.18, Foundation Anastasios G. Leventis, Nicosia 2015, lx+654 pp. ISBN 978-9963-732-15-9

Book Review:Andreas K. Demetriades (ed.), Iatrosophikón. Folklore Remedies from a Cyprus Monastery: Original text and parallel translation of Codex Machairas A.18, Foundation Anastasios G. Leventis, Nicosia 2015, lx+654 pp. ISBN 978-9963-732-15-

Clinical Experience in Late Antiquity:Alexander of Tralles and the Therapy of Epilepsy

Alexander of Tralles, writing in the late sixth century, combined his wide-ranging practical knowledge with earlier medical theories. This article shows how clinical experience is used in Alexander’s works by concentrating on his therapeutic advice on epilepsy and, in particular, on pharmacology and the group of so-called natural remedies. I argue that clinical testing is used not only for the introduction of new medicines but also as an instrument for checking the therapeutic effect of popular healing practices. On another level, this article discusses Alexander’s role as the author of a medical compendium; it suggests that by marking the cases of clinical testing with a set of recurrent expressions, Alexander leads his audience to reflect on his medical authority and personal contribution

Chapter Enrichment of the Medical Vocabulary in the Greek-Speaking Medieval Communities of Southern Italy

medical vocabulary; Greek speaking; medieval communities; Southern Italy; plant name

Cross-cultural transfer of medical knowledge in the medieval Mediterranean:The introduction and dissemination of sugar-based potions from the Islamic world to Byzantium

This article aims to challenge the traditional narrative about the progression of medical knowledge from Arabic to Latin by including the role of the Byzantine world in that process. It examines critically the steady diffusion of Arabic medical knowledge throughout Byzantium by focusing on the introduction and dissemination of sugar-based potions. By studying for the first time a substantial body of mostly unedited translations of Arabic medical texts into Greek and works by Byzantine medical authors, this article argues that Byzantine literature and culture were more lively than they are given credit for and that—by medieval standards—Byzantine authors were quite open to outside influence. Moreover, it emphasizes that the subsequent use of sugar in Byzantine daily medical practice constituted a significant investment in health, especially bearing in mind the high cost involved in the cultivation, production, and transportation of sugar. Finally, it points to the regular use of sugar in medical practice from the late eleventh/early twelfth century onward, at least, in Constantinople, which suggests constant importing of the commodity, despite the fact that the first source confirming the trading of sugar in the Byzantine capital dates to the first half of the fourteenth century

Chapter 11 Diagrams in Greek Medical Manuscripts

In this chapter I provide a critical examination of different forms of medical diagrams in Greek manuscripts, which are related to works by both ancient Greek and Byzantine medical authors. Due to the large number of surviving Greek medical codices and the fact that they have for the most part been little studied, my examination cannot be exhaustive. It focuses instead on representative examples, mostly derived from my personal consultation of medical manuscripts in various libraries

Chapter 2 Galen in Late Antique Medical Handbooks

This chapter explores the use and adaptation of the Galenic corpus in the hands of late antique medical compilers. It is divided into two main sections dealing with Greek and Latin authors respectively

Chapter 4 Galen in Byzantine Medical Literature

This chapter explores the various ways in which Galen was revived in the works of Byzantine medical authors by concentrating on literary output from the seventh/eighth century to the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. It is divided into three sections. The first focuses on texts dealing with Christian anthropology; next is the section which groups texts offering practical instructions in diagnostics and therapeutics; the last section deals with three exceptional cases deemed worthy of being treated separately