Pedanius Dioscorides the Greek wrote this DE MATERIA MEDICA approximately two thousand years ago. In 1655 John Goodyer made an English translation from a manuscript copy, and in 1933 Robert T. Gunther edited this, Hafner Publishing Co., London & New York, printing it. This was probably not corrected against the Greek, and this version of Goodyer's Dioscorides makes
no such attempt either. The purpose of this new edition is to offer a more accessible text to today’s readers, as the ‘english-ed’ copy by Goodyer is generously endowed with post-medieval terminology and is presently out of print. [...] Dioscorides’ treatise is not offered as a primary resource for medical treatment. Readers should in the first instance obtain medical advice from qualified, registered health professionals. Many treatments considered acceptable two thousand years ago are useless or harmful. This particularly applies to the abortifacients mentioned in the manuscript, most of which contain toxins considered dangerous in the required doses. With all this in mind, I believe the information in this document is still of interest and benefit to us, after all this time. [From the preface by T. A. Osbaldeston (whose admission that this "translation" bear little relation to the original text is somewhat troubling...)]
Author(s): Dioscorides; T. A. Osbaldeston (Trans.); R. P. A. Wood (Trans.)
Edition: 1
Publisher: Ibidis Press
Year: 2000
Language: English
Commentary: Uploaded by Astrophel (for whom things are looking up a little!) on the 28th of July 2023.
Pages: 927
City: Johannesburg
Tags: Ancient Greek Medicine; Herbal Medicine; Natural Remedies
EDITORIAL PREFACE — vii
ORIGINAL DEDICATION — viii
BIBLIOGRAPHY — xiii
INTRODUCTION — xx
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS — xl
THE BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS — xlii
PRINTED BOOKS — il
GAZETTEER OF DIOSCORIDES’ WORLD — lxviii
BOOK ONE: AROMATICS — 1
OILS — 34
OINTMENTS — 48
GUMS from TREES — 78
FRUIT from TREES — 149
FRUIT TREES — 153
BOOK TWO — 183
LIVING CREATURES — 184
FATS — 212
FRUMENTACEA: CEREALS — 229
LACHANA: VEGETABLES — 243
HERBS WITH A SHARP QUALITY — 304
BOOK THREE: ROOTS — 363
ROOTS OF AKANTHODA or PRICKLY PLANTS — 377
BOOK FOUR: OTHER HERBS & ROOTS — 541
BOOK FIVE: VINES & WINES — 741
WINES — 747
OTHER WINES — 759
METALLIC STONES — 781
INDEXES
ALTERNATE NAMES — 832
ILLUSTRATIONS — 847
LATINISED GREEK NAMES — 851
MEDICINAL USES etc. — 860
PLANT MATERIALS etc. — 885
POISONOUS MATERIALS — 926
