Aulus Cornelius Celsus

Aulus Cornelius Celsus (25 BC—50) was a Roman encyclopedist and possibly, although not likely, a physician. He probably lived in Gallia Narbonensis. His only extant work, the De Medicina, is the only surviving section of a much larger encyclopedia, and is a primary source on diet, pharmacy and surgery and related fields. The lost portions of his encyclopedia likely included volumes on agriculture, law, rhetoric, and military arts. Celsus' De Medicina is one of the best sources on Alexandrian medical knowledge. Image File history File links Aulus_Cornelius_Celsus. ... Image File history File links Aulus_Cornelius_Celsus. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21 BC 20... [edit] Events [edit] By place [edit] Roman Empire Londinium is founded by the Romans, taking over as capital of the local Roman province, from Colchester (approximate date) Roman Emperor Claudius appoints Agrippa II governor of Chalcis. ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... The term encyclopedist is usually used for a group of French philosophers who collaborated in the 18th century in the production of the Encyclopédie, under the direction of Denis Diderot. ... The Doctor by Samuel Luke Fildes This article is about the term physician, a type of doctor; for other uses of the word doctor see Doctor (disambiguation). ... Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis, 120 AD Gallia Narbonensis was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in southern France. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nutrition. ... Bowl of Hygeia Pharmacy (from the Greek φάρμακον = drug) is a transitional field between health sciences and chemical sciences and a profession charged with ensuring the safe use of medication. ... A cardiothoracic surgeon performs a mitral valve replacement at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. ... Rhetoric (from Greek ρήτωρ, rhêtôr, orator, teacher) is the art or technique of persuasion, usually through the use of language. ...

In the "Prooemium" or introduction to "De Medicina" there is an early discussion of the relevance of theory to medical practice and the pros and cons of both animal experimentation and human experimentation. This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Human experimentation involves medical experiments performed on human beings. ...

Celsus is credited with recording the cardinal signs of inflammation: calor (warmth), dolor (pain), tumor (swelling) and rubor (redness and hyperaemia). He goes into great detail regarding the preparation of numerous ancient medicinal remedies including the preparation of opioids. In addition, he describes many 1st century Roman surgical procedures which included removal of a cataract, treatment for bladder stones, and the setting of fractures. Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation and may be referred to as the innate cascade. ... hyperaemia Hy`per*[ae]mi*a, n. ... An opioid is any agent that binds to opioid receptors, found principally in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. ...

Celsus' work was rediscovered by Pope Nicholas V and published in 1478. His work became famous for its elegant Latin style. Nicholas V, né Tomaso Parentucelli (November 15, 1397 – March 24, 1455) was Pope from March 6, 1447, to his death. ... Events February 18 - George, Duke of Clarence, convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England, is privately executed in the Tower of London. ...

Quotes

• "It is not cruel to inflict on a few criminals sufferings which may benefit multitudes of innocent people through all centuries." (De Medicina, Prooem. 26)

External links

• De Medicina at LacusCurtius (Latin original and English translation)