Ancient Medicine (Sciences of Antiquity)

This is a background discussion of Greek physicians from Hippocrates to Galen. The book does not contain specific information on practices or products used to treat disease. Nor does it have a taxonomy of the understanding of diseases of that day. Mostly it is trivia. For example, we know Galen destroyed Hippocrates' documents that did not agree with his opinions. But we don't learn anything about what Galen or Hippocrates put in a salve for eczema. The book is hard to read. The book and its components are too often random asides that defeat the presentation of the subject. The aggregate is a lot of material though very little on the topic. I rated the book on the size of the mound of material. Its chief virtue is to suggest that the reader continue on to focused discussions in the extensive bibliography mentioned in the notes that are one fourth of the book. I would suggest the book for researchers in the field but nobody else. The price is very high indicating my opinion is shared by many.

Information concerning medical science during the period from about the fifth century BCE to about 500 Ce is found in many, many old texts that have been discovered that are written in Greek, Egyptian, Syriac, Arabic, and Latin, papyri, parts of writings on papyri, animal skins, etc., which just to "find" part of them involves a great investigative effort. Vivian Nutton has, in this text accomplished a great amount of research of the sources I've mentioned above, plus many more, so that he has been able to provide a well documented, and accurate analysis of the state of medical science, and how it evolved, over the period mentioned above. His effort, besides providing a thorough well-documented review of medical science and how it evolved, provides for the "interested reader, as well as for scholars, a thorough review and, at the same time, an in-depth, study of ancient medicine so that it decreases the effort that others have to expend to gain a thorough knowledge of the subject which it so thoroughly covers. I found it to be a very thorough and realistic expose' of medical science as it was understood and practiced during the above-mentioned time period especially the contribution of Hippocrates, Erasistratis and Galen.

Accurate but a little tedious, Nutton is a good, thorough historian but not a lively writer. I liked the breadth of coverage and her command of the material -- this is the work of a mature academic, the opposite of a cut-and-paste, quote-all-views-impartially journalistic product.

Good quality

Came in excellent condition and is a great overview read.

Nutton gives an authoratitive account of ancient medicine. It is fine synthesis of the history, the culture of medicine in the ancient world and some of the arguments and explanations used by the physicians and surgeons of the time. I highly recommend this book.

Needed this for class. Exactly the book needed and fast shipping!

The book delves deep into ancient medicine, describing techniques for healing wounds to delivering babies; but it is written with both a medical and historical record that is accurate to the best minds that interpreted medical techniques. Absolutely mandatory reading for the student who hopes to become a physician

This is an absolutely mega book giving an absolutely phenomenal read! Nutton describes the various aspects of ancient medicine including the religious aspect such that one can understand where we are today by where we've been. For example, there are chapters on from before Hippocrates to Hippocrates, Plato to Praxagoras, Alexandria, Hellenistic medicine, Roman and Greek medicine, the Roman army, Galen, medicine and religions of the Roman Empire.Although Nutton has a medical background rather than a religious base, with a series of 'history of medicine' books, this entire book is for religious studies and theology scholars just as much as medical students and researchers also boasting a chapter on Religion and Medicine in 4th and 5th BCE Greece.It is a gem of a book!

Ho in casa la prima edizione con copertina rigida, avuta in prestito dalla mia Università. Questa seconda edizione, in brossura, è aggiornata dopo ulteriori ritrovamenti di papiri e documenti. Sono molto soddisfatta: la ricerca di Vivian Nutton è molto utile e dettagliata. Grazie e GRANDE!Isabella

Awesome book about ancient medicine - almost the same source in ancient time no matter west or east

This is an excellent review of ancient medicine. It is a comprehensive analysis of medicine and what we owe the ancient Greeks.

Excellent products !!