In the mid-thirteenth century the Renaissance was a glimmer on the horizon. All over Italy scholars strove to rediscover the lost knowledge of the ancients. In medicine, one of the earliest was Bruno of Longoburgo, also known as Bruno the Arabist. The science medicine had flourished in the Arab world, while being left to quacks and barbers in the West. Bruno studied the surviving texts, practiced as an active surgeon, and then went on to write his own study of surgery. That study, Chirugia Magna, is presented here, ably translated and edited. It provides a fascinating look backwards to a time when brilliant surgeons struggled to save their patients with no knowledge of anesthesia or antisepsis. The eclectic procedures were a distillation of years of practical observation of anatomy and were surprisingly effective.

About the Editor / Translator

Leonard D. Rosenman is a retired surgeon himself and has always had a compelling interest in the history of surgery. He lives in California with his wife, Helen, and enjoys music and literature. He tries to keep current on scientific advances in general.