Medicinal Preparations in the Czech Translation of Saliceto’s Treatise on Surgery

Overview

The Latin treatise on surgery by the Italian physician Guglielmo da Saliceto (ca 1210 to 1276–1280) lists about 300 kinds of medicinal and galenic preparations, the most frequently prescribed ones being oils, ointments, and cataplasms. The compositions of Saliceto’s prescriptions are simplified in comparison with the then prescription habits and contain a greater number of chemical active ingredients. Preparation of ophthalmic drops by means of distillation or boiling on a water bath deserves special attention. The treatise was translated into Czech in the first half of the 15th century and provided the basis for Czech pharmaceutical terminology.

Key words:
Guglielmo da Saliceto – medieval surgery – pharmaceutical technology in the Middle Ages – Czech Pharmaceutical Terminology