Internal Medicine

Baglivi, Giorgio, 1668-1707
The practice of physick, reduc'd to the ancient way of observations : containing a just parallel between the wisdom and experience of the ancients and the hypothesis's of modern physicians ... Together with several new and curious dissertations ; particularly of the tarantula, and the nature of its poison ; of the use and abuse of blistering plasters, of epidemical apoplexies, &c., written in Latin, by Geo. Baglivi.
London : Printed for D. Midwinter, B. Lintot, G. Strahan, J. Round, W. Taylor, J. Osborn, and J. Clark, 1723.
2nd edition

The author of this intriguing book was Professor of Medical Theory at La Sapienza, Rome. Most of the text consists of practical medical teaching about common diseases and there is little in the style or content to show that the author was one of the leading theorists of his time, promoting the concept that physiology could be explained purely in terms of the laws of physics and mechanics. Baglivi was asked to investigate the phenomenon of Tarantism by the Pope but the conclusions given here are far from definite. A series of rather sanguinary physiological experiments on frogs and dogs completes the book.

Deane Collection
RB 4623.41 Deane