Nothing is known about the life of Celsus, including whether his praenomen is Aurelius or Aulus, though historians believe it is the latter. Nobody knows where Celsus lived, although it is believed that he lived in Gaul. What is known about Celus is that he put together a huge encyclopedia during the reign of Augustus or Tiberius.

What is known about the life and times of Celsus comes from De Medicina, the lone surviving part of what was apparently a huge encyclopedia put together by Celsus on all sorts of topics, including agriculture, military science, philosophy and law. It is unclear whether Celsus was even a doctor, but it drew upon all of the medical knowledge of the Ancient Greeks. De Medicina covers topics including diet, disease, pharmacology, therapy and surgery. Sections detail the removal of missile weapons, stopping bleeding, preventing inflammation, diagnosis of internal maladies, removal of kidney stones, the amputation of limbs and more.

The subject matter is divided as follows:
• Book I – Diet, hygiene, and the benefits of exercise.
• Book II – The cause of disease, its symptoms and prognosis.
• Book III – Treatment of diseases, including the common cold and pneumonia.
• Book IV – Anatomical descriptions of selected diseases.
• Book V – Medicines, including opiates, diuretics, purgatives and laxatives.
• Book VI – Ulcers, skin lesions and diseases.
• Book VII – Classical operations, such as lithotomy and removal of cataracts.
• Book VIII – Treatment of dislocations and fractures.

De Medicina was known during the Middle Ages, but was later lost up until the 15th century. It was the first medical book to be printed, in Florence, 1478.
This edition is specially formatted for Kindle and includes a Table of Contents.