Galen on Food and Diet / Edition 1

by Mark Grant

Overview

Galen, the personal physician of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, wrote what was long regarded as the definitive guide to a healthy diet, and profoundly influenced medical thought for centuries. Based on his theory of the four humours, these works describe the effects on health of a vast range of foods including lettuce, lard, peaches and hyacinths.
This book makes all his texts on food available in English for the first time, and provides many captivating insights into the ancient understanding of food and health.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415232333
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/11/2000
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Mark Grant

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements, 1. Introduction, 2. On the Humours, 3. On Black Bile, 4. On Uneven Bad Temperament, 5. On the Causes of Disease, 6. On Barley Soup, 7. On the Powers of Foods: Book 1, 8. On the Powers of Foods: Book 2, 9. On the Powers of Foods: Book 3, Glossary of plant names, Notes, Editions and translations of ancient authors, Bibliography, Index

Editorial Reviews

Grant (classics, Haileybury College, Hertford, England) presents readable translations of all Galen's food writings: "On the humours," "On black bile," "On uneven bad temperament," "On the causes of disease," "On barley soup," and the three books of "On the powers of foods." He provides a detailed portrait of the elaborate system of effects on health everyday foods were believed to have on the body, how they were used for medicine as well as how they were commonly eaten, and how, in general, the ancient Romans understood the human organism in Galen's home in Pergamum in the second century AD. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

‘ This is a book to be dipped into periodically with equal measure of delight, disgust and surprise inspiring us to think about changes in our tastes and dispositions about diet through the ages. - Ron Iphofen, University of Wales, Bangor, Medical Sociology News, December 2001

'Anyone interested in the classics, in food, the history of medicine and health will find this book as fascinating as I did.' - Ron Iphofen, Medical Sociology News

From the Publisher