Summary:
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
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