Galen and Medioeval Translations: The De Purgantium Medicamentorum Facultate

Abstract

The De purgantium medicamentorum facultate is a short pharmacological polemic work, written by Galen against the Asclepiades’ and Erasitratus’ thought about a supposed attractive power of evacuating pharmaka. The work is an important contribution to the defence of Hippocratic humoralism. The article deals with a Latin translation of the Galenic text from Greek, earlier dating than Niccolò da Reggio’s ones, examining the autenticity and dating, the Greek and Latin translation, the Greek texts and its medioeval tradition.