De morbis acutis et chronicis

Caelius Aurelianus, a physician of the 5th century AD, authored De morbis acutis et chronicis ("Concerning Acute and Chronic Diseases"). This work is a comprehensive compilation of classical medical knowledge, adapted from Soranus of Ephesus. While largely based on existing texts, Caelius Aurelianus is noted for providing the clearest and most accurate diagnoses found among ancient medical writers. His approach emphasized practical therapeutics, focusing on dietetic, mechanical, and hygienic treatments for diseases, rather than theoretical speculation. He is considered the last significant medical writer of the Western Roman Empire and a highly regarded Greco-Roman physician, second only to Galen in influence among Latin medical writers.1