Consilia (plural of ''consilium'', 'advice') is a genre of book, originating in medieval era plagues, where practical advice is given on a medical or other philosophical subject.

Origin

The format was originated by the Florentine doctor of medicine

Taddeo Alderotti Taddeo Alderotti (Latin: Thaddaeus Alderottus, French : Thaddée de Florence), born in Florence between 1206 and 1215, died in 1295, was an Italian doctor and professor of medicine at the University of Bologna, who made important contributions ...

, under the pressures for down-to-earth advice, based on experiential observations, in treating the

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

that decimated Italy in 1348 and recurred at generational intervals for the following centuries. A ''consilium'' was a doctor's written text in response to a particular case, where the malady had been determined; in the ''consilium'' the medical doctor identified the disease and prescribed the appropriate treatment. The accumulation of ''consilia'' circulated in manuscript began, for the first time in Europe, to lay down a ''corpus'' of medical practice, case-by-case. Medieval medical writings had tended towards theory rather than praxis, which was denigrated as ''ars mechanica'', mere technician's work unsuited to the higher intellect. Characteristically they took the form of glosses and commentaries on the received texts of Antiquity, of

Galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often Anglicization, anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Ancient Rome, Roman and Greeks, Greek physician, surgeon, and Philosophy, philosopher. Considered to be one o ...

and Dioscurides, with nods towards

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

and the shadow of

Hippocrates Hippocrates of Kos (; ; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician and philosopher of the Classical Greece, classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is traditionally referr ...

. Medicine was more closely allied in these with

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

rather than with

therapy A therapy or medical treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. Both words, ''treatment'' and ''therapy'', are often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx. As a rule, each therapy has indications a ...

and prevention; however with the onset of plague, practical experience moved to the forefront of concern. Alderotti, who practiced and taught in Tuscany and the north of Italy, and served as doctor to

Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII (; born Benedetto Caetani; – 11 October 1303) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 until his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of baronial origin with connections t ...

, was a formative figure in the development of the faculty of arts and medicine at the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

. His more than a hundred ''consilia'' based on his clinical observation of actual cases formed the prototypes of a new genre of literature.

Format

''Consilia'' followed a conventional format. The first section recorded the examination of the patient, detailing the patient's age, sex, social station, occupation and place of residence. and a list of the patient's symptoms, which served to identify the malady. A second section prescribed a dietary regime that was to be followed. A final section prescribed specific medications and dosage, with the other interventions available at the time:

bleeding Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethr ...

bathing Bathing is the immersion of the body, wholly or partially, usually in water, but often in another medium such as hot air. It is most commonly practised as part of personal cleansing, and less frequently for relaxation or as a leisure activity. ...

cauterisation Cauterization (or cauterisation, or cautery) is a medical practice or technique of burning a part of a body to remove or close off a part of it. It destroys some tissue in an attempt to mitigate bleeding and damage, remove an undesired growth, or ...

fumigation Fumigation is a method of pest control or the removal of harmful microorganisms by completely filling an area with gaseous pesticides, or fumigants, to suffocate or poison the pests within. It is used to control pests in buildings (structural ...

.Agrimi and Crisciani 1994:27. The ''Consilia'' of Gentile da Foligno (died 1348, most probably of the plague) were among the first medical texts to be printed, in the 1470s.

Notes

History of medicine {{med-hist-stub