Galen: On the Constitution of the Art of Medicine. The Art of Medicine. A Method of Medicine to Glaucon

The three works included in the present edition represent only a very small part of Galen's prodigious literary output. The first, On the Constitution of the Art of Medicine, is essentially a theoretical work devoted to an analysis of the structure of the discipline of medicine, considered as one of the large number of arts and crafts. In this, and an associated work, Galen offers a general theory of the structure, or constitution, of such entities. The second work, The Art of Medicine, provides a bridge between the theoretical and the practical and was a work of great importance in medical education over many centuries. The third work, A Method of Medicine to Glaucon, is a purely practical work, prepared for his friend, the philosopher Glaucon, to take with him on his planned extended travels. It was intended to enable Glaucon to maintain his own health and presumably to attend to the health of others according to the dictates of circumstances. As a group, these three works give some insight into Galen's range from medical theorist to active and very experienced practitioner.