Castigationes seu Emendationes

VIII.

...they have conducted the art. For among them, everything is pure, learned, and drawn forth with the greatest selection and judgment; thus, they will encounter nothing worthy of Aristarchus’s wand original: "Aristarchi virgula." A reference to the critic Aristarchus of Samothrace, who used a mark or "wand" to flag errors or suspect passages in texts. Among the Arabs, however, besides a certain unformed and inept style of expression and a no small stammering of language (as will be clear from these our corrections), there are many things worthy of obelisks original: "obelis." Marks used by ancient critics to indicate spurious, doubtful, or superfluous text, and they are more than a little distant from the truth.

Decorative drop cap 'A' featuring interlaced floral patterns and vines in a square frame.The Avicennists, or those who love the doctrine of the Arabs, criticizing all or most of the teachings of others, approve of nothing that is not found in the "fields" original: "campis." A metaphor for the comprehensive works or intellectual domains of Avicenna, Rhazes, Isaac, Al-Farabi, Serapion, Mesue, Averroes, or either of the Halys Referring to the influential Persian physicians Haly Abbas and Haly Abenragel. But indeed, we say with Pliny (Book 29, Chapter 1) that there is no greater danger in medicine than a lie, since even the smallest error in it cannot occur without harm to human life. Therefore, I have decided I would be doing something useful if I were to [collect] the errors of the Arabs and more recent physicians—at least the principal ones, for who could gather every single one into a single volume? Nor did I think I would be acting rashly by judging so many celebrated men, since I hold nothing more precious original: "antiquius," literally "more ancient" or "of higher priority" than the truth itself. Furthermore, from these things it is clear enough that the moderns...