HERB - Riddle's Dioscorides

[Kathleen Keeler]

> Does anyone own a copy of John Riddle's "Dioscorides on Pharmacy
> and Medicine"? If so, can you tell me what you think about it in
> terms of additions to the SCA-packrat's library? :)
>
> Jasmine, jasmine at infoengine.com

Yes.  I own Riddle's book on Dioscorides. I am very pleased with it.  However:
it is a scholarly commentary
doing interior analysis and using it to recreate what the original version
(64AD) must have been like (ie was it illustated?).
(The oldest extant copy is from the 500's I believe).  It is well-indexed, but
talks of selected parts of Dioscorides:  you can't use it to answer "what did D
recommend for bleeding?" unless Riddle happened to use that symptom.

I began my Period herbalism with Dioscorides (1930's printing from the
University library). I read and reread it before other stuff was known to me.
Riddle is not a substitute for Dioscorides.  Riddle's book is like that recent
book on "Hildegard of Bingen's Medicine" where its the commentary, and the text
isn't printed (only more scholarly and less interested in modern
applications).  For me its wonderful: someone else who has read and tried to
analyse Dioscorides, but Riddle read it in the Greek!

For you, Jasmine, and anyone else who likes to pour over early primary works
comparing and analysing, I'd say yes, if you have access, get one!  Riddle's
been out of print for atleast 5 years.  It's close to unobtainable (how many
copies would U. Texas Press have made?!)  One of these days you'll own
Dioscorides (or someone will put it online) and then you'll be really glad you
have it.

Agnes
kkeeler1 at unl.edu

PS Jasmine, to answer your question on what I planned to compare, I'd like to
work through Dioscorides (or Macer, 12th C condensed version of D) comparing
each treatment of a series of herbs to modern knowledge: goal of a box score of
"of 25 treatments, 5 have not been improved upon, 5 are of moderate benefit, 5
won't hurt anything, 5 are treatments for which tho they might work, there are
very much better alternatives and 5 are considered unsafe today."  As I write
that I see lots of delimiting my goals, defining terms that will be needed, but
you get the idea.  -A



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