"The most important physician of the Roman imperial era, Galen introduced theories and practices that remained the basis for medical knowledge for centuries after his death. Some - such as the method of checking a patient's pulse - are still used today. He also left a vast corpus of writings, which makes up a full one-eighth of all surviving ancient Greek literature. Through her readings of hundreds of Galen's case histories, Susan P. Mattern presents the first systematic investigation of Galen's clinical practice in its social contexts."--Jacket.