"Moshe ben Maimon, or Abu Imran Musa ibn Ubayd Allah, better known as Moses Maimonides, is among the most celebrated rabbis in the history of Judaism and the author of works on many subjects. His writings include influential philosophical and medical treatises in Arabic and two of the most important works on Jewish law. He is perhaps best known for his effort to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy with biblical teaching. Born in 1138 in Cordoba, Spain, Maimonides eventually settled in Egypt, where he practiced medicine. He died in 1204." "Medical Aphorisms is the best known and most compendious of Maimonides' medical works. It consists of about fifteen hundred aphorisms culled mainly from the treatises of Galen, either as direct quotations or as summaries, and arranged into twenty-five treatises. Most of the traditional medieval medical subspecialties are represented in this work, including anatomy, physiology, gynecology, hygiene, and diet. In addition, Maimonides includes a section addressing unusual cases from Galen, and another containing his own criticisms of Galen's theories." "This volume initiates a new critical edition of Medical Aphorisms with a fresh, annotated English translation. The first of six volumes, it contains aphorisms concerning anatomy, physiology, and general pathology. Because the source texts from which several of them were derived are no longer extant, these aphorisms provide tantalizing clues about aspects of Galen's thought that are otherwise unknown. They also serve as a medieval window onto the ancient medical theories of Galen. For these reasons, this volume and the five that follow it will be indispensable for all students of either ancient or medieval medicine."--Jacket.