William of Saliceto

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William of Saliceto (or Guglielmo da Saliceto) (1210 – 1277) was a surgeon and cleric in Lombardy who broke tradition with Galen by claiming that pus formation was bad for wounds and for the patient. He was a professor at the University of Bologna. In 1275 he wrote Chirurgia which promoted the use of a surgical knife over cauterizing. He also was the author of Summa conservationis et curationis on hygiene and therapy. Lanfranc of Milan was a pupil who brought William's methods into France. William gave lectures on the importance of regular bathing for infants, and special care for the hygiene of pregnant women.

[edit] External links

• Of blood, inflammation and gunshot wounds: the history of the control of sepsis, AJ Thurston.

[edit] References

• The Surgery of William of Saliceto, English translation by Leonard D. Rosenman ISBN 1-4010-8572-5.
• Copernicus, Ivan Crowe ISBN 0-7524-2553-6.
• Medicine and the Italian Universities: 1250-1600, Nancy G. Siraisi.