Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Cælius Aurelianus

AURELIANUS, Cælius, a celebrated Latin physician, born probably at Sicca in Numidia, but regarding whose life scarcely anything is known. The very date at which he flourished is quite uncertain. In his books he refers frequently to Soranus, and does not mention Galen, from which it has been inferred that he lived at a period inter mediate between these two writers, i.e., during the 2d century A.D. But if the writings under his name are, as seems at least probable, translations or paraphrases from Soranus, the absence of any reference to Galen can easily be understood. Again, Galen does not mention Aurelianus, though he notices many minor physicians ; from which fact, together with the corrupt Latin style of his extant works, it has been supposed by several authorities that the more correct date is the 5th century A.D. The writings of Aurelianus, which are composed from the point of view of the methodical school, and show considerable practical skill in the diagnosis of ordinary and even of exceptional diseases, consist of the following: (1.) A treatise, in three books, on acute diseases (Acutarum or Celerum Passionum), Paris, 1533 and 1826. (2.) A treatise, in live books, on chronic diseases (Tardarum or Chronicarum Passionum}, Basle, 1529. Both these treatises were published together in 1566, and frequently since. (3.) Fragments of a com prehensive treatise on medical science in the form of a dialogue (Medicinales Responsiones], referred to in the preface to the work on acute diseases, have been discovered and published by Val. Rose in his Anecdota Grceca et Cfrceco- Latina, vol. ii. 1871.