DIOSCORIDES, PEDANIOS (fi. c. A.D. 5o), Greek medi. cal man, served in the army of Nero. He is known through his Materia Medica which was very popular in the middle ages. It details the properties of about 600 medicinal plants and describes animal products of dietetic and medicinal value.
A Graeco-Latin text by K. Sprengel appeared at Leipzig (182g) and a German trans. by J. Berendes (Stuttgart, igo2) .