CELSUS, A. CORNELIUS, an eminent phy-ician and philosopher, who is supposed to have Y. rittcn tow ards the end of the reign of Augustus, or, at latest, in the begin ning of that of Tiberius. All that is known of his his tory, is merely that he was a Roman ; but what was his situation in life, and whether he practised any branch of medicine, or was only an amateur in the art, has not been completely ascertained. In many parts of his work De Medicine, however, he appears to speak frequently from experience ; and it can scarcely be conceived, that such a perfect knowledge of the art as he has displayed, both concerning the most difficult operations of surgery, as well as the nature and treatment of diseases, could have been acquired without long practice and application. After describing a particular method of cure used by Heraclides in the adhesion of the eye-lids, he acids, "Ego sic rcstitutum neminein memini, (De Medicine, lib. viii. c.
7.) ; " I remember of no person being cured in this way ;" which expression evidently implies, that he himself had exercised the profession, or otherwise he would not have ventured to place his own experience against the success of any cure recommended by others. Numerous simi lar expressions may be adduced, equally strong, in favour of the supposition that he practised the medical art ; but Dr Grieve concludes, from a severe censure (De Medi cine. lib. iii. c. 4.) which Celsus has passed upon those physicians who often neglect their patients by engaging in too extensive a practice, that his practice was confin ed to his acquaintance and friends, and that his fortune and generosity rendered him superior to the view of liv ing by the profession. But, whatever was his station in society, his writings have recommended him to the ad miration of posterity. His treatise on medicine is often quoted with approbation by our best writers on physic, and contains all that is most valuable in the works of Hippocrates. According to Boerhaave, indeed, it is to Celsus that we are indebted for the opinions and true meaning of many parts in the writings of that father of physic, which would otherwise have been unintelligible or misunderstood. But, in addition to the extent and
correctness of his medical knowledge, he is distinguish ed for the purity and elegance of his latinity, which entitle him to be ranked among the first writers of the Augustan age. Celsus is said to have written treatises several other subjects, particularly upon rhetoric and agriculture, but none of them have been handed down to our times. The former is frequently quoted by Quintilian, and, though he often differs from him in opinion, yet he bears honourable testimony to his learn ing and acquirements. When recommending to orators to make themselves masters of all the sciences, after mentioning Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Cato, Vary°, and Cicero, sonic of the greatest geniuses that ever appear ed, he adds, " Why should I name any more instances ? when even Cornelius Celsus. a man of a moderate genius, has not only composed treatises on all these arts, but has also left precepts of the military art, agriculture, and medicine. The bare attempt requires us to believe that he understood all these subjects ; but to give per fection to so great a work is a difficult task, to which no man has ever been found equal,'' (Inst. Orat. lib. xii. c. 11.) Columella, also, in his work Dc Re Rustica, lib.
c. frequently mentions him with great respect, conipanng him NS ith the best writers on husbandry, and represents him as one who was'' not only skilled in agri culture, hut who took in the whole compass of natural knowledge." Ilia merit as an author is sufficiently indicated by the numerous editions through which his work Dc Medicine has passed, and by the high esteem in which it is still held. The best edition is supposed to be that of Almeloveen, which was edited at Padua in 1722, by Vulpius ; and there is a good English transla tion by Dr Grieve, published in 1756. Sec Le Clerc Hist. de Mcd. ; and Friends' Hist. of Physic. ( fi)