Centuries before J.K. Rowling gave her devoted readers the fictional textbook, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Ambroise Paré (1510-1590) compiled his own textbook that included descriptions of unicorns, basilisks, and centaurs.
A 1678 translation of renowned surgeon Ambroise Paré’s collected work, The Works of That Famous Chirurgeon Ambrose Parey, was recently acquired by DePaul Special Collections and Archives. Paré was known throughout early modern Europe for his unparalleled knowledge of the human body, and many historians consider him to be the father of modern surgery.
After distinguishing himself both in Paris and on battlefields across Europe, Paré was named surgeon to the King of France by 1552. Over his remarkable career, Paré served four French monarchs: Henri II, François II, Charles IX, and Henri III. It is often written that princes and generals would willingly take to the battlefield once they heard that Paré would be accompanying them and he is remembered for his dedication to treating soldiers of all ranks. Paré is credited with a number of discoveries and inventions, but perhaps his greatest contribution to medicine was his publications. Paré lived in a time when the majority of physicians considered surgery beneath their profession and it was mainly practiced by lowly barber-surgeons. Through his fame and the dissemination of his teachings, Paré did a great deal to elevate the status of surgeons and advance medical knowledge.
His work is a compendium of knowledge collected from ancient sources like Galen and Pliny through to his contemporaries, such as well-known anatomist Andreas Vesalius. Unlike modern medical texts, Paré’s detailed study goes beyond the human body to include observations on the natural world. Introduced in the 700-page text are descriptions of methods of avoiding the poisonous breath of cats, reports of monstrous births, diagrams of his newly invented prosthetics, and how to identify deceptions of the devil. In over 400 woodcuts, Paré illustrated everything from celestial bodies and sea monsters to medicinal plants and amputation methods.
The vast range of topics covered by Paré makes this book a wonderful primary source for DePaul students studying anything from the history of medicine or gender to graphic design and biology. Those seeking Fantastic Beasts, or any number of other subjects analyzed by Paré, are encouraged to visit DePaul Special Collections and Archives. To learn more about DePaul’s rare books collections, contact Special Collections and Archives at 773-325-7864, or archives@depaul.edu
I found this article interesting and what a great addition to the special collections.
Thanks so much Barbara! Appreciate it. 🙂