12/02/2020
The historical library has recently acquired the fourth edition published in Calatayud of the work “Practica y teorica de las apostemas en general y particular, question y practicas de cirugia, de heridas y otras cosas nuevas y particulares, aora nuevamente se han añadido los instrumentos ferrales, que sirven al uso de la cirugía, a los quales les da el nombre el autor en la página, y capitulo que los ha menester para el uso de la curación”.
Its author, Pedro López de León, a doctor and surgeon born in Seville, studied medicine at the University of Sevilla under the teachings of Bartolomé Hidalgo de Agüero. After finishing his studies he was appointed royal surgeon of Galeras and embarked towards Cartagena de Indias where he took charge of his hospital and developed his entire professional career.
This is his only work and its divided into two parts, the first one is dedicated to apostems and phlegm, the second one raises practical questions about surgery and how to treat wounds, ulcers, fractures and dislocations. Finally, the work concludes with a compendium of Hippocrates aphorisms and sentences of other authors.