Medical Illustrations in Medieval Manuscripts

Medical Illustrations in Medieval Manuscripts, by LOREN MACKINNEY, London, Wellcome Historical Medical Library, 1965, pp. xvii, 263, 104 plates, 105s. It is a pity that Loren MacKinney did not live to see the publication of this beautifully produced book, which represents to some extent the culminating point of his thirty years' search for medical illustrations in medieval manuscripts. He had immense enthusiasm for this work and pursued his quest with a thoroughness which makes it unlikely that anyone else will discover new material. He investigated the contents of no fewer than 172 libraries in Europe and America and as a result amassed a unique collection of 4,000 photographs. The publication of all this material was obviously impossible and therefore the present book contains but a small fraction of it. This he has arranged under various headings, hospitals, diagnosis, materia medica, medication, surgery, obstetrics and so on, introducing each section with a short historical sketch, and giving a description of the various illustrations contained in the latter part of the book. But for the benefit of those who may wish to pursue some particular subject, he has given a complete check-list of all extant manuscripts containing medical miniatures with details of the subjects illustrated. This is supplemented by a bibliography of works which contain other useful reproductions and a comprehensive index. The genesis of the book, the illustrated lectures given by MacKinney over the years to groups of medical and non-medical historians, is reflected in his choice of illustrations. The ambivalence in the author's mind about the purpose of his work, wishing it to be neither a picture book nor an outline of medical history and addressing it therefore neither to professional physicians and surgeons nor to lay readers, makes it difficult to assess the exact value to be placed on some of the pictures. Some are not technical enough for the professional and others not beautiful enough to delight the layman. But there can be no denying that the collection of illustrations as a whole is both interesting and informative. The coloured plates are particularly successful and it is much to be regretted that practical economics prohibited the reproduction of all the plates in this way. All the same, it is a book that will give much pleasure to many, and with its invaluable list of manuscripts stimulate the interest of many more. C. H. TALBOT