The Late Middle English Version of Constantinus Africanus’ Venerabilis Anatomia in London, Wellcome Library, MS 290 (ff. 1r-41v)

Book excerpt: Constantinus Africanus (c. 1015–1087), likely born in modern Tunis or Sicily, was responsible for the translation of Arabic medical texts into Latin, which constituted a substantial contribution to contemporary knowledge in fields such as anatomy and surgery, among others. Consequently, he was an extremely influential and much-cited author, and his contributions were translated into other vernacular languages, including Middle English, during the Middle Ages, which led to the proliferation of different translations of the same treatise. This book is a semi-diplomatic edition of the late Middle English version of Constantinus Africanus’ Venerabilis Anatomia, which is housed in the Wellcome Library in London (MS Wellcome 290 (ff. 1r-41v)). This version is accompanied by an introduction, a physical description of the volume, a linguistic analysis of the text, and a glossary. As such, this book represents a primary source for research not only in historical linguistics, but also in other related fields, including the history of medicine.