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Arnaldus de Villanova

The famous scholastic physician and scholar Arnaldus de Villanova, also known as Arnaud de Villeneuve or Arnold of Villanova (1240-1311), who came from Spain, taught as a professor of medicine at the University of Montpellier in what is now Languedoc (France). He was one of the most influential and important physicians of his time and had a reputation as a goldsmith alchemist. His medical services were claimed by popes such as Boniface VIII (1235-1303) and kings such as Frederick II (1272-1337). When he travelled to Pope Clement V (c. 1250-1314) on the latter's behalf, he died in a shipwreck. He was intensively concerned with the medicinal properties of wine and its positive effect on health. His work "Liber de Vinis", strongly influenced by the Greek physician Galen (129-216), deals exclusively with this subject.

Arnaldus de Villanova - Porträt und zwei Dokumente

Arnaldus de Villanova suggests particularly spiced wines as medicine, for example ox tongue wine for curing the insane and rosemary wine as an appetite enhancer, dentifrice, facial beautifier and hair restorer. In addition, wine helps against melancholy, serves as a medicine for the liver, kidneys, urinary tract and veins, and provides relief from haemorrhoids and the cold in winter. In addition to these sometimes abstruse claims, he also gives sound advice on winemaking. For example, he describes how to improve flat, pale wines with a bad taste, explains the process of drawing off, warns against unclean barrels and recommends proper grape ripening. He denounces wine adulteration:

Note that some wine merchants cheat, making sour or bitter wines appear falsely sweet by persuading the taster to eat liquorice or nuts or old salty cheese beforehand. One can guard against this by tasting the wine in the morning after rinsing out one's mouth and eating three or four mouthfuls of bread dipped in water, for those who taste a wine on an empty or full stomach will find that their sense of taste is spoiled.

Villanova experimented with brandy-making on the estate of the Knights Templar near Perpignan in Roussillon around 1285. He distilled alcohol from wine according to Arab recipes. Incidentally, Villanova counted the "Aqua Vitae" (water of life = brandy) as a universal remedy. In his experiments, he discovered that the addition of alcohol stops fermentation and preserves residual sugar in the wine (see under Spriten). In 1299, Villanova received a patent from the King of Mallorca for the production of Spriten. He reported feeling much younger by drinking it every day. This was the birth of the Vin doux naturel. Villanova also discovered the toxicity of carbon monoxide and decaying meat. Villanova was the first to describe the presentation and behaviour of mineral acids in relation to metals.

He was the author of numerous writings such as the four-volume work "Handbuch der gesamten Medizin" (Breviarium practicae), as well as about 20 alchemical writings. Villanova also wrote other medical works, some of which are now considered so-called pseudepigraphies (falsely attributed). The picture in the middle shows the work "Speculum medicinae" written in 1440, which was printed in 1880 and is in the "Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana". The picture on the right shows the Spanish edition of the work "Libro de medicina llamado thesoro de pobres con un regimiento de sanidad" (Engl. "Treasure of the Poor with a Regiment of Healing") printed in 1584. See also other authors/works on the subject under Literature.

Picture left: by Unknown derivative work, Public Domain, Link
Picture middle: by Arnaldus de Villanova - 2d copy, Public Domain, Link
Picture right: by Arnau de Vilanova - Libro de medicina, Public Domain, Link

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