Consilia played an important role in not only medieval but also early modern professional health literature. A literary ‘consilium’ consisted of a written statement of one particular case, including the patient's condition and disease as well as advice concerning medical treatment. In the sixteenth century, consilia literature was a common component of the practices of many eminent physicians. This is illustrated through an analysis of consilia from twenty-two different collections and anthologies by fifteen selected authors, who represent university professors, personal physicians, and urban physicians from early modern Italy, France, and German-speaking Central Europe. A closer look at nearly 7,000 consilia shows how important a link they were within the medical community. A detailed view of consilia intended for patients suffering from the ‘French disease’ reveals details about, for instance, the most common treatments for syphilis – mercury and guaiacum – alongside many other interesting and important details.

Mgr. Bohdana Divisová, PhD. is an assistant professor at the Institute for History of Medicine and Foreign Languages, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Czech Republic. Her research deals with the history of medicine in the 16th and 17th centuries with particular attention to court physicians.

1. Introduction

2. Consilia Literature from the Beginning

2.1 Definition of the Genre and the Paradigm of an Ideal Consilium

2.2 Related Genres

2.3 Collections and the Genesis of Consilia Literature

2.4 The Initial Stages of Development and Representatives

2.5 Consilium and Consultation Literature in Subsequent Centuries – Bibliography

2.6 Selected Representatives of Consilia Literature of the 16th Century

2.7 Representatives of Consilia Literature in 16th Century Italy

2.8 Representatives of Consilia Literature in German-Speaking Countries

2.9 Representatives of French Consilia Literature of the 16th Century

2.10 The 16th Century Consilia-Literature – Summary

2.11 An Outline of the Development of Consilia-Literature in the 17th and 18th Centuries

3. Consilium, the Patient, Physician and Res Publica Litteraria in Early Modern Consilia Literature

3.1 Creation of Consilium

3.1.1 Selection of Counsellors – Faculty of Medicine or Renowned Physician?

3.1.2Payment for Consilia – Money or a Gift?

3.2 Real Consilia Versus Related Genres

3.3 Collections and Anthologies

3.3.1 Numbers of Consilia in Collections and Anthologies

3.3.2 How Consilia Were Collected for Publication

3.3.3 Editors, their Work and Dedications

3.3.4 Antologies, Advertising and Book Printers

3.4 Patients

3.5 A Physician’s Career and his Consilia

3.6 Paralipomena and Summary

4. Consilia on the French Disease

4.1 An Excursion into Early Modern Physiology and Pathology

4.2 History of the French Disease

4.3 The French Disease in Consilia Literature of the 16th Century

4.4 Advice for Syphilis Patients from Selected Authors

4.5 Summary

5. Conclusion

6. An Example Case Study from the 16th Century
Victor Trincavellius, Consilium CXV. ‘A Dermal Rash’