Albertus Magnus "On Animals": A Medieval "Summa Zoologica" (Foundations of Natural History) (Vols 1-2)

Volume I -- Introduction: The Life And Works Of Albert The Great -- Book One: On Animal And Human Members -- The First Tract, On The Diversity Of Animal Members -- The Second Tract, On The Disposition Of Human Members -- The Third Tract, On The Internal Members -- Book Two: A Comparison Of The Human And Other Animals -- The First Tract, On The Visible Members -- The Second Tract, A Comparison Of The Internal Members Of Animals And Humans -- Book Three: On The Origin Of The Uniform Members In Animals -- The First Tract, On The Veins, Blood, And Nerves -- The Second Tract, On The Uniform Members Which Are Not Contiguous -- Book Four -- The First Tract, On Bloodless Marine Animals -- The Second Tract, On Sense, Voice, And Sleep In Bloodless Animals And The Difference Between Male And Female -- Book Five: On The Generation Of Animals -- The First Tract, On Differences In Their Copulation -- The Second Tract, On Sperm Production And The Formation Of Young -- Book Six: The Nature, Anatomy, And Generation Of Eggs -- The First Tract, On Diversity Among Eggs -- The Second Tract, On The Eggs Of Fish And Swimmers -- The Third Tract, On The Generation Of Viviparous Walkers -- Book Seven -- The First Tract, On The Dispositions And Life Of Animals -- The Second Tract, On Health And Illnesses Of Animals -- The Third Tract, A Digression On The Things Introduced -- Book Eight: On Animals' Habits -- The First Tract, On Why They Fight One Another -- The Second Tract, On Animal Prudence And Stupidity -- The Third Tract, In One, On The Cunning And Cleverness Of Sea Creatures -- The Fourth Tract, On Cleverness In Ringed Creatures -- The Fifth Tract, On The Habits Of Quadrupeds -- The Sixth Tract, Solving Doubts Arising Above -- Book Nine: On The Principles And Origin Of Human Generation -- The First Tract, On Human Origin From A Mature Seed -- The Second Tract, Treating Galen And Aristotle On Human Generation -- Book Ten: On Impediments To Generation -- The First Tract -- The Second Tract, On The Causes Of Sterility -- Volume Ii -- Book Eleven -- The First Tract, On The Order Of Instruction Of Animals -- The Second Tract, On The Ultimate End Of Animals -- Book Twelve: On The Cause Of Uniform And Nonuniform Members -- The First Tract, On Uniform And Principle Members -- The Second Tract, On The Nature Of Uniform Members -- The Third Tract, On The Organic Members Of The Head -- Book Thirteen: On The Inner Members -- The First Tract, On The Windpipe, Esophagus, And Lungs -- The Second Tract, On The Intestines -- Book Fourteen: On The Outer Members -- The First Tract, On The Outer Members Of Ringed Animals, Shellfish, And The Malakye -- The Second Tract, On The Visible Members -- Book Fifteen: On The Causes Of The Generation Of Animals -- The First Tract, On The Distinction Between The Sexes -- The Second Tract, On The Nature Of Sperm -- Book Sixteen: On The Powers Of Reproduction, With Respect Both To The Soul And To The Members -- The First Tract, On The Introduction Of The Soul -- The Second Tract, On Sterility In Animals And On The Generation Of Homogeneous Members -- Book Seventeen: On Oviparous Animals -- The First Tract, On Oviparous Birds -- The Second Tract, On The Ringed Creatures -- Book Eighteen: On The Generation Of Perfect Animals -- The First Tract, On The Differentiation Of The Sexes -- The Second Tract, On The Number Of Offspring -- Book Nineteen: On The Senses And Their Accidents -- Book Twenty: On The Nature Of Animal Bodies -- The First Tract, On What Constitutes The Body -- The Second Tract, On The Formal Powers -- Book Twenty-one: On Perfect And Imperfect Animals -- The First Tract, On Degrees Of Perfection -- Book Twenty-two: On The Nature Of Animals -- The First Tract, On The Human -- The Second Tract, On Quadrupeds -- Book Twenty-three: On The Nature Of Birds -- Book Twenty-four: On Aquatic Animals -- Book Twenty-five: On The Nature Of Serpents -- I. The Nature Of Serpents In General -- Ii. Understanding The Nature And Complexion Of Serpents' Venom -- Book Twenty-six: On Vermin -- I. The Nature Of Vermin, 1739 -- Appendix: Alternative Version Of The Beginning Of 'de Animalibus', 1765. Albertus Magnus ; Translated And Annotated By Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr., & Irven Michael Resnick. Glossary: P. [1769]-1776 (in V. 2). The Writings Of Albertus Magnus: V. 1, P. [xxxix]-xlii. Includes Bibliographical References (v. 2, P. [1777]-1800) And Index. Dating from the mid-thirteenth century, Albert the Great's monumental treatise on living things, their characteristics, and their place in the natural order stands as one of the most valuable contributions to the history of science, ranking in importance with the writings of Aristotle and Linnaeus. Yet until now--more than seven hundred years after his death--Albert's De Animalibus has never been completely translated from the original Latin. Drawing on all available source materials, Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr., and Irven Michael Resnick present the first complete, fully annotated English translation of this magisterial work. It is, as they explain, a summa in two senses of the word. First, it is a "summary,"a summation of all contemporary knowledge in a given field. Albert writes of human anatomy, reproductive theories, equine and canine veterinary medicine, folk remedies against household pests, cures for rabies and sterility, how to train a falcon, whether an ostrich will eat iron, and much, much more. At the same time, this work is a summa in that it is the epitome or highest expression of this sort of work. It represents the first passage to the Latin West of Aristotle's natural works. Yet it adds to the received text the vast knowledge Albert acquired in a lifetime of observing, testing, and recording. The result is unique, highly reflective of the period in which it was written, and remarkably forward looking. The work is scholarly, to be sure, but it can also be highly entertaining, offering useful insights into medieval life not seen elsewhere. Whether Albert writes of his early experiences in falconry or relates what he learned in conversations with fisherman, soldiers, and craftsmen, we are drawn into a real, day-to-day world where the lure and lore of animals are of paramount importance. The subjects range from castrated, philandering priests who nonetheless manage to produce children to medical marvels and physiognomic trails. Do bats have legs and birds bladders? Can partridges really become impregnated via the wind? Why do children's teeth grow back, but those of adults do not? How do people pretend to wiggle their ears? Why are people occasionally produced with too many fingers, and what causes what today are called Siamese twins? Albert's interest in the world around him was truly universal and in this way, too, he is the Doctor Universalis. This is a translation of Albert the Great's mid-13th century treatise on living things. The text covers human anatomy, reproductive theories, equine and canine veterinary medicine, folk remedies against household pests, advice on training a falcon, and cures for rabies and sterility.