inning dangerous operations until he
has provided himself with everything necessary for lessening the danger.
He should have well-shaped members, especially hands with long, slender
fingers, mobile and not tremulous, and with all his members strong and
healthy so that he may perform all the good operations without
disturbance of mind. He must be highly moral, should care for the poor
for God's sake, see that he makes himself well paid by the rich, should
comfort his patients by pleasant discourse, and should always accede to
their requests if these do not interfere with the cure of the disease."
"It follows from this," he says, "that the perfect surgeon is more than
the perfect physician, and that while he must know medicine he must in
addition know his handicraft."

Thinking thus, it is no wonder that he places his book under as noble
patronage as possible. He says in the preface that he "began to write it
for the honor and praise of Christ Jesus, of the Virgin Mary, of the
Saints and Martyrs, Cosmas and Damian, and of King Philip of France as
well as his four children, and on the proposal and request of Master
William of Briscia, distinguished professor in the science of medicine
and formerly physician to Pope Boniface IV and Benedict and Clement, the
present Pope." His first book on anatomy he proposed to found on that of
Avicenna and "on his personal experience as he has seen it." The second
tractate on the treatments of wounds, contusions, and ulcers was founded
on the second book of Theodoric "with whatever by recent study has been
newly acquired and brought to light through the experience of modern
physicians." He then confesses his obligations to his great master, John
Pitard, and adds that all the experience that he has gained while
operating, studying, and lecturing for many years on surgery will be
made use of in order to enhance the value of the work. He hopes,
however, to accomplish all this "briefly, quietly, and above all,
charitably." There are many things in the preface that show us the
reason for Mondeville's popularity, for they exhibit him as very
sympathetically human in his interests.

While Mondeville is devoted to the principle that authority is of great
value, he said that there was nothing perfect in things human, and
successive generations of younger men often made important additions to
what their ancestors had left them. While his work is largely a
compilation, nearly everywhere it shows si