Hildegard von Bingen's Physica and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more


or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Kindle Edition
 
   
Sell Back Your Copy
For a $3.69 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Hildegard von Bingen's Physica: The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing
 
 
Start reading Hildegard von Bingen's Physica on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Hildegard von Bingen's Physica: The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing [Hardcover]

Hildegard of Bingen (Author), Priscilla Throop (Translator)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

List Price: $25.00
Price: $16.50 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $8.50 (34%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it delivered Wednesday, February 1? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $9.99  
Hardcover $16.50  

Book Description

September 1, 1998

One of two major medical treatises by medieval healer Hildegard von Bingen, presented in its entirety for the first time in English during the 900th anniversary of her birth. 


• A seminal text in the development of Western herbal medicine 


• Presents nine categories of healing systems--Plants, Elements, Trees, Stones, Fish, Birds, Animals, Reptiles, and Metals--and elaborates on their medicinal use 


• Closely related to Eastern medical approaches that are gaining respect today 


Saint, mystic, healer, visionary, fighter, Hildegard von Bingen stands as one of the great figures in the history of women in me. 

At a time when few women could write and most were denied a formal education, Hildegard von Bingen became a legendary healer, visionary, musician, artist, poet, and saint. Her works include twenty-seven symphonic compositions; Scivias, a compilation of her visions; and her two major medical works, Causae et Curae, a medical compendium, and Physica, published here in English in its entirety for the first time. 

Physica has a strong affinity with the Eastern medical approaches gaining great respect today. The modern reader interested in natural healing will recognize the enormous truth in the theories of this 12th-century physician, which remind us that our cures for illness depend on our natural world and our place in it. 


Frequently Bought Together

Hildegard von Bingen's Physica: The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing + Hildegard of Bingen's Medicine (Folk Wisdom Series) + Hildegard of Bingen's Spiritual Remedies
Price For All Three: $40.03

Show availability and shipping details

Buy the selected items together
  • In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Hildegard of Bingen's Medicine (Folk Wisdom Series) $10.88

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Hildegard of Bingen's Spiritual Remedies $12.65

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Editorial Reviews

Review

"A work filled with astonishments and delights for present-day readers."
(Lee Pennock Huntington, Montpelier Times Argus )

"Saint, mystic, healer, visionary, fighter, Hildegard von Bingen stands as one of the great figures in the history of women in medicine. She was renowned for her healing work and her original theories of medicine."
(Elisbeth Brooke, in Women Healers )

"Gives a good sense of 12th century herbalism based on humors, common superstition, and sprinkled with a dose of Bingen's mystical insights."
(American Herb Association, Vol 16:2 )

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: Latin

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Healing Arts Press; First Thus edition (September 1, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0892816619
  • ISBN-13: 978-0892816613
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but challenging, August 3, 2007
By 
This review is from: Hildegard von Bingen's Physica: The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing (Hardcover)
I have tried to use this book once or twice. One of the things that still make me giggle is using lion's ears to combat deafness. Then I remembered all these animal body-parts that are still being harvested for their medical qualities that are bringing the animals into extinction -- like is the case with the rhinoceros and the shark. So I stop giggling and stick to the plant sections.

The recipes that Hildegard uses are sometimes hard to do because I simply have no idea what some of the plants she uses are. She also uses wine a lot, which is new to me. I come from a tea tradition, so boiling things in wine is a true novelty. Maybe this is why I have not used it much since it can be very different from what I know. On the other hand, it has provided me wonderful new experiences in the herbal work! I have not used the mineral section yet, and only stuck to the plant section.

At the very least, it is a fascinating treatise on medieval medicine. I do recommend it!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Translation avoiding Christian themes, June 5, 2011
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Hildegard von Bingen's Physica: The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing (Hardcover)
This book is very interesting as other reviewers noted. The biggest issue I have with it is the poor translation of Christian themes (natural to a work written by a nun of the 12th century). Where the word "demon" is used in the original text, the translator, Priscilla Throop, renders it as "airy spirit". And yes, there is a big difference between an "airy spirit" and a demon. Consider which one you would want in your bedroom at night. Yes, there is a difference. This makes me wonder what else Throop is twisting to fit her own worldview instead of simply giving us Hildegard's writings in common English.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars a contribution to the study of medieval medicine, February 27, 2006
This review is from: Hildegard von Bingen's Physica: The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing (Hardcover)
Ms.Throop provides a learned introduction to Hildegard and a fluent translation of an important medical text.Scholars and interested laymen will benefit from her efforts.
Michael T.Walton,Ph.D.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews





Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
someone ails, powder with bread, metallic jar, fine whole wheat flour, half pennyweight, new clay pot, one whose stomach, rotten matter, much fennel, goat tallow, garden spurge, female fern, harmful humors, deer tallow, noxious humors, deer marrow, hot tile, less sage, warm herbs, same ointment, diabolic arts, cooked honey, airy spirits, pure wine
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Holy Spirit
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:


What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject