magician. The chief distinction of his writings lies in the fact that they contain a large number of original observations which he made during the course of his journeys afoot through Germany in the character of Provincial of the Dominican Order. This habit of exercising entire independence in the use of his reasoning powers was something quite rare in those days. His observations were directed chiefly to matters belonging to the domains of zoölogy, botany, climatology, mineralogy, chemistry and physics. The following significant advice, says Neuburger, is attributed to him: "As regards the doctrines which relate to questions of belief and of morality, it is the part of wisdom to attach greater authority to Saint Augustine than to the philosophers; in matters belonging to the domain of medicine put your chief trust in Galen and in Hippocrates; in natural history, however, your best guide is Aristotle." Neuburger adds that, throughout the writings of Albertus Magnus, there appear interesting statements relating to anatomy, physiology, psychology, and the plants and minerals which may be used for remedial purposes.
An edition of the writings of Albertus Magnus (21 folio volumes) was published in Lyons by Petrus Jamy in 1651. The work was republished in Paris in 1892 and following years.
Vincent of Beauvais.—Vincent of Beauvais, France, a Dominican monk who lived during the first half of the thirteenth century and was the tutor of Louis the Ninth's children, devoted the major part of his time to literary work. He wrote many theological treatises and also edited a large encyclopaedia in which information is furnished regarding everything that was known at that time. Several hundred authors aided him in compiling this work, which is entitled "Speculum Majus." It is arranged in three parts, one of which ("Speculum Naturale") consists of 33 books that are divided into 3740 chapters; and quite a number of the divisions are devoted to topics relating to medicine. The authors, from whose writings this medical information has been abstracted, are Hippocrates, Aristotle, Dioscorides,
