Abstract
The anonymous pseudo-Galenic treatise Affections of the Kidneys, likely composed within the context of the iatrosophic school of Alexandria (6th–7th century CE), presents itself as a work of renal anatomo-pathology and hygiene, constructed from a wide range of earlier and contemporary medical sources. Though still largely overlooked in the field of medical history, this text stands as a significant example of the compilatory method characteristic of late antique and Byzantine medical writers. In particular, the pathological process of stone formation described herein constitutes an important precursor to the contemporary concept of mineral crystallization within the kidneys. By examining ancient texts related to renal pathology in light of current nephrological principles, the paper contributes to the broader discourse on the historical continuity of diagnostic and therapeutic reasoning in kidney disease.
Keywords: Ancient Nephrology, Pseudo-Galenic Texts, Late Antique Medicine