Paolo Zacchia

Paolo Zacchia (1584–1659) was an Italian physician, teacher of medical science and forensic medicine, medico-legal jurist, philosopher, and poet. He is said to have been personal physician to Pope Innocentius X and Pope Alexander VII. Zacchias was also legal adviser to the Rota Romana, the highest Papal court of appeals,

Zacchias's work also contains superstitious views on magic, witches, and demons which were widely held. At the time, both theological and medical knowledge were required to differentiate natural causes of sickness from supernatural causes which might require attention of the Catholic church.

Under Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire in 1532, legal medicine was introduced to the court system via penal code. However, Zacchias's work helped to add scientific basis to the legal practice and court system.

Quæstiones medico-legales

Quæstiones medico-legales is divided into three sections. The first section contains decisions of the Rota Romana during his time serving on it. The other two sections cover questions of human physiology. In them, he examines problems such as the formation of hermaphrodites, and the animation of the foetus and superfoetation. The later two volumes also include many observations by Zacchias on mental disease. Zacchias was also familiar with hypochondriacal disorder or those without genuine illness.

Quæstiones medico-legales was translated into several other languages from Latin, and was used by medical practitioners into the 18th century. Since 2008, a collaborative online project of scholars has been crowd-sourcing an English-language translation of the 85 Consilia at the end of this important book.

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