Until recently an English translation of Galen"s On the Properties of Foodstuffs did not exist. This work, by one of the greatest of ancient physicians, provides a lucid description of the ways in which foods were thought to affect the body and were in turn affected by it. It contains revealing fragments of social comment. A retired physician with a particular interest in gastroenterology, Owen Powell offers the most accurate translation of the work currently available, including the first detailed introduction, commentary and discussion of terminology.