soranus

Soranus of Ephesus was an ancient Greek physician active in the late 1st and early 2nd centuries CE from Ephesus in Asia Minor. He is associated with the Methodic school of medicine and is best known for his work in obstetrics and gynecology. His four-volume treatise Gynaecology (often cited as Gynaecology by Soranus) laid a systematic foundation for the diagnosis, management, and care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, and it is one of the earliest comprehensive sources on gynecology and early pediatrics. The exact dates of his life are uncertain, but he is generally dated to the late 1st or early 2nd century CE, and he was part of medical traditions that emphasized practical, observation-based methods.

Works and influence: The Gynaecology ascribed to Soranus covers pregnancy, delivery, aftercare, and infant care; it includes descriptions of methods of examination and attention to the signs and symptoms used to diagnose pregnancy, monitor fetal development, and assist delivery. The original Greek text did not survive in full; our knowledge comes from later quotations and summaries by Galen and other writers, and through Latin and Arabic translations in the medieval era. His approach emphasized careful observation, classification of conditions by symptoms, and an empirical, clinical method.

Legacy: Soranus' works influenced later medieval practitioners and helped shape the medical approach to obstetrics and pediatrics in the ancient world and the later Byzantine and Islamic medical traditions. He is often cited as one of the earliest systematic writers on gynecology.