In the first century A.D., Dioscorides collected all the available information of his time about every animal, vegetable, mineral, and insect substance that could be used to treat human health problems. He published this information, which included descriptions of nearly 600 plants and almost a thousand drugs, in five volumes known as De materia medica. Two later volumes on poisons were also attributed to Dioscorides. His books were often illustrated with precise drawings, and they were translated into many languages, including Latin, Arabic, Italian, French, Spanish, German, and Persian. They were widely distributed throughout the western world in antiquity. Beginning in the sixth century A.D., some editions were alphabetized for quick reference, which made his works into early medical dictionaries.

Although Dioscorides was Greek, he spoke his native tongue with an accent because he was born in Cilicia, an ancient state located in modern-day Turkey. The Roman...