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4. RHETORIC AND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE IN THE EModE PERIOD<br />

and Taavitsainen 2004: 15). These treatises were generally translations of Latin texts, and<br />

so they showed a formal resemblance, imitating their style. They usually had a<br />

depersonalized mood and referred to ancient medical authorities such as Galen or<br />

Avicenna. In these texts, the expository parts prevailed over the instructive ones, which<br />

were often embedded into the text. However, this was not a homogeneous category and<br />

different types of treatises were intended for different audiences. These differences are<br />

discussed in depth in the monograph edited by Taavitsainen and Pahta (2010, see Pahta<br />

and Ratia 2010: 73-99; Taavitsainen and Tyrkkö 2010: 65-72). On the other hand, there<br />

were general treatises and textbooks, intended for learned specialists and practitioners as<br />

well as for lay people belonging to the middle class. On the other hand, there were<br />

treatises on specific topics, having specific audiences depending on the topic.<br />

Taavitsainen and Pahta (1995: 522) point out that treatises for wide audiences usually had<br />

an instructive purpose, so they used imperative forms quite frequently.<br />

4.5.2.2. Surgical treatises<br />

This category consists of surgical manuals and anatomical descriptions. They were also<br />

considered to be academic because most of them were compiled by university masters<br />

and used to teach at universities (Pahta and Taavitsainen 2004: 15). However, in general<br />

terms, they had a practical use, being used mainly by the members of the surgical<br />

community and particularly by apprentices (Tyrkkö 2010: 123), so they were considered<br />

to be more popular than academic treatises. If we pay attention to their style, surgical<br />

treatises relate medical procedures and, as a result, they used imperatives and second<br />

person pronouns very frequently (Taavitsainen and Pahta 1995: 521)<br />

127

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