Who wrote De Morbis Artificium, a work describing diseases of workers?

Who wrote De Morbis Artificium, a work describing diseases of workers?

• A. Bernardino Ramazzini
• B. Hippocrates
• C. Galen
• D. Aristotle

Answer: (A)

This item tests recognizing who first linked specific jobs to health problems and documented those occupational diseases. Bernardino Ramazzini, an Italian physician, wrote De Morbis Artificium, On the Diseases of Workers, around the early 18th century. In it he systematically describes how different trades expose people to particular illnesses—miners with lung issues, tailors with repetitive strain, stonecutters with musculoskeletal problems—and he even suggests preventive practices and safer work habits. This work is considered foundational to occupational medicine. The other figures—Hippocrates, Galen, and Aristotle—made foundational contributions to medicine and theory, but none wrote this treatise on diseases of workers. So Ramazzini is the best answer.

This item tests recognizing who first linked specific jobs to health problems and documented those occupational diseases. Bernardino Ramazzini, an Italian physician, wrote De Morbis Artificium, On the Diseases of Workers, around the early 18th century. In it he systematically describes how different trades expose people to particular illnesses—miners with lung issues, tailors with repetitive strain, stonecutters with musculoskeletal problems—and he even suggests preventive practices and safer work habits. This work is considered foundational to occupational medicine. The other figures—Hippocrates, Galen, and Aristotle—made foundational contributions to medicine and theory, but none wrote this treatise on diseases of workers. So Ramazzini is the best answer.