Italian Spetiale/Medical Doctor in the 17th/18th Century: Culture, Food and Environment or a Better Healthness

In the 18th Century the “Spetiale” was a pharmacist who, having a chemical/medical culture, was able to make and distribute herbs, natural potions and drugs to be used in different diseases. As written into an ancient book (“Compendio”) of Fr. Domenico Auda, Head Department of the St Spirito hospital in Rome (“CapoSpeciale nell Archiospedale di San Spirito in Roma”), the condition necessary at that time to practice the Art of Speciaria were: to will, be able and know (“volere, potere e sapere”) (Figure 1) [1,2].