William of Saliceto

William of Saliceto (or Guglielmo da Saliceto) (1210 – 1277) was a surgeon and cleric in Lombardy who broke tradition with Galen by claiming that pus formation was bad for wounds and for the patient. He was a professor at the University of Bologna. In 1275 he wrote Chirurgia which promoted the use of a surgical knife over cauterizing. He also was the author of Summa conservationis et curationis on hygiene and therapy. Lanfranchi of Milan was a pupil who brought William's methods into France. William gave lectures on the importance of regular bathing for infants, and special care for the hygiene of pregnant women.