An edition and translation of Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. lat. 187, a late seventh or early eighth century codex, which represents the earliest surviving manuscript of the text. Not written by Galen of Pergamon, the Alphabet of Galen was a handbook of ancient Greek pharmacy, describing 300 natural products (or "simples"), arranged in alphabetical order, transmitted in Latin to the Middle Ages under Galen's name.