Regimen sanitatis Salernitanum, Latin: The Salernitan Rule of Health (commonly known as Flos medicinae or Lilium medicinae - The Flower of Medicine, The Lily of Medicine) is a medieval didactic poem in hexameter verse. It is allegedly a work of the Schola Medica Salernitana (from which its other name Flos medicinae scholae Salerni is derived), a medieval medical school in Salerno. This school founded in the 9th century is considered possibly the oldest medical school, in a southern Italian city, which held the most important medical information, the most famous and notable being Regimen santiatis Salernitanum. Nearly 300 copies of this poem are published, in various languages, for medical professionals. Origin The Regimen is believed to have been written in the 12th or 13th century, although some sources estimate this to have been as early as 1050. Belief of its origin in the 13th century is due to the popularity it gained around this time, some authorities believe the 1100 mark is accurate as well. The Regimen written in hexameter verse is a form of Greek poetry and often found in old Greek and Latin poems. Similar to iambic pentameter, the style of writing consists of Six Feet dactyls to create an epic. Even though the book bears the name of the famous medieval medical school, it is not certain if it originated there, since there is no reference to Salerno, but the school utilized it as their Code of Health. The Salerno Book of Health is credited as the linear ancestor to surviving medical texts in several aspects of medicine. Some legends claim the poem was written for the benefit of Duke of Normandy Robert Curthose, while others claim it was a gift from the Saliternitan writers to the king of England. The true author is unknown, but it is commonly attributed to John of Milan. There are also large influence from Arab writers that helped dissipate into the foundations of knowledge that the Schola Medica Salernitana used as application to health education. There is not much known about the beginnings and creation of this poem, but there are many references of all aspects of medieval society that shifted the movement of education into public health. In the School of Salerno, the poem is often referred to as the “Schola Salernitana.” This poem evolved to a norm in the world of medical education that it continued its celebrity status