Mattioli considered mercury a specific in the treatment of syphilis. He was probably the first to work extensively on syphilis of the newborn. He is better known for his commentary on Dioscorides.

Mattioli's translation and commentary on Dioscorides provided much new botanical information. As Mattioli continued to expand the commentary, adding new botanical and pharmacological information, through editions in Latin, the images of plants that the work contained also increased both in number and in size and quality, the largest and finest images appearing in the edition of Venice, 1565. Digital facsimile of the 1565 edition from the Biodiversity Heritage Library at this link.