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Banner featuring Arabic calligraphy in dark blue ink above the words Islamic Medical Manuscripts at the National Library of Medicine written in burgundy ink.

Catalogue: Medical Monographs - Gallery

Folio 7a from MS A 3/II which begins Fawā’id min Kitāb Tadqīq al-nazar fī ‘ilm ḥāssat al-baṣar (Useful Lessons from the Book 'Accuracy of Examination into Knowledge of the Sense of Vision') by Ibn Wāfid al-Lakhmī. The opaque biscuit paper is water damaged, especially near the edges, and there are areas within the text area that are damaged and illegible. The text is written in a small, compact naskh script written in brown-black ink.

MS A 3/II, fol. 7a

Folio 7b from MS A 3/II which is the second folio of Fawā’id min Kitāb Tadqīq al-nazar fī ‘ilm ḥāssat al-baṣar (Useful Lessons from the Book 'Accuracy of Examination into Knowledge of the Sense of Vision') by Ibn Wāfid al-Lakhmī. The opaque biscuit paper is water damaged, especially near the edges, and there are areas within the text area that are damaged and illegible. The text is written in a small, compact naskh script written in brown-black ink.

MS A 3/II, fol. 7b

Folio 1b from Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf al-Harawī's Kitāb Baḥr al-jawāhir fī taḥqīq al-muṣṭalaḥāt al-ṭibbīyah (The Sea of Jewels in the Precision of Medical Terms). The brown glossy paper has very indistinct horizontal laid lines. The text is written in medium-small ta‘liq in black ink with headings in red.

MS A 6, fol. 1b

Folio 2a from Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf al-Harawī's Kitāb Baḥr al-jawāhir fī taḥqīq al-muṣṭalaḥāt al-ṭibbīyah (The Sea of Jewels in the Precision of Medical Terms). The brown glossy paper has very indistinct horizontal laid lines. The text is written in medium-small ta‘liq in black ink with headings in red

MS A 6, fol. 2a

Folio 6b from ‘Ilm al-ṭābī‘īyāt al-insānīyah (The Science of Human Constitutions). The thin, burnished paper has laid lines and single chain lines. The text is written in a medium-small naskh script written in black ink with headings in red. There is a note in the upper right margin written in red ink and a note in the bottom right margin written in black ink.

MS A 21, fol. 6b

Folio 51a from al-Ḥanafī's Istibṣār fī ‘ilāj amrāḍ al-abṣār (Reflection on the Treatment of Ocular Diseases) featuring the colophon. The stiff, cream paper has visible laid lines and single chain lines. The paper is yellowed near the edges. The text is written in a medium-large naskh script in black ink with headings in red.

MS A 23, fol. 51b

Folio 41b from MS A 27 which begins Fī taqdimat al-ma‘rifah wa-ahkām al-burhān (On Diagnosis and Prognosis and the Determination of the Crisis). The burnished, glossy beige paper has lightly scattered fibres, vertical slightly curved laid lines, and faint single chain lines. The central text is written in a medium-small, compact, elegant and professional naskh script in black ink with headings in red and red overlinings. There are notes in the top right corner and along the right margin.

MS A 27, fol. 41b

Folio 126b from al-Shadhilī's Kitāb al-‘Umdah al-kuḥlīyah fī al-amrāḍ al-baṣarīyah (The Ophthalmological Principle in Diseases of the Visual System) featuring a visual acuity diagram at the top in black and red ink. The text is written in a medium-large, clear naskh script in black ink with headings in red.

MS A 29.1, fol. 126b

Folio 127a from al-Shadhilī's Kitāb al-‘Umdah al-kuḥlīyah fī al-amrāḍ al-baṣarīyah (The Ophthalmological Principle in Diseases of the Visual System) featuring a visual acuity diagram at the bottom in black and red ink. The text is written in a medium-large, clear naskh script in black ink with headings in red.

MS A 29.1, fol. 127ab

Folio 1b of MS A 37 featuring the opening of Ibn Buṭlān's Kunnāsh al-adyirah wa-al-ruhbān (Compendium for Monasteries and Monks). The yellowed paper is fairly opaque, with visible laid lines but traces only of chain lines. The paper is water damaged and wormeaten, with the lower corner especially damaged. The text is written in a clear, large naskh script in gray ink mixed with black, with headings in red.

MS A 37, fol. 1b

Folio 2b from al-Qaysī's Kitāb Natījat al-fikar fī ‘ilāj amrāḍ al-baṣar (The Result of Thinking about the Cure of Eye Disease) which features the beginning of the manual. The biscuit, thick, opaque paper has laid lines. The text is written in a small, compact naskh in black ink with headings in red and red overlinings.

MS A 48, fol. 2b

Folio 35a from al-Qaysī's Kitāb Natījat al-fikar fī ‘ilāj amrāḍ al-baṣar (The Result of Thinking about the Cure of Eye Disease) featuring the colophon. The biscuit, thick, opaque paper has laid lines. The text is written in a small, compact naskh in black ink with headings in red and red overlinings.

MS A 48, fol. 35a

Folio 69b from Aḥmad ibn ‘Abd al-Mun‘im al-Damanhūrī's al-Qawl al-ṣarīḥ fī ‘ilm al-tashrīḥ (The True Word about the Science of Anatomy) featuring the colophon. The beige smooth paper has laid lines and single chain lines and is watermarked. The text is written in medium-small naskh script in black ink with headings in red.

MS A 54, fol. 69b

The lower half of folio 85b from Ibn al-Qifṭī's Ta’rīkh-i ḥukamā’ (The History of Learned Men) featuring Ibn al-Qifṭī's account of the life of the 9th-century physician Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Zakarīyā’ al-Rāzī (Rhazes). The ivory paper is thin, burnished, and watermarked. The text is in a small, compact naskh script written in black ink with headings in red.

MS A 72, fol. 85b

Folio 140b from Ibn al-Qifṭī's Ta’rīkh-i ḥukamā’ (The History of Learned Men) featuring the colophon. The ivory paper is thin, burnished, and watermarked. The text is in a small, compact naskh script written in black ink with headings in red.

MS A 72, fol. 140b

Folio 1b from Muḥammad ibn Maḥmūd's Risālah ḥijamīyah wa-faṣdīyah (A Cupping and Bloodletting Essay). The biscuit paper has wavy laid lines and single chain lines. The text is written in a medium-small naskh script, tending toward nasta‘liq, in black in with purplish-red headings and overlinings.

MS A 88/II, fol. 1b

Page 67 from Ibn al-Jazzār's Ṭibb al-fuqarā’ wa-al-masākīn (Medicine for the Poor and Destitute) featuring the colophon. The cream paper has laid lines and single chain lines. The text is written in a small naskh script using grey ink with headings in red.

Folio 1b featuring the beginning of al-Shahrazūrī's Ta’rīkh-i ḥukamā' (The History of Learned Men). The paper is brittle and yellow-brown, with only laid lines visible. The text is written in black ink.

MS P 17, fol. 1b

Folio 1b of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the illuminated opening giving the title of the treatise in Arabic (hadha kitab Tashrih al-badan), drawn in ink and opaque watercolours. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines. The text is written in a careful and elegant nasta‘liq script within frames of two thin inked lines with the area between filled with gilt. Black ink with rubrications.

MS P 18, fol. 1b

Folio 7b of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring a diagram of cranial sutures, drawn in red and black ink towards the bottom of the page. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines. The text is written in a careful and elegant nasta‘liq script within frames of two thin inked lines with the area between filled with gilt. Black ink with rubrications.

MS P 18, fol. 7b

Folio 8a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring a schematic inked diagram of the bones of the upper jaw (maxilla) with the positions of the teeth indicated on the right center side of the page. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines. The text is written in a careful and elegant nasta‘liq script within frames of two thin inked lines with the area between filled with gilt. Black ink with rubrications.

MS P 18, fol. 8a

Folio 12b of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring a skeleton, viewed from behind with the head hyperextended so that the mouth is at the top of the page in inks and opaque watercolors. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines.

MS P 18, fol. 12b

Folio 18a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the nervous system, with the figure drawn from the back and the nerves indicated in opaque watercolor. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines.

MS P 18, fol. 18a

Folio 20a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the muscle figure, shown frontally, with extensive captions describing the muscle. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines.

MS P 18, fol. 20a

Folio 25b of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the venous system, with the figure drawn frontally and the internal organs indicated in opaque watercolors. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines.

MS P 18, fol. 25b

Folio 28a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the arterial figure, shown frontally with the internal organs indicated in opaque watercolours. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines.

MS P 18, fol. 28a

Folio 39a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the colophon, written diagonally at the bottom of the page. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines. The text is written in a careful and elegant nasta‘liq script within frames of two thin inked lines with the area between filled with gilt. Black ink with rubrications.

MS P 18, fol. 39a

Folio 39b of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the figure of a pregnant woman. This is essentially the arterial figure on which a gravid uterus with the foetus in a breech or transverse position has been superimposed. The paper is thick, creamy, opaque and burnished with faint irregular laid lines.

MS P 18, fol. 39b

Folio 5a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring a diagram of the cranial suture (upper illustration), drawn in red and black ink, and a schematic diagram of the bones of the upper jaw (maxilla) with the positions of the teeth indicated. The paper is smooth, strong, opaque, fairly thick, and burnished.

MS P 19, fol. 5a

Folio 8a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring a skeleton, viewed from behind with the head hyperextended so that the mouth is at the top of the page in inks and opaque watercolors. The paper is smooth, strong, opaque, fairly thick, and burnished.

MS P 19, fol. 8a

Folio 11b of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the nervous system, also viewed from the back with the head hyperextended. The pairs of nerves are indicated by inks of contrasting colours. The paper is smooth, strong, opaque, fairly thick, and burnished.

MS P 19, fol. 11b

Folio 13a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the muscle figure, shown frontally, with extensive captions describing the muscles. The paper is smooth, strong, opaque, fairly thick, and burnished.

MS P 19, fol. 13a

Folio 16b of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the venous system, with the figure drawn frontally and the internal organs indicated in opaque watercolors. The paper is smooth, strong, opaque, fairly thick, and burnished.

MS P 19, fol. 16b

Folio 18a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the arterial figure, shown frontally with the internal organs indicated in opaque watercolours. The paper is smooth, strong, opaque, fairly thick, and burnished.

MS P 19, fol. 18a

Folio 18a of Ibn Ilyās' Tashrīḥ-i badan-i insān (The Anatomy of the Human Body) featuring the figure of a pregnant woman. This is essentially the arterial figure on which a gravid uterus with the foetus in a breech or transverse position has been superimposed. The illustration is slightly defaced. The paper is smooth, strong, opaque, fairly thick, and burnished.

MS P 19, fol. 24b

Folio 554 from MS P 20 featuring an illustration, in ink and opaque watercolors, of a pregnant woman with abdomen and chest opened to reveal the internal organs and fetus. Surrounding the figure are drawings of [at the top] two hearts, [lower right] the lungs, and something unidentifed in the lower left (labeled the opening of the vagina).

MS P 20, fol. 554b

Folio 555a from MS P 20 featuring an illustration, in ink and opaque watercolors, of a male figure with his abdomen and chest opened to reveal the internal organs. His right hand holds a second set of genitalia, and a horn is in his other hand, with a sketch of the liver and gallbladder in the upper left corner.

MS P 20, fol. 555a

Folio 556b from MS P 20 featuring drawings of individual organs in inks and opaque watercolors. Illustated are [in upper left] the liver with gallbladder, [in the center] the stomach with intestines, [lower left] the testicles, [lower right] a detail of the stomach, and something unidentified in upper right corner.

MS A 20, fol. 556b

Folio 557a from MS P 20 featuring drawingsof individual organs, in inks and opaque watercolors. Illustrated are [at top] a composite rendering of the tongue, larynx, heart, trachea, stomach, and liver; [left] a composite drawing of the ureters, urethra, kidneys, testicles, and penis; [right] the external female genitalia; and [at bottom] a composite rendering of the internal female genitalia with a gravid uterus.

MS P 20, fol. 557a

Folio 558b from MS P 20 featuring a drawing in ink and light-gray wash of a skeleton leaning on a pedestal.

MS P 20, fol. 558b

Folio 559a from MS P 20 featuring a drawing in ink and light-gray wash of a skeleton leaning on a scythe.

MS P 20, fol. 559a

Folio 23b from al-Qaysī's Kitāb Natījat al-fikar fī ‘ilāj amrāḍ al-baṣar (The Result of Thinking about the Cure of Eye Disease) which features a diagram illustrating stages of visual acuity. The biscuit, thick, opaque paper has laid lines. The text is written in a small, compact naskh in black ink with headings in red and red overlinings.

MS A 48, fol. 23b

Folios 1b and 2a of Ibn al-Tilmīdh's Maqālah fī al-faṣd (An Essay on Bloodletting). The paper has repairs and worm holes on the edges. The text is written in a small, casual naskh script hand in uneven lines.

MS A 58.1, fols. 1b-2a

Folios 1b and 2a of Tashrīḥ al-abdān featuring the opening. The thin, burnished paper has very fine laid lines, single chain lines, and is watermarked. The text is written in a small naskh script in black ink with headings in red and red overlinings.

MS A 76, fols. 1b-2a

Folio A of MS P 5 which features two drawn figures. The figure on the left is a bloodletting figure having points labeled that were thought best for phlebotomy. The figure on the right is a figure, drawn frontally, showing the venous system. The paper has vertical, rather wavy, laid lines and single chain lines.

MS P 5, fol. 204a

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