Catalogue: Medical Therapeutics
NLM has three items in manuscripts that are concerned with remedies and medical experiences that are specifically called mujarrabat, all of which are anonymous. These are all rather short and informal collections of material.
The first of the three items is concerned with the treatment of diseases of the head including baldness and ulcers.The anonmyous author cites one "Shaykh Dā’ūd" as an authority, probably referring to Dā’ūd ibn ‘Umar al-Anṭākī (d. 1599/1008). If this is a correct interpretation, then this collection of remedies was probably compiled in the 17th century or later.
Amrāḍ al-ra's [wa] dā' al-tha‘lab wa-al-suf‘ah wa-al-qara‘ wa-jamī‘ qurūḥ al-ra's (MS A 87, item 5)- (Diseases of the Head, Loss of Hair, Dark Spots, Baldness, and All Ulcers of the Head)
- امراض [و] دا الثعلب والسفعه والقرع وجميع قروح الراس
- Anonymous
This collection of therapeutic procedures is concerned with the treatment of diseases of the head including baldness and ulcers.The anonmyous author cites one "Shaykh Dā’ūd" as an authority, probably referring to Dā’ūd ibn ‘Umar al-Anṭākī (d. 1599/1008). If this is a correct interpretation, then this collection of remedies was probably compiled in the 17th century or later.
No other copy is recorded.
The treatise has not been published in a modern translation or edition.
Physical Description
Arabic. 7 leaves (fols. 68b-74a, line 8) Dimensions 23.2 x 15.8 (text area 19.5 x 13.5) cm; 31 lines per page. The title is given on fol. 68b line 1. The author is not named. "Shaykh Dā’ūd" is cited on fol. 72a as an authority, probably referring to Dā’ūd ibn ‘Umar al-Anṭākī.
The copy is undated. The general appearance of the paper, ink, and script suggests a date of the 18th century.
The text is written is a medium-large, fairly compact naskh script (in Turkish hand ?) in black ink. There are no rubrications or overlinings or catchwords.
The ivory paper is thick and stiff, with visible laid lines and single chain lines (no evident watermarks).
The volume consists of 186 leaves. It is a mixed volume with 18 different items in it, copied by at least two different copyists. Item 1 (fols. 1a-3b) is an anonymous alchemical fragment (MS A 87, item 1), item 2 (fols. 4a-54a) is the abridgement of a treatise called al-Bayān by Ibn Jazlah (MS A 87, item 2), and item 3 (fols. 54b-64b) extracts from al-Bayān [by Ibn Jazlah] (MS A 87, item 3). Item 4 (fols. 65b-68a) is an anonymous, untitled essay on stones (MS A 87, item 4), item 5 (fols. 68b-74a) an anonymous collection of therapeutic procedures here catalogued, and item 6 (fols. 74a-75b) on regimen for infants, extracted from Kitāb al-Bayān [? Ibn Jazlah] (MS A 87, item 6). Item 7 (fols. 76a-96b) is the anonymous treatise on materia medica (MS A 87, item 7); item 8 (fols. 97a-100a) an anonymous tract on medicinal oils (MS A 87, item 8), and item 9 (fols. 100b-121a) a magical-medical treatise by Ibn Tūmart al-Maghribī (MS A 87, item 9). Item 10 (fols. 121b-125a) is an anonymous alphabetical list of medicaments (MS A 87, item 10), and item 11 (fols. 125b-140b) is the commentary on an identified "poem on the principles of the art of medicine" (MS A 87, item 11). Item 12 (fols. 140b-142a) contains selections from Kitāb al-Ḥāwī fī ‘ilm al-tadāwī by Najm al-Din al-Shirazi (MS A 87, item 12), and item 13 (fols. 142b-157b, 159a-172a) is an untitled anonymous treatise in five chapters on medicine, magic, and divination (MS A 87, item 13). Item 14 (fols. 172b-174a) is an anonymous tract on divination (MS A 87, item 14), item 15 (fols. 174b-175a) untitled extracts from medical writings (MS A 87, item 15), and item 16 (fols. 175a-181b) is an anonymous astrological treatise (MS A 87, item 16). Item 17 (fols. 182a-184b) is an anonymous treatise titled Dā'ir muḥibb fī ‘ilm al-ṭibb , on magical medicine (MS A 87, item 17), while the final item, item 18 (fols. 185a-186b), is an anonymous essay on the numerical values of letters and magic squares (MS A 87, item 18).
Binding
The volume is bound in pasteboards covered with brown leather, over which light-brown paper has been placed on the covers. There is a recent brown leather spine. The paper pastedowns are contemporary with the manuscript and are covered with miscellaneous notes.
Provenance
There is an owner's signature dated 1268 [= 1851-2] on folio 3b of the volume, and there are several owners's notes on folio 4a.
The volume was purchased in 1941 by the Army Medical Library from A.S. Yahuda, who acquired it from a dealer in Sanaa, the Yemen (ELS 2369).
References
Schullian/Sommer, Cat. of incun. & MSS., pp. 326-7 entry A87 (this item not described).
NLM Microfilm Reel: FILM 48-129 no. 4
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[Collection of Experiences and Remedies (mujarrabat)] (MS A 92, item 4)
- Anonymous
This is a short untitled collection of remedies and medical experiences, many of them designated mujarrabat by the unnamed compiler.
No other copies have been identified.
It has not been translated or published in a modern edition.
[Collection of Experiences and Remedies (mujarrabat)] (MS A 92, item 4)
Physical Description
Arabic. 11 pages (pp. 106-116 [old 104-114]. Dimensions 21.1 x 15.0 (text area 15.1 x 9.8 on first 4 pages, then 16.0 x 9.9) cm; 15-25 lines (considerable variation). The collection is untitled and anonymous.
The copy is undated and unsigned. The appearance of the paper suggests the 17th century, and indeed the first item in the volume was copied in 1648/1058 and the third item in 1670/1081. It is possible, however, that this particular item was added quite a bit later.
Apparently a complete copy. The volume has been paginated rather than foliated, and the most recent pagination replaces an older one in Arabic numerals still visible on the leaves. The text is written in several different hands, mostly using a small to medium-small naskh script. There are no catchwords.
The cream paper has laid lines and single chain lines. The same paper appears to have been used throughout the volume, although the copyists change. There is extensive water damage and some folios are worm-eaten; some folios are repaired.
The volume consists of 220 pages and two preliminary pages. The volume has a recent pagination that replaces an older one using Arabic numerals. Page 220 [old 218] is blank. Item 1 (preliminary page 2, and pp 1-67 [old pp. 1-65]) is the Ṭibb al-fuqarā’ wa-al-masākīn by Ibn al-Jazzār (MS A 92, item 1). Item 2 (pp. 68-76 [old 66-74]) is an anonymous collection of recipes (MS A 92, item 2); item 3 (pp. 77-105 [old 75-103]) is Zād al-masīr fī ‘ilāj al-bawāsīr by al-Qawṣūnī (MS A 92, item 3); item 4 (pp. 106-116 [old 104-114]) is the item here catalogued; and item 5 (pp. 117-219 [old 115-217]) consists of Nuzhat al-adhhān fī aṣlāḥ al-abdān by Dā’ūd ibn ‘Umar al-Anṭākī (MS A 92, item 5). Preliminary page 1 has talismanic miscellaneous notes and recipes written in later hands.
Binding
The volume is bound in a tan leather modern library binding. There are modern pastedowns and endpapers.
Provenance
In the collection of the Army Medical Library since 1946; provenance unknown.
References
Schullian/Sommer, Cat. of incun. & MSS., entry A92, p. 329 (this item not described).
NLM Microfilm Reel: FILM 48-130 no 2.
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Risālah-i mujarrabāt (MS P 23, item 2)
- (Treatise on Tested Remedies)
- رساله مجربات
- Anonymous
This is a short Persian collection of compound remedies and therapies. No author is named. The copy is was made in 1807/1222, and it is possible that these remedies were compiled at that time.
Risālah-i mujarrabāt (MS P 23, item 2)
Physical Description
Persian. 3 leaves (fols. 122b-124b). Dimensions 20.3 x 14.8 (text area 13.8 x 9.5) cm; 15 lines per page. The title Risālah-i mujarrabāt occurs at the start of the treatise.
The copy is dated 1222 [= 1807] on fol. 124b. The copyist is not named. The other two items in the volume were also copied in that year (fol. 128a, lines 11-13, is dated 19 Muharram 1222 [= 29 March 1807] and fols. 122a has the year 1222/1807.
The same hand has transcribed all three items in the volume. The text is written in a medium-small, widely spaced, naskh script using black ink with headings in red and red overlinings. The text area is frame-ruled. There are catchwords.
The ivory, thin, semi-glossy paper has visible laid lines, single chain lines, and watermarks. It is soiled by thumbing and has some ink smudges. The same paper is used throughout the volume.
The volume consists of 128 leaves. Fol. 128b is blank. Item 1 (fols. 1a-122a) is Zād al-musāfarīn by Muḥammad Mahdī ibn ‘Alī Naqī (MS P 23, item 1), and item 2 (fols. 122b-124b) is the item here catalogued. Item 3 (fols. 125a-128a) consists of recipes for compound remedies, anonymous and untitled (MS P 23, item 3).
Binding
The volume is bound in tan leather over pasteboards with gilt block-stamped medallions and two smaller decorative devices on both covers. Ther are dark-blue paper pastedowns and modern paper endpapers.
Provenance
There is an undated owner's stamp on fol. 128b.
The volume was in the collections of the Army Medical Library by 1941; no further information is available on provenance.
References
Schullian/Sommer, Cat. of incun. & MSS., entry P23, pp. 336-7 (this item not described).
NLM Microfilm Reel: FILM 48-163 no. 3
