Abulcasis Al-Zahrawi (c.936-c.1013) [1] is one of the most outstanding physicians of Al-Andalus, besides being an eminent surgeon, the first one of Medieval Islam [2].

The masterpiece of this well-known Cordovan author is titled Kitab al-Tasrif (Book of Medical Arrangement) [3], which is divided into thirty treatises [4] and whose influence reached as far as Renaissance Europe [5].

In the field of pharmacology, which this article mainly is about, Abulcasis is a very representative figure due to his important achievements [6].

The 9th treatise of this important work is an interesting medieval treatise on different fields of medicine, such as cardiology and neurology, including the correct treatment of some of their most common ailments and diseases. This treatise is unpublished nowadays, and it contains recipes of great pharmacological value.

I am currently preparing a study of a full treatise with a Spanish translation.

Below is the English translation of some texts referring to seven recipes with remedies that are beneficial for heart palpitations and tachycardia treatment, according to the 502nd Arabic manuscript of the Süleymaniye Umumi Kutuphanesi from Istanbul and the 137th manuscript of the Tibb Taymur collection from the Egyptian National Library and Archives (Dar al-Kutub al- Misriyya), in Cairo.

Recipe of a Beneficial Electuary for Heart Palpitations and Epilepsy [F.452]

Recipe for an electuary beneficial for anxiety, restlessness, epilepsy every waxing moon, and heart palpitations. Its ingredients: Take 2 dirhams of cassia fistula; nard, spikenard, and lichen, from each, 2 dirhams; bugloss, costus, and elecampane, from each, ½ dirham; gold and silver, from each, 2 carats; musk and amber, from each, 3 carats; yellow amber and coral, from each, 1.5 dirhams; and enough honey. Mix everything up and put it aside. The dose is like that of a bean mixed with syrup at the beginning, middle, and end of the waxing moon. Inhaling a lentil's worth of this remedy with water, in which chard and basil have been cooked, will cure the patient of epilepsy.

A Brief Recipe of a Beneficial Electuary for Anxiety, Restlessness, and Heart Palpitations [F.453]

Its ingredients: Take 1 dirham of crushed dried borage and camphor root and doronic, from each, 4 dirhams. Crush and mix everything, and take in fasting 1 dirham of the remedy at the beginning, middle, and end of the waxing moon, mixed with syrup.

Recipe of another Beneficial Remedy for Anxiety, Restlessness, and Heart Palpitations [F.453]

Take spikenard, Chinese cinnamon, camphor root, and doronic; from each, 2 dirhams each; 1 dirham of dried grapefruit peel; and 1.5 dirhams of dill seed. Crush and mix everything, and take every month for three consecutive days 1 dirham of this remedy together with 1.5 ounces of syrup, in which borage has been macerated, God willing.

Recipe of a Musk Remedy Beneficial for Several Diseases [F.455]

Recipe of a musk remedy, from Sabur's book [7,8], prepared with absinthe, which is beneficial for heart palpitations, throat tumors, stomach dampness and weakness, heart pains, and cold bilious gases. It also protects the heart. Its ingredients: Take Byzantine absinthe, Socotran aloe, and Chinese rhubarb, from each, 6 dirhams; aromatic spikenard, musk, spica, sugar, and myrrh, from each, 2 dirhams; ammi, saffron, and celery seed, from each, 4 dirhams; and 1.5 dirhams of castoreum. Mix all these medicines; after crushing and sieving them, mix everything with pure honey, put it aside in a flat container, and use it when needed.

Recipe of a Beneficial Electuary for Heart Palpitations [F.455]

Recipe of an electuary, from the book of the compound remedies by Ibn Al-Jazzar [9], that is beneficial for heart palpitations caused by yellow bile, and that is also a soft purgative: Take violet flowers, white peat moss, and red rose leaves, from each, 1 dirham; and mastic and fennel seed, from each, 1 daniq. Crush everything, sieve it, and mix it with 2 ounces of quince syrup, plum syrup, rose syrup, or apple syrup. If the cough is very strong, add poppy seeds, peeled cucumber seeds, and peeled melon seeds, from each, 1.5 dirhams; 0.5 dirham of licorice syrup; and 0.5 dirham of tragacanth. It is certainly an excellent remedy.

Recipe of a Beneficial Remedy for Anxiety, Restlessness, and Heart Palpitations [F.456]

Take spikenard, Chinese cinnamon, camphor root and doronic, from each, 2 dirhams; 1 dirham of dried grapefruit peel; and 0.5 dirham of dill. Crush everything, sieve, mix, and administer 1 dirham of this remedy to the patient every three consecutive days, together with 1.5 ounces of syrup in which borage has been macerated. It is certainly an amazing and wonderful medicine.

A Brief Recipe for a Remedy for Heart Weakness and Tachycardia

Take gummed myrobalan from Kabul and crush it; then, add 1/8 of a dirham of musk and take it with wine or rose syrup. It is really an amazing medicine.

Glossary: Weights and Measures

1 carat (qirat) = 200 milligrams

1 Daniq = 1/6 de dirham 

1 dirham = 3.12 grams

1 ounce (uqiyya) = 28.34 grams

Authors cited in the text (in alphabetical order)

Ibn Al-Jazzar

Abu Ja‘far Ahmad ibn Abi Khalid Al-Jazzar (d.circa 1005) is a famous Tunisian physician from Kairouan, belonging to a family of doctors, since his father and uncle were also. He was a philanthropist and wise and cared about healing not only the rich and powerful but also the poor and disinherited ones for whom he composed the book entitled in Arabic Kitab tibb al-fuqara’ (Medicine of the poor), unfortunately lost as well as all his medical production, about twenty, with the exception of two works, Risala fi-ibdal al-adwiya (Epistle about substitute medicines) and above all Zad al-musafir (Traveler's allowance). He also composed a treatise on simple remedies and a treatise on compound remedies, known as Al-Bugya (The Desire), which is cited in these pages. In addition, he wrote about philosophy and history.

Sabur

Sabur (Shapur) Ibn Sahl (d. 869) was an important Persian physician from the Academy of Jundishabur. His most relevant work is called Kitab al-aqrabadhin (Book of Compound Drugs) on antidotes, divided into twenty-two volumes, which had a big influence on the later Arab authors. The Kitab al-aqrabadhin is the work cited in these pages.

Abulcasis Al-Zahrawi is, without any doubt, one of the most important medieval physicians, and he influenced both the Muslim world and the Occident as far as Renaissance Europe. His main work is a masterpiece entitled Kitab al-Tasrif li-man ‘ajiza ‘an al-ta’lif (Book of Medical Arrangement), which is in a high-ranking place within the surgery, medicine, and pharmacology of Al-Andalus. In addition, this book exemplifies the high level achieved by Arab scientific knowledge in the middle Ages, and so it is essential to study its pages in order to make them known to other areas of knowledge. This article contributes to this. The texts translated and studied in this paper certify the relevance of this eminent author in the history of Islamic science as well as his prominent position in the history of universal science.

1. Manfred U. Die Medizin im Islam, Leiden/Koln, Brill. 1970; 128-136.
2. Cambra LMA. Abulcasis Al-Zahrawi, The Surgeon of Al Andalus, European Scientific Journal, Special edition, 2016; 240-247. (Proceedings 2nd Pan-American Interdisciplinary Conference, PIC 2016, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 24-26).
3. Leclerc, Lucien. Histoire de la medecine arabe. Vol.I, Paris: Ernest Leroux. 1876; 437-457.
4. Cambra LMA. Tratado de pastillas medicinales segun Abulcasis, Almeria: Junta de Andalucia, 1996; 13-16.
5. Aldo M. La science arabe et son role dans l’evolution scientifique mondiale. Leiden: E J Brill, 1966.
6. Martin L. Early Arabic pharmacology. An introduction based on ancient and medieval sources. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1973.
7. Ferdinand W. Geschichte der Arabischen Aerzte und Naturforscher, Gottingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht (V&R). 1840; 25.
8. Ibn-Sahl S. Dispensatorium Parvum (al-Aqrabadhin al-Saghir). Edited and annotated by Oliver Kahl. Islamic Philosophy, Theology, and Science, Texts and Studies. Vol. 16. Leiden: E. J. Brill. 1994.
9. Fuat S. Geschichte des arabischen Schrifttums, Vol.III, Leiden: E. J. Brill. 1975; 304-307.