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

The master piece of this well-known Cordovan author is titled Kitab al-Ta?rif (Book of medical arrangement) [3], that 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 22nd treatise of this important work is an interesting treatise of neumology on deseases relatives to lungs and respiratory tract, as well as the correct treatment of these.  This treatise that contains recipes of a great value to the fields of pharmacology and neumology is inedit nowadays and it is divided into three chapters:

• Beneficial remedies for hot cough
• Beneficial remedies for cold cough
• Beneficial remedies for intermediate hot and cold cough

I am currently preparing a study with a Spanish translation of its pages.

Below is the English translation of some texts taken from the first chapter and referring to seven recipes for beneficial hot cough remedies, according to the 5774th Arabic manuscript of the National Library at Paris, and the 502nd Arabic manuscript of the Süleymaniye Umumi Kütüphanesi from Istanbul.

Recipe Of a Beneficial Electuary for Both Chronic And Recent Cough And It Also Facilitates Expectoration [F.122vº]

Take licorice root, poppy seed, white tragacanth, weakling and spikenard, from each, 30 dirhams; and  gum arabic, licorice syrup, sweet flag, broad bean flour, ennel seed, lettuce seed, starch, purslane seed and peeled sweet pumpkin seed, from each, 5 dirhams. Then, crush, sift and knead it with honey. The dose is 3 dirhams.

Recipe of an electuary made with poppy from Is??q ibn ‘Imran [7] beneficial for all chest diseases due to colds and bad cough [f.122vº-f.123rº]

Take 30 dirhams of peeled licorice root, after having crushed ind sifted it some times; weakling, spikenard and peeled sweet almond, from each, 36 dirhams; white tragacanth, gum arabic and broad bean flour, from each, 1 ounce; 10 dirhams of barley; [f.123rº] coriander, maidenhair, fennel seed, anise and purslane seed, from each, 1 ounce; and 20 dirhams of poppy seed. Crush each one  separately, sift what you like and knead it with honey. Then, it is collected in a flat clay container and used according to the patient´s symptoms.

Recipe Of A Beneficial Remedy For Cough With Fever And Thick Sputum Difficult To Expectorate [F.125rº]

Take 10 dirhams of maidenhair; 5 dirhams of melon seed; and sealing wax, cucumber seed and broad bean flour, from each, 5 dirhams. Everything is combined, previously crushed and sieved, and it kneaded with violet syrup. The dose is 4 dirhams.

Recipe Of Beneficial Poppy Pills For Dry Cough As Well As For Catarrhs And Colds [F.125rº-F.125vº]

Take 30 dirhams of white poppy; pumpkin seed, cucumber seed and white henbane seed, from each, 15 dirhams; and starch and gum Arabic, from each, 15 dirhams. Everything is combined, previously crushed, sieved and kneaded with psyllium mucilage, and make with this some pills of 3 dirhams in weight, The dose is one pill taken with poppy syrup and barley wáter. It is good for cough with fever and sputum.

Recipe of an oil composed by Ibn Al-Jazz?r [8] for a young woman who was suffering from a dry cough [f.127rº]

The patient was extremely thin and with a very weak and complaining nature, and benefited greatly from this remedy:

Take mustard grain and marshmallow seed, from each, 10 dirhams; and flowers of violet, melon seed starch, pumpkin seed starch and white tragacanth, from each, 5 dirhams. Put that together in 1 pound of pomegranate water and roasted pumpkin water, ½ pound of violet oil and ½ pound of sweet almond oil, and simmer until dry without liquid. Then, take the oil and filter it into a glass container. The dose is 5 dirhams mixed with water. This remedy certainly soothes and relieves.

Recipe of a beneficial oil for cough due to fever that was composed by Ibn Masawayh [9] [f.127vº]

Take marshmallow seed, violet leaves, licorice root and pitted raisins, from each, 10 mithqals; and 100 mithqals of sweet pomegranate.  Crush these simple remedies and macerate them in pomegranate water for one night. Later add 50 mithqals of violet oil and let this simmer until 2/3 of water evaporates and only 1/3 remains. Then, strain the oil bit by bit and put it in some jars. The dose is 1 mithq?l to be drunk along with 6 mithqals of psyllium mucilage. It is a very fast acting oil.

Description of a beneficial bandage for dry cough [f.128vº]

Take pumpkin rind, barley flour and a little bit of marshmallow, mix everything with violet oil and apply from this on the chest and stomach.

Glossary: Weights and Measures

• 1 Dirham= 3,12 grams
• 1 Mithq?l= 4,68 grams
• 1 Ounce ((?qiyya)= 28,34 grams
• 1 Pound (ra?l)= 453,59 grams

Abu Zakariya Yu?anna ibn Masawayh (c.777-857) is one of the main authors of science from Middle Ages. His knowledge involves a mixture of Hellenistic elements, Christian ideas and recipes from Orient, the result of which was to unite alchemy, medicine and astrology. He translated many Greek scientific works and belonged to the famous Bayt al-?ikma (House of Wisdom) in Bagdad, which he became the director of. Failing to obtain human subjects for dissection, a practice which was never encouraged by Islam, had recourse to apes. Under these conditions little progress was made in the science of anatomy, except possibly in studying the anatomical structure of the eye. He wrote the oldest systematic treatise on ophthalmology in Arabic, entitled Al-‘Ashr maqalat fi l-‘ayn (The ten treatises on the eye). According to the Arabic sources, Ibn Masawayh wrote over forty works, but only ten remain. The Latin versions are more numerous

Abu Jafar A?mad 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 ?ibb 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 (Travelers allowance). He also wrote about philosophy and history.

Is?aq ibn Imran

Born in Baghdad, he lived in the 10th century and died in Kairouan, Tunisia. He practiced medicine in North Africa, was also an instructor and teacher of doctors and had a very prominent role in the exercise of his profession. He stood out among the rest of colleagues for his books on botany, and his treatise on melancholy (Al-Maqala fil-malijuliya) achieved great influence and fame even after his death.

Abulcasis is, without any doubt, one of the most important medieval physicians and he influenced both Muslim world and Occident as far as Renaissance Europe. It is essential to study his work and make it known to other areas of knowledge. This article contributes to this.

1. Manfred U. Die Medizin im Islam, Leiden. 1970;128-136.
2. Cambra LMA. Abulcasis Al-Zahrawi, The Surgeon of Al Andalus European. Scientific Journal. 2016; 240-247.
3. Leclerc, Louis. Histoire de la medecine arabe, Paris. 1876; 437-457.
4. Cambra LMA. Tratado de pastillas medicinales segun Abulcasis, Almeria. 1996; 13-16.
5. Mieli, Aldo. La science arabe et son role dans levolution scientifique mondiale, Leiden 1966.
6. Levey, Martin. Early Arabic pharmacology. An introduction based on ancient and medieval sources, Leiden.1973.
7. Ibn Abi U?aybia. Uyun al-anba fi-?abaqat al-a?ibba, Beirut. 1979; 61.
8. Sezgin, Fuat. Geschichte des arabischen Schrifttums, Leiden. 1975; 304-307.
9. Brockelmann, Carl. Geschichte der arabischen Litteratur. Leiden. 1937; 232.