Top of page

Book/Printed Material The Book of the Pillow on Medicine.

About this Item

Title

  • The Book of the Pillow on Medicine.

Summary

  • Abu al-Mutarrif ʻAbd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad Ibn Wafid was an Andalusian physician and courtier who lived and worked in Toledo during the first half of the 11th century. In Kitāb al-wisād fī al-ṭibb (The book of the pillow on medicine), Ibn Wafid discusses the medicaments to be used for the treatment of a variety of conditions, including dizziness, swellings, boils and skin ulcers, paralysis, and tetanus. In his biography of Ibn Wafid, the 13th century physician Ibn Abi Usaybi'ah wrote that Ibn Wafid devoted himself to the study of the works of Galen and Aristotle, thereby becoming the foremost expert on the topic of simple (as opposed to compound) drugs. The result of this research, which reportedly took 20 years to complete, was Ibn Wafid's Kitāb fī al-adwīya al-mufrada (Book on simple medicines), which was translated into Latin in an abridged version by Gerard of Cremona in the 12th century and is considered by some historians as a companion work to Kitāb al-wisād. In addition to these two titles, Ibn Abi Usaybi'ah lists Tadqīq al-naẓar fī 'ilal ḥassāt al-baṣar (Observations on the treatment of the illnesses of the eye) and Kitāb al-mughīth (Book on assistance), both of which have been lost, among the works by Ibn Wafid. Ibn Abi Usaybi'ah also names Mujarrabāt fī al-ṭibb (Medical experiences) as another work by Ibn Wafid. The title suggests a lost book about medical treatments that have been tested and verified with regard to efficacy. It is possible, however, that Mujarrabāt is merely an alternate title for Kitāb al-wisād, as is suggested by the manuscript shown here, in which the word Mujarrabāt appears in the title page. Another work by Ibn Wafid, De balneis sermo-a book on balneology (the treatment of disease by bathing and medicinal springs)-survives only in Latin. The curious nature of the title Kitāb al-wisād fī al-ṭibb has prompted one modern historian to suggest a misreading of al-wisād for al-rashshād, thus proposing Kitāb al-rashshād fī al-ṭibb (The guide to medicine) as the correct title. The production of the manuscript appears to have experienced unforeseen difficulties, as the script becomes increasingly less legible near the end of the work. It concludes in a scrawling script in Persian, with the scribe stating his difficulties in obtaining reliable versions of the manuscript to conclude his work.

Names

  • Ibn Wāfid, ʻAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad, active 998-1067 Author.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [1200 to 1899]

Headings

  • -  Spain--Castilla-La Mancha--Toledo
  • -  925 to 1067
  • -  Arabic manuscripts
  • -  Diseases
  • -  Drugs
  • -  Medicine
  • -  Medicine, Arab

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource at: Wellcome Library.
  • -  Content in Arabic and Persian.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667361

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Ibn Wāfid, ʻAbd Al-Raḥmān Ibn Muḥammad, Active 998-1067 Author. The Book of the Pillow on Medicine. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1899, 1200] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667361/.

APA citation style:

Ibn Wāfid, ʻ. A. I. M. (1200) The Book of the Pillow on Medicine. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1899] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667361/.

MLA citation style:

Ibn Wāfid, ʻAbd Al-Raḥmān Ibn Muḥammad, Active 998-1067 Author. The Book of the Pillow on Medicine. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1899, 1200] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021667361/>.