*A^ a. Juitf K»y-» jJ^cJ^ ijy^ij*^ o\^^\ 



Figure 17. — A crude form of bulb syringe 

 recommended for use with children. Top, 

 from original Arabic manuscript (Ali 2854), 

 courtesy Siileymaniye Umumi Kiitiiphanesi 

 Mudiirliigii. Bottom, from Leclerc, Abukasis. 



century, no doubt had the experience of dealing with 

 cases involving injuries caused by arrows. The text 

 in chapter 94 discloses his observations in elaborate 

 investigations regarding the extraction of various kinds 

 of arrows from the body.'* Accordingly, several kinds 

 of hooks and forceps for removing arrows are described 

 and depicted in the treatise (see fig. 1 8) . Al-Zahrawi's 

 mention of Turkish bows and arrows led Freind to 

 believe, erroneously, that the author of the treatise 

 must have lived in the 12th century,-' notwithstanding 

 the fact that Turkish bows and arrows were in common 

 use in the latter part of the 10th century. 



The next chapter, on cupping, mentions the use of 

 cups made of horns, wood, copper, or glass, accord- 

 ing to circumstances and the availability of material. 

 The methods of treatment are divided into two kinds: 

 dry cupping, with or without fire, and wet cupping 

 (see fig. 19). He prescribes ointments and aromatic 



2* Heinrich Frolich, "Abul-Kasem als Kriegschirurg," Archiv 

 fur klinische Chirurgie, 1884, vol. 30, pp. 365-376. This well- 

 presented study was reviewed by Paul Schede in Cevtralblatt 

 fUr Chirurgie, 1884, no. 38, pp. 626-627. 



2' Johannis Freind, The History of Physick, London, 1726, vol. 

 2, p. 129. 





mm 





^.-»i>^ 



Figura truforis, in quo eft cavitas, et trufor ; 



cnzxuza 



Figura Truforis furdi; 



U-i-lXi-i-l 



Figure 18. — Hooks and forceps used for the 

 extraction of arrows. Top, from original 

 Arabic manuscript (Tiib. MS. 91), courtesy 

 Universitatsbibliothek Tubingen. Bottom, 

 from Channing, Albucasis. 



and medicated waters to be applied before and after 

 cupping to facilitate healing. Only when cupping is 

 not possible, as on the nose, fingers, and similar parts 

 of the human body, does he propose the use of 

 leeches for treatment.^" Evidently this is an indica- 

 tion that he did not, as generally supposed, encourage 

 the widespread use of leeches. 



The third and final section, cf 35 chapters, deals 

 with the reduction, luxation, and treatment cf injured 

 bones, including fracture cf the pelvis. The advices 

 and warnings in the prelude cf this section appear to 

 repeat some of al-Zahrawi's sayings that had been 

 covered in his previous introductions. The text, hew- 

 ever, presents many facets of interest to the health 



3» In several manuscripts, the chapter on the use of leeches is 

 the last one in the second section of the treatise. 



92 



BULLETIN 228: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



