Last update:
   09-Sep-2020
 

Arch Hellen Med, 37(Supplement 2), 2020, 148-155

HERBAL MEDICINE

Ibn Al-Baitar
A 13th-century botanical scientist and his suggestions on urinary tract problems

İ. İşlek,1 E. Gültekin,2 E. Pala,3 A.Z. İzgüer,2 A. Balat4
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Istanbul
2Department of Medical History and Ethics, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul
3Department of Family Medicine, University of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Istanbul
4Department of Pediatric Nephrology and Rheumatology, School of Medicine, İstanbul Aydın University, İstanbul, Turkey

OBJECTIVE Ibn Al-Baitar was born in Malaga, Andalusia in the last quarter of the 12th century. He took botanical training in Andalusia and conducted extensive research in botanics, collected many drugs, vegetables, animal products, and introduced them to the medical world. He was recognised as the greatest botanical scientist and pharmacist of his time. 'Kitab Al-Jami Li-Mufradat Al-Adwiya Wa Al-Aghdhiya' is Ibn Al-Baitar's best-known work, acknowledged as the largest plant and drug book of the Middle Ages. It was published in Arabic in 1875, and translated into Latin, German, and French. To the best of our knowledge, so far drugs for urinary tract (UT) problems in Ibn Al-Baitar's work have not been reported in the literature. In this study, we summarised Ibn Al Baitar's suggestions for UT problems.

METHOD For this study, we examined one of the copies of Ibn Al Baitar's manuscript in the records of Turkey. This copy was published in Turkish by the Medical History and Ethics Department of the University of Health Sciences in 2017, and its original copy (written in 1573) is protected in the Hagia Sophia Collection in the İstanbul Süleymaniye Manuscripts Library (Library no: 3745). We identified the drugs that have an effect on the urinary system.

RESULTS In this book, the names of plants, animals and minerals used as medicines are classified alphabetically, and the manner of their preparation and use is described in detail. It has been found that almost 175 drugs were effective for UT, of which 150 were herbals. Their main effects were diuresis, treatment of UT infection, dissolving of urinary stones and analgesia.

CONCLUSIONS The majority of drugs reported in 'Kitab Al-Jami Li-Mufradat Al-Adwiya Wa Al-Aghdhiya' for UT are mixed-acting, and the product of vast experience and observations. Although modern medicine studies have demonstrated that they contain many active substances, it is hard to determine exactly which substance had a specific effect on the urinary system.

Key words: Ibn Al Baitar, Kitab Al Cami, Urinary tract diseases in Andalusian medicine.

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