Introduction to Discourse on Fever of Averroes
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Luisa Maria Arvide Cambra, AJHC, 2018; 1:6 Review Article AJHC 2018,1:6 American Journal of History and Culture (DOI:10.28933/AJHC) Introduction to Discourse on Fever of Averroes Prof.Dr.Luisa Maria Arvide Cambra University of Almeria. Spain ABSTRACT th The 884 Arabic manuscript from the Royal Monastery of San *Correspondence to Author: Lorenzo de El Escorial (Ms. DCCCLXXIX, according to Miquel Prof.Dr.Luisa Maria Arvide Cambra Casiri´s cataloguing) contains in the folios 1rº-7rº and the folios University of Almeria. Spain 63vº-64vº two short treatises written by the great scholar from Cordova Ibn Rushd (Averroes) (1126-1198) on fever and its acute access. The first part (f.1rº to f.7rº), titled in Arabic Talkhīs Kitāb How to cite this article: al-ḥummayyāt (Summary of fevers book), is a paraphrase of Ga- Luisa Maria Arvide Cambra. In- len´s De febris; and the second one (f.63vº to f.64vº) is a booklet troduction to discourse on fever of that lacks a specific title and it possibly is the work called Masā’il Averroes. American Journal of His- fī-nawā’ib al-ḥummà (Questions about the acute access of fever) tory and Culture, 2018,1:6. or Kalām fī-i‘tiqād zamān al-nūba (Speech on the acute bout of fever time). The present article is an approach to the study of these writings and provides the edition and the translation to English of some fragments as well as a brief introduction to the author and his main oeuvre. eSciPub LLC, Houston, TX USA. Website: http://escipub.com/ Keywords: Averroes. Scientific Literature. Fevers. Arabic Medi- eval Medicine. History of science. AJHC: http://escipub.com/american-journal-of-history-and-culture/ 0001 Luisa Maria Arvide Cambra, AJHC, 2018; 1:6 Introduction The main theories discussed in both writings contained in the Escorial manuscript are set out Abū-l-Walīd Aḥmad Ibn Muḥammad Ibn Rushd below. (1126-1198), known in the Western world as Averroes, is one of the most important thinkers Discourse on fever of Averroes of the Middle Ages. He was jurist, astronomer, On the basis of Galen´s theory [15], Averroes mathematician, and over all, physician, describes fever fundamentally as an alteration philosopher and theologian [1]. Among his of natural heat due to corruption of humors more relevant writings [2], we find Kulliyyāt fī-l-- caused by an effusion of waste substances. ṭibb (Generalities on Medicine) [3], in the field of Depending on the humor acting, i.e., blood, medicine, and Tahāfut al-Tahāfut (The phlegm, yellow bile and black bile, in Incoherence of the Incoherence), in the field of accordance with medical system explained by philosophy [4], a book of refutation to Tahāfut Hippocrates [16], and depending on the organ al-Falāsifa (The Incoherence of the of the body affected by corruption, different Philosophers) by the Persian theologian from types of fever can take place. th the 11 century Al-Ghazālī [5]. In a general sense, he indicates that fever Ibn Rush was the main commentator of break period is the convergence time of the Aristotle and the creator of a school: Averroism humor in the organ which the infection is in; and [6], that attempted to reconcile Aristotelian its acute access period is the time which nature ideology with Islam, trying to harmonize Muslim acts to protect and defend the concerned revelation with Aristotelian logic in order to have humor or the time which the humor is corrupted a better understanding of God [7]. This ideology and infected. was the mainstream in European thought until And now, taking as reference the 884th Arabic start of modern experimental science [8]. The manuscript from the Library of El Escorial at theologians of Christian Scholasticism [9], Madrid in Spain, the English translation of some especially St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) fragments from Talkhīs Kitāb al-ḥummayyāt (1rº [10], refuted Averroism, although St Thomas to f.7rº) and Masā’il fī-nawā’ib al-ḥummà / was also built on the Averroistic theories or at Kalām fī-i‘tiqād zamān al-nūba (f.63vº to fº64vº) least was somewhat influenced by them. is provided and, as I said, these texts discuss In relation to Ibn Rushd´s medical works, there causes and kinds of fever as well as its acute are some writings that deal with kinds of fevers access described by Averroes as per the and their acute access. The 884th Arabic Medieval Islamic knowledge [17]. manuscript from the Royal Monastery of San Averroes writes: Lorenzo de El Escorial [11], Ms. DCCCLXXIX [f.1rº] Fever is more virulent when the effusion according to Miquel Casiri´s cataloguing [12], of waste substances is greater and it is less contains in the folios 1rº to 7rº and the folios severe when the pouring of disposal is lower 63vº to 64vº two short treatises written by and more scarce. Furthermore, even when the Averroes on this subject. The first part (f.1rº to body vomits some waste substances, what is fº7rº), titled in Arabic Talkhīs Kitāb al- poured is low and slight whereas, when it ḥummayyāt (Summary of fevers book), is a vomits many waste substances, the spillage is paraphrase of Galen´s De febris [13]; and the copious. Also, when the surplus is toxic, the second one (f.63vº to fº64vº) is a booklet that spilled humors will get corrupted too, and the lacks a specific title and it possibly is the work grade of malignancy will depend on remoteness called Masā’il fī-nawā’ib al-ḥummà (Questions from the natural state. The cause of plenty about the acute access of fever) or Kalām fī- spillage may be either weakness of organ i‘tiqād zamān al-nūba (Speech on the acute receiving surplus or strength of the driving one bout of fever time)[14]. AJHC: http://escipub.com/american-journal-of-history-and-culture/ 0002 Luisa Maria Arvide Cambra, AJHC, 2018; 1:6 or both together or virulence of damage from access time in fever is when nature acts to the expeller. This applies to tumors which protect that humor or when that humor gets cause fever if their heat reaches the heart, as corrupted, because it is necessary the mentioned above. The corruption takes place in existence of humor as soon as this spills into the spilled humors due to the causes already the organ or is generated in it; that is to say, explained but the time of occurrence and their fever access, when it comes upon, starts to characteristics are not of just one type being take place due to the corrupted humor spillage that some of them belong to kind of phlegm, or to its generation. other ones belong to that of black bile and other As we have already mentioned, the acute ones belong to that of yellow bile. When surplus access of fever, i.e., fever crisis, is the action of becomes corrupted, because of this it is natural heat on the corrupted humor, such as generated an unusual heat far from nature of occurs in tumors: Certainly, as soon as organ which the humor is in. And if that heat substance spills to the organ with tumor, there gets to the heart, it is originated for this reason a strange heat is generated. And this is the fever turning numb the organ which surplus action of natural heat on the spilled substance was poured into, although the organ may also (…). not turn numb (…). [f.64vº] A patient suffering from a bout of fever [f.2vº] The first moment of fever is that of rest, has something similar to the one that has taken i.e., when the surplus is accumulated in the food, since first his body gets cold and pulse expeller organ. The second one corresponds to decreases, and at last, later, body gets hot and that of fever crisis, i.e., when the humor is pulse increases. altered and burned by infected heat in the Conclusion receiving organ (…). These pages exemplify Averroes relevance in [f.3vº] Fever will be intermittent when, during history of scientific knowledge in both Islamic the combustion of humor in the receiving organ, and Christian cultures of the Middle Ages. His the humor does not get accumulated in the works and theories, especially those of ejecting one; and if it does, then fever access is philosophy, theology and medicine, had a over and fever develops in an only cycle from considerable influence over later thinkers and start to finish (…). scientists. Among his medical writings there are [f.4vº] According to Galen, the beginning of both the paraphrase of Galen´s De febris and a fever access takes place when the corrupted brief treatise on the access of fever that have heat starts acting upon the accumulated been study subject in this article. humors. It is during the beginning of crisis in the receiving organ when these humors flow to it and not at beginning and end of their References accumulation that is the moment in which fever 1. Miguel Cruz Hernández. Abû-l-Walîd Muhammad starts (…). If fever intermittency occurs at the Ibn Rushd (Averroes). Vida, obra, pensamiento, influencia. Córdoba, 1986; 2nd ed. 1997. moment when the surpluses accumulate in both 2. Josep Puig. Averroes (1126-1198). Madrid, organs, the receiver and the ejector, while at 1997. the same time the outpouring from the ejector 3. Ibn Rushd. Kitâb al-Kulliyyât fî-l-Tibb. to the receiver takes place, then the crisis only Ed.J.M.Fórneas & alii. 2 vols. Madrid, 1987. will occur just during humor combustion (…). 4. Olivier Leaman. Averroes and his philosophy.