Islamic science : crossroad of cultures. An exhibition at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine ... 19 June to 12 November 1985 / [compiled by Nigel Allan].

  • Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine.
Date:
1985
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Islamic science : crossroad of cultures. An exhibition at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine ... 19 June to 12 November 1985 / [compiled by Nigel Allan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The opening exhibited from the second section concerns midwifery and shows a selection of gynaecological instruments including forceps, hook or crochet and probes. No. 3017 ff.25^, 26^. Liber totius medicinae necessariae continens, quern... Haly filius Abbas.. .edidit regique inscripsit composed by Haly Abbas ('AIT b. al-'Abbas al-MajusT fl.4/10th century). This great treatise concerned with the theory_ and practice of medicine and entitled in its original Arabic as Kamil al-sina^a al-^ibbiyah Complete art of medicine or al-Malald the royal book was first translated in part into Latin by Constantme the African. Subsequently the whole work was rendered into Latin in 1127 by Stephen of Antioch with annotations by Michael de Capella. This translation was first published under the title Liber regalis dispositio nominatus ex arabico venetiis (Venice, 1492). ~K subsequent reprint which is shown here appeared under the title Liber totius medicinae necessariae continens... printed in 1523 by J. Mynt at Lyons. The title page is displayed of a volume successively owned by Leonardo Botallo of Asti physician to Francis I of France, Turquet de Mayerne (1573-1655) physician to James I of Great Britain, and John Channing the distinguished 18th century editor of Abulcasis. Medical Society of London Purchase f. 1 . CASE 15, ISLAMIC STUDIES IN ENGLAND FROM THE 16TH TO EARLY 18TH CENTURIES. The impetus for the study of the languages of the Islamic world came from the continent under the combined influence of the Renaissance and the Reformation. The study of the Bible in its original languages stimulated an interest in Hebrew which following an Act of Parliament in 1536 was taught at Oxford and Cambridge. James 1 ordered a new translation of the Bible which was published in 1611 as Newly translated out of the original tongues and with the former translations diligently compared and reuised by his Majesties speciall Commandment. In the 17th century chairs of Arabic were established at Oxford and Cambridge, manuscripts were collected, grammar, history and travel books pertaining to Islam were printed. This, along with increasing expansion of trade with the Islamic world, gave rise to a small but distinguished group of English savants concerned with the study of Islam, its culture, history and languages. Grammatica Arabica written by Thomas Erpenius and printed in Leiden at the Raphelangius Press in 1613. Thomas Erpenius (1584-1624), the distinguished Dutch orientalist, studied at Leiden and travelled in several European countries including England. While in Paris he took lessons in Arabic from an Egyptian and perfected his knowledge of Turkish, Persian and Ethiopian in Venice. In 1613 he was appointed professor of Arabic and oriental languages except Hebrew in the University of Leiden, and in 1619 the university authorities instituted a second chair of Hebrew in his favour. He had new Arabic characters cut at great expense and created a press in his own house. Erpenius -35-