Volume 1

The book of the ten treatises on the eye, ascribed to Hunain ibn Is-hâq (809-877 A. D.) : the earliest existing systematic text-book of ophthalmology / the Arabic text edited from the only two known manuscripts, with an English translation and glossary, by Max Meyerhof.

  • Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq al-ʻIbādī, 809?-873.
Date:
1928
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The book of the ten treatises on the eye, ascribed to Hunain ibn Is-hâq (809-877 A. D.) : the earliest existing systematic text-book of ophthalmology / the Arabic text edited from the only two known manuscripts, with an English translation and glossary, by Max Meyerhof. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    82/528 (page 20)
    A*\ 5 10 15 20 25 V III.—The Third Treatise on the Subject of Vision.f1) He who wishes to have an exact and thorough knowledge of the conditions prevailing in the organ of vision must, after studying the nature of the eye and brain, first of all consider the nature of the optic nerves and learn what they have in common with the other nerves and what distinguishes them from the latter. After that he must turn his atten¬ tion to the subject of the spirit through which vision is effected and learn in what respects it resembles the spirit which is in the other nerves and in what respects it differs from them. After these two things he has to consider the function of vision itself, the manner in which it is accom¬ plished. Therefore I have decided in this third treatise to instruct you in these three things. (The Optic Nerves). I begin with the first of them and I say : the first of the pairs of nerves originating in the brain goes down to the eyes, and by it, as we mentioned in our description of the brain, the sense of vision is conveyed to them. Those two nerves are allied to the other nerves of perception in two respects : (i) in that their origin lies in the brain and in its anterior part, and (ii) in that their substance is a soft one. They possess, however, in contradistinction to the other nerves, many peculiar and unique characteristics. These are six in number : (i) They are larger in volume than all the other nerves rising in the brain or spinal chord. Their volume is necessarily greater than that of the other nerves because they had to be hollow ; therefore they were created big accordingly, in order that, if the wall of the interior of the cavity of both were to be damaged, the remaining P) This treatise follows in general Galen, De TJsu Part. Z.X., c. 12, 13, 14 and 15, and De placitis Hippocr. et Platon., 1. VII, but contains some additions the source of which I could not find out with certainty. In MS. C a copyist’s blunder : on the diseases of the vision.