E-ISSN: 1019-5157
ISSN: 2651-5024
Research
Treatments Applied to the Cervical, Dorsal, and Lumbar Regions in Medieval European Translations of Al-Zahrāwīs Kitāb al-Taṣrīf and Their Reflections
Arif Hüdai KÖKEN✉ ,
Atakan ÇİÇEK ,
Hakkı Çağdaş BASAT
History of Medicine and Ethics, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University
Accepted: 12/09/2026
Article in Press
Corresponding Author:
Arif Hüdai KÖKEN (arifhudaikoken@hotmail.com)
Abstract
Aim
The aim of this study is to analyze the treatment practices for the cervical, dorsal and lumbar regions described in Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn Abbas al-Zahrāwīs Kitāb al-Taṣrīf, and to evaluate their transmission into medieval European medicine through Latin translations as well as their visual representation in medical illustrations and miniatures within a history of medicine framework.
Material and Methods
This research employed document analysis, a qualitative research method. The original Arabic text of Kitâbüt-Taṣrîf, along with its Latin and English translations, were examined. Additionally, miniatures found in digital archives such as the Wellcome Collection, JSTOR, Europeana, and Qatar Digital Library were reviewed. Sections in the work dealing with treatments for the neck, back, and lumbar regions were identified; the practices described in these sections were then comparatively analyzed in relation to the miniatures found in the Latin translations.
Results
The study revealed that Zehravi systematically used cauterization, particularly in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases in the cervical, dorsal, and lumbar regions. He recommended mechanical interventions for conditions such as hemorrhoids, kidney pain, edema, gout, kyphosis, and tremors, as well as spinal fractures and dislocations. The miniatures found in the Latin translations visualized these treatment methods, transforming them into instructional tools in Europe. It was determined that the back and lumbar regions played a central role not only in the treatment of local but also systemic diseases.
Conclusion
Zehravi\'s work, Kitâbü\'t-Taṣrîf, reflects a multifaceted understanding of medicine that systematizes surgical knowledge in both theoretical and practical dimensions. The miniature illustrations in the Latin translations show that Zehravi\'s treatment methods were reinterpreted and adopted in medieval European medicine, revealing the universal impact of his surgical legacy.
The aim of this study is to analyze the treatment practices for the cervical, dorsal and lumbar regions described in Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn Abbas al-Zahrāwīs Kitāb al-Taṣrīf, and to evaluate their transmission into medieval European medicine through Latin translations as well as their visual representation in medical illustrations and miniatures within a history of medicine framework.
Material and Methods
This research employed document analysis, a qualitative research method. The original Arabic text of Kitâbüt-Taṣrîf, along with its Latin and English translations, were examined. Additionally, miniatures found in digital archives such as the Wellcome Collection, JSTOR, Europeana, and Qatar Digital Library were reviewed. Sections in the work dealing with treatments for the neck, back, and lumbar regions were identified; the practices described in these sections were then comparatively analyzed in relation to the miniatures found in the Latin translations.
Results
The study revealed that Zehravi systematically used cauterization, particularly in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases in the cervical, dorsal, and lumbar regions. He recommended mechanical interventions for conditions such as hemorrhoids, kidney pain, edema, gout, kyphosis, and tremors, as well as spinal fractures and dislocations. The miniatures found in the Latin translations visualized these treatment methods, transforming them into instructional tools in Europe. It was determined that the back and lumbar regions played a central role not only in the treatment of local but also systemic diseases.
Conclusion
Zehravi\'s work, Kitâbü\'t-Taṣrîf, reflects a multifaceted understanding of medicine that systematizes surgical knowledge in both theoretical and practical dimensions. The miniature illustrations in the Latin translations show that Zehravi\'s treatment methods were reinterpreted and adopted in medieval European medicine, revealing the universal impact of his surgical legacy.
Keywords
Al-Zahrāwī (Albucasis)
Medieval Medicine
Cauterization Techniques
Cervical and Dorsal Regions Treatments
Medical Illustration