ABSTRACT
The author studied nine arab agricultural calendars placed at intervals between the Kitab al-Azmina or the Book of seasons by Jean Mésué (IXth c.) and a tunisian calendar of the XIXth c. of andalusian origin (?). There is a clear relationship between these different calendars, all of them issued from an archetype lost today, which would have been a mixture of basic principles and traditions of different origins. One could no longer identify today with certainty but one could discern its preislamic tradition (the calendar system of the anwâ'), babylonian tradition (the predictions extracted from astronomic, meteorologic or geologic events) and a greek tradition (the influence of the humoral theory). In matter of dietetic, these calendars real authentic almanachs do nothing but reproduce the hippocratic prescriptions. In matter of hygiene, they specify seasons for physical exercices, bath as well as the perfumes to make use of. Otherwise these almanachs mention the most usual affections and the liabale means to cure, or better, to prevent them. Are recommanded differents electuaries including the theriac, trochics, eyewashes and other medications.
Subject(s)
Agriculture/history , Almanacs as Topic/history , Diet/history , Hygiene/history , Meteorological Concepts , Weather , Antidotes , Arab World , History, 19th Century , History, Early Modern 1451-1600 , History, Medieval , History, Modern 1601- , TunisiaABSTRACT
The author studied nine arab agricultural calendars placed at intervals between the "Kitab al Azmina" or the "book of seasons" by Jean Mésué (9th c.) and a tunisian calendar of the 19th c. of andalusian origin (?). There is a clear relationship between these different calendars, all of them issued from an archetype lost to-day, which would have been a mixture of basic principles and traditions of different origins. One could no longer identify to-day with certainty but one could discern its preislamic tradition (the calendar system of the "anwa") babylonian tradition (the predictions extracted from astronomic, meteorologic or geologic events) and a greek tradition (the influence of the humoral theory). In matter of dietetic, these calendars real authentic almanachs do nothing but reproduce the hippocratic prescriptions. In matter of hygiene, they specify seasons for physical exercices, both as well as the perfumes to make use of. ...
Subject(s)
Agriculture/history , Almanacs as Topic/history , Diet/history , Hygiene/history , Materia Medica/history , Arab World , History, Medieval , HumansABSTRACT
The Greek "Alphabetical Dioscorides" of the Codex Vindobonensis (Viennese Codex) is above all a bibliographic work, remarkably illustrated, intended to show gratitude to an eminent person. It comprises exclusively currently-available plants which might be used by people of a cultivated milieu, who, not having studied medicine, would like to cure relatively benign illnesses while limiting any recourse to exotic drugs. On the contrary, the Latin Alphabaeticals from the eleventh century and the centuries following, as well as the Greek Alphabeticals of the Renaissance, cover all the drugs in the Materia medica and respond to the desire to quickly find the pharmacologic properties of medicinal herbs introduced into prescriptions which might be formulated by physicians.
