And So It Begins

Damien Ihrig, MA, MLIS
Curator, John Martin Rare Book Room

Well, this is exciting! As I announced last month, the JMRBR is slated for a new reading room, which will open sometime early in the spring of 2024. This is part of a larger project to update the fourth floor of Hardin.

As can be seen in the banner image above, the prep for construction has begun! Most, although not all, of the books on the fourth floor have been transferred to the Library Annex, and their shelving has been removed.  New shelving is slowly being put together in the JMRBR. The collection remains accessible for the time being, but that may change later this summer. I will provide updates here throughout the summer.

Our book this month, Opera parva (1511), comes from the "father of Islamic medicine," Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi. Razi (c. 865-925 CE), latinized as Rhazes, was born in the Persian city of Ray (now part of modern-day Tehran). He was a physician, alchemist, and philosopher who flourished during the Islamic Golden Age, a period of scientific, economic, and cultural growth from the 8th to 13th centuries.

Razi wrote over 200 manuscripts on a variety of subjects, including astronomy, grammar, logic, religion, and alchemy, but he is most well-known for his work in medicine. He wrote on many of his own observations, including medical conditions in children, obstetrics, pharmacology, and ophthalmology (e.g., he was the first to record the reaction of the pupil to light).

His most famous and influential work was his comprehensive medical encyclopedia, Kitab al-hawi (The Comprehensive Book). This work consists of 23 volumes and covers a wide range of medical topics, including anatomy, physiology, pathology, and therapeutics. The book became a standard reference in the field and was translated into several languages, including Latin, making it the go-to resource in both Islamic and Western medical traditions.

Another influential work is al-Razi's Kitab Al Mansuri Fi al-Tibb (Latinized as Almansor). The Kitab Al Amansuri is an encyclopedic general review of medicine written for al-Razi's patron and ruler of Ray, Abu Salih Al-Mansur Ibn Ishaq. It is divided into ten parts; the first six treat physiology and dietetics, the seventh surgery, the eighth poisons, the ninth pathology, and the tenth the doctrine of fevers. It is the ninth book that was long used in the West as the foundation of academic instruction on therapeutics.

Opera parva is an anthology of various of al-Razi's shorter writings on medicine and surgery and includes parts of Kitab Al Amansuri. Read more below about al-Razi, Opera parva, and a surprise that awaits inside its covers.

Stay well and happy reading!

Hours

The JMRBR is currently undergoing preparations for renovation. To guarantee the collection is available, please contact me at damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or 319-335-9154.

Book of the Month

AL-RAZI, ABU BAKR MUHAMMAD IBN ZAKARIYA (c. 865-925). Opera parva. Printed in Lyon by Gilbert de Villiers, 1511. 284 leaves. 16 cm tall.

Al-Razi's' early life and education are not extensively documented, but it is believed that he received his early education in Ray, where he focused on music, philosophy, and alchemy. He then traveled to Baghdad, which was a center of learning during that time, to further his studies. In Baghdad, he studied under renowned scholars of the time and gained expertise in various disciplines.

In addition to his written works, Rhazes made significant advancements in the field of pharmacology. He emphasized the importance of individualized treatment based on the patient's symptoms and developed a classification system for drugs. He also made observations on contagious diseases and documented the symptoms of various illnesses, contributing to the field of clinical medicine.

One remarkable story of al-Razi's emphasis on experimental medicine regards his method for determining the location of a new hospital. He arranged pieces of fresh meat in various locations across Baghdad and allowed them to sit for a few days. Afterward, he inspected the pieces and identified the area where the meat had rotted the least. Al Razi reasoned that this location possessed cleaner and healthier air, and therefore, it would be most suitable for the establishment of the new hospital.

Apart from medicine, Rhazes made notable contributions to chemistry. He developed several chemical apparatus and processes, including distillation techniques, which were crucial for the extraction of essential oils and the preparation of medicines. His work laid the foundation for the later development of pharmaceutical chemistry.

Rhazes was not only a physician and chemist but also a philosopher. He explored various philosophical ideas and wrote treatises on ethics, metaphysics, and the nature of the soul. His philosophical works reflected a combination of Islamic thought and Greek philosophy, particularly influenced by the works of Aristotle.

Throughout his lifetime, Rhazes held prestigious positions, serving as a court physician to the Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad. He was also known for his philanthropy and compassion towards the poor, providing medical treatment to those

in need, regardless of their social status.

Rhazes' works had a lasting impact on the development of medicine and chemistry. His emphasis on empirical observation and individualized treatment greatly influenced the practice of medicine in both the Islamic world and Europe. His works were widely studied and translated, preserving his knowledge for future generations.

Opera parva, although a minor anthology compiled after his death, is a beautiful book with loads of fun details for book lovers. Although apparently complete, it lacks the final two works listed in the lengthy, rubricated subtitle (seen above), which serves as a table of contents. It also had its spine replaced at some point with a nifty reback repair that managed to save most of the original leather cover.

The contemporary cover (minus the reback), is a dark leather over wooden boards with a rich, brown color. It shows the requisite marks and damage that one would expect from a cover this old, but overall it is in excellent shape. The paper near the front and back of the book is a little worse for wear, with ragged edges and damage from pests and use.

The textblock, although a little tight when opening, is in good shape and it handles well. And the work is dotted with several fun woodcut initials with viny motifs like the one in the introduction.

The big surprise, however, is the manuscript waste that sits just inside each cover. The pastedowns are written in a beautiful cursive scholastic hand. A separate fragment of waste was used for lining the spine and appears to be a blackletter hand of some sort. A possible third source of waste was used as "tabs" to further support the spine! We are excited to dig into this one a bit more and are working to identify more details of each fragment.

Contact me to take a look at this book or any others from this or past newsletters: damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or 319-335-9154 to arrange a visit in person or over Zoom.