This is a copy of Kitāb Tadhkirat al-kaḥḥālīn (Memorandum
book of Oculists) by ’Alī ibn ’Īsá al-Kaḥḥāl (d. 400
AH/1010 CE), a widely read opthalmological manual composed in
Baghdad.
Drawings of two opthalmological instruments. This copy was
completed by an unnamed scribe in 1082 AH/1671-2 CE. A later hand
has labelled the top instrument: 'this is the form of the rounded
cataract needle', with one end labelled: 'this is four-sided'; and
the other: 'this is rounded'. The same hand has labelled the lower
instrument: 'this is the illustration of the hollow needle which is
called al-Khurasani. It draws up the fluid which is inside it and
it comes out at the head of the needle. However, there is a danger,
because it can suck out the eye.' On this lower instrument, the
right-hand, pointed, end, is labelled: 'it enters the eye', and the
left-hand end is labelled: 'location of the cataract'.
49E251: optical instruments
