This is a comprehensive medical encyclopaedia titled Kitāb Kāmil
al-ṣinā’ah al-ṭibbīyah (The Complete Book of the Medical
Art) by ʿAlī ibn al-ʿAbbās al-Majūsī (d. ca. 384 AH/994 CE).
It was also known as al-Kitāb al-Malakī (The Royal Book). It was
dedicated to the Būyid ruler ’Adud al-Dawlah Fanā-Khusraw (reg.
338 AH/949 CE−372 AH/983 CE). It comprises two books: the first
(juz’) is on medical theory in ten sections (maqālahs) and the
second on therapeutics, also in ten sections maqālahs. ’Alī ibn
al-’Abbās al-Majūsī was of Persian extraction, and it is
possible that his activities were restricted to Shiraz, never
actually leaving Iran. His forebearers were Zorastrian (hence the
name al-Majūsī), though he himself seems to have been a
Muslim.
This image is from a 10-folio quire from a copy completed in 556
AH/1161 CE of the last nine chapters (bābs) from the tenth and
final section (maqālah), on compound remedies, of the second
section of the medical encyclopaedia. The copy was completed on 5
Rabīʿ II 556 AH/4 May 1161 CE for his own use by the physician
Yūsuf ibn Ḥaydarah ibn al-Ḥasan al-mutaṭabbib. The date
is also given in the Alexandrian era as 27 April 1472.
