[The issue of continuity in ancient horse medicine: the treatment of diseases of the extremities described in the Kităb al-furŭsĭya wa-l-baytara by Muhammad ibn Ya’qŭb ibn ahĭ Hizăm al-Huttulĭ].

This research studied the ancient Arabian veterinary literature on horse medicine, specifically as portrayed in the Kitab Al-Furusiya Wa-l-Baytara, an old text about hippology and hippiatry by Muhammad ibn Ya’qub ibn ahi al-Huttuli in the 9th century. It focused on properties of seven diseases in horses’ extremities and compared it to texts of similar subject matter up to the 14th century, from which substantial similarities in Arabic texts were discovered, demonstrating an independent Arabian hippiatric tradition.

Background

• The article delves into the increase in ancient Arabian scientific literature from the late 9th century, especially in the field of veterinary medicine.
• The researchers focused on hippological and hippiatric treatises, specifically studying the oldest available text on the subject, the Kitab al-furusiya wa-l-baytara, penned by Muhammad ibn Ya’qub ibn ahi, an equerry at a caliph’s court.

Research Focus

• The study focuses on seven deadly diseases that affect horses’ distal extremities, analyzing the contents from medical and historical views.
• The researchers provide a comparative insight by juxtaposing these observations with a representative selection of medieval writings. These treatises circulated across the Mediterranean region and the Orient up till the 14th century.

Findings

• The comparison reveals strong similarities between the Kitab al-furusiya wa-l-baytara and later treatises written in medieval Arabic, showcasing how Arab scholars interpreted the subject in relatively similar ways across several centuries.
• However, no parallels were found with the texts of late Antiquity authors and the medieval Occident (Western Europe).
• These observations provide evidence that Arabian hippiatric tradition was quite independent, at least in the treatment of horses’ extremities.