chapter 11

). One of the remarkable observations made in this section is the description of the paralysis caused by fracture of the spine.

[Illustration: Figure 20.--Splint "in the shape of a spoon without a bowl." _Top_, from original Arabic manuscript (Tüb. MS. 91), courtesy Universitätsbibliothek Tübingen. _Bottom_, from Channing, _Albucasis_.]

Of interest to historians of medical therapy and pharmacy are the recipes for poultices that al-Zahrāwī recommends for use over fractured bones. For example, he gives the following recipe for one such poultice: "Take the so-called 'mill’s dust' [ghubār al-rahā], which is the part of the wheat flour that clings to the walls of the mill during grinding [lubāb al-daqīq], and, without sifting away the bran, knead with white-of-egg to a medium consistency, and apply." Another, more elaborate, recipe calls for 10 dirhams each of the roots of wild pomegranate [_Glossostemon bruguieri_ D.C.], chickling vetch [the grass pea, _Lathymus sativus_], and white marshmallow; 5 dirhams each of myrrh and aloes; 6 dirhams of white gum Arabic [_Acacia_]; and 20 dirhams of bole [friable earthy clay consisting largely of hydrous silicates of aluminum and magnesium, usually colored red because of impurities of iron oxide]. Procedure was to pound all ingredients gently, pass them through a sieve, and knead with water or white-of-egg (