Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 83

MOSES MAIMONIDES (1135-1204) Traité des poisons. Librairie Lipschutz 1935 2nd ed. 70 pp. 22.6 cm.

For more information on this author or work, see number: 81

Maimonides wrote his treatise on poisons in 1198 at the request of the Grand Vizier who wanted a first aid manual for treating individuals who had been bitten or stung by venomous animals or insects. The work is in two sections. In the first, he discusses and recommends therapeutic measures for the bites of snakes and mad dogs and the stings of scorpions, bees, wasps, spiders, and tarantulas. He suggested that wounds be allowed to bleed freely in order to carry away as much venom as possible, recommended a vegetable diet, and the consumption of strong wine. He also recognized the long incubation period that could occur in rabies. In the final section of the book, Maimonides describes vegetable and mineral poisons as well as their antidotes. Even today his therapeutic recommendations are surprisingly modern, and show Maimonides to have been a scientist who developed original ideas and experimented for himself. This French translation was first completed in 1865 by the Parisian physician and Talmudic scholar, Israel Michel Rabbinowicz (1818-1893). Rabbinowicz's work is based on a Hebrew version of the text but was done in consultation with Arabic manuscripts. He did not annotate his translation but did provide an introductory historical essay on poisoning as well as an alphabetical table of Arabic and Hebrew pharmaceutical names contained in the treatise.

Gift of John Martin, M.D.