The Book of [Medical] Experiences

Unknown (attrib. Abraham Ibn Ezra)

12th Century

Said the wise, the philosopher Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra: It is my aim to compose a book comprising the proprieties pertaining to all diseases which may befall a person from what I have tested. These [medications] are easy to apply and are found in most places; since there are many people who cannot buy what they need, and also because qualified…

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The Book of [Medical] Experiences (Sefer ha-nisyonot) draws heavily from an Arabic treatise about magical and natural treatments of disease, called the Book of Satisfaction in Treatment with Occult Substances, by tenth-century Muslim writer Abū al-Muṭrib ‘Abd al-Raḥmān. The Book of [Medical] Experiences was quite popular, surviving in nearly twenty manuscripts. These passages present the author’s introductory statements, some attempts to classify drugs, and a suggestion for encouraging labor in birth.

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