Liber urinarum, by Isaac Judaeus, 1481
Contents
Ff. 71-83 of MS 169 contain the Liber urinarum ('Book on urine') by Isaac Judaeus. Also known as Isaac Israeli Ben Solomon, Judaeus was a 9th-century Arab Jewish physician and philosopher. Among other works, Judaeus wrote several medical treatises, and his work (originally in Arabic) was translated into Hebrew and Latin. By the 13th century, some of his medical works, including the 'Liber urinarum', was part of the medical curriculum at prominent European universities, including Montpellier and Salerno. This uptake was significantly helped by the production of a Latin translation of the 'Liber urinarum' in the 11th century, by Constantinus Africanus, a physician and professor of medicine at Salerno.
The Liber urinarum is a medical treatise on urine. In this, Judaeus builds on Galenic thought, presenting the idea that blood seeped into the kidneys to be filtered, and the removed waste was transfered from the kidneys to the bladder and passed in urine.
The text of the Liber urinarum begins on f. 71r, with the words Urina est colamentum sanguinis...The text ends on f. 83v, with: calor insolvens manum in vaporem. Finit feliciter per R[obertum] in vigilia beate marie a.d. 1481o.
By the late 15th-century hand of Robert of Sherburn.
Dates
- Creation: 1481
Creator
- Israeli, Isaac, c 832-c 932 (Arab Jewish physician and philosopher) (Author, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to all. The manuscripts can be consulted in the Centre for Research Collections, Edinburgh University Main Library.
Full Extent
13 folios
Language of Materials
Latin
Topical
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk