خمس رسائل لإبن بطلان البغدادي و لإبن رضوان المصري - تحقيق الدكتور يوسف شخت و الدكتور ماكس مايرهوف/The medico-philosophical controversy between Ibn Butlan of Baghdad and Ibn Ridwan of Cairo; a contribution to the history of Greek learning among the Arabs/ Khams rasāʼil li-Ibn Buṭlān al-Baghdādī wa-li-Ibn Riḍwān al-Miṣrī

In the eleventh century two doctors quarrelled in Egypt. One was a visitor, who had come from Baghdad to seek his fortune but found his way blocked by the native. Needless to say, the dispute has lost all scientific importance though the personal, social, and historic interest is great. The dispute began over a question in zoology. One party maintained that the chick of the domestic fowl, which is covered with down when it is hatched, is warmer by nature than those young birds which are hatched without down ; the opponent maintained the opposite and orthodox view. The quarrel grew wider ; personalities were introduced and we are told about the features of the one and the nickname of the other. Mild scandal is not wanting ; a doctor treated a patient unsuccessfully for a tertian ague, so another doctor was called in, who cured the patient of a semi-tertian ague ; thereupon the first demanded half the fee, as he had clearly removed half the disease. The Arabic part of this volume contains the biographies of the men who were most concerned in the dispute with extracts from five pamphlets which were written during it. The English part consists of translations of the biographies and a version of the pamphlets which is part translation and part summary ; the translation is not co- extensive with the printed Arabic. The introduction gives a brief account of the growth of medical knowledge among the Arabs, an outline of the dispute, and a long summary (taken from a defective manuscriptinCairo)ofabookbyoneofthedisputants. Thenamesof the authors are a guarantee of good work and they have taken the further precaution of having their translation revised by a medical man. Here and there the English is odd and there are a few misprints. The notes are excellent; they tell where to find more information about every man who is mentioned, and about every book, giving the library where it is to be found, if it exists in manuscript.