The identification of medieval fevers according to Al-Isra'ili, Avenzoar and Bernard Gordon

In this work, which derives from a study into the prevention of illness in medieval Spain, and which forms part of a larger work on medieval fevers in all their aspects, we concern ourselves with their causes, symptoms, prognostications and treatment. We are grateful for the support of the British Academy and The Wellcome Trust in funding this study. Through this work we aim to establish a certain order in the fevers which figure in medical texts of the Middle Ages which we have analysed. We have grouped them, following the example of Galen, according to their point of origin: spirits, humours and solid matter. Then, within each of these categories, we have classified them by the spirit or humour affected. The basic elements of each fever are described in order to differentiate them. We offer, finally, over one hundred names by which the different fevers can be known.