[Debate about the theriac in Arabic treatises]

The Greek treatises about antidotes of Andromaque and Galen, have been the subject of various translations in Arabic language. Thus, numerous highly interested arab-muslim physicians discovered, used and then spread the formulae of the Great Theriac. Two attitudes can be distinguished at first: they either copied and used as before their literary sources or they adapted them by changing the proportions of the components which compose the electuary or by changing even some of them. These different approaches involve comments and criticisms and bring about the third attitude: a rich debate of ideas. The article proposes to recall through quotations of arab-muslim physicians the evolution of the matter.