Ibn Zuhr (Avenzoar) on Head Wounds in Kitāb al-Taysīr (Liber Teisir)

To present and evaluate the section concerning head wounds in Kitāb al-Taysīr (Liber Teisir) by Ibn Zuhr (Avenzoar).

In this study, 4 different versions of Avenzoar's work were analyzed. The first 2 versions are in Arabic and titled Kitāb al-Taysīr fī al-Mudāwāt wa al-Tadbīr; one was edited by Michel Khouri and printed in Damascus in 1983, and the other was edited by Muḥammad b. 'Abd Allah al-Rūdānī and printed in Rabat in 1991. The third and fourth versions are in Latin; one was translated by Paravicius, edited by Hieronymus Surianus, and printed in Venice in 1530, and the other was a manuscript in Bibliothèque interuniversitaire de santé, MS 5119 in Paris and was translated by John of Capua.

The titles of the sections are "Wounds due to iron objects" and "Wounds due to stones" in Arabic and "On head injuries from external factors such as blow" and "On head wounds from iron or stone or wood" in Latin. The chapter written by Avenzoar on head wounds is divided into 2 parts. First, he explained the treatment, and subsequently he described his views and related experiences.

The information provided by Avenzoar on head injuries technically reflects the medical and surgical comprehension of his era. In the section that is the focus of this study, he first provided technical information related to head injuries and then offered his opinions on the controversial and problematic issues in treatment such as phlebotomy. This study revealed that Avenzoar approached the subject differently than his predecessors.