quiet of the Oriental Academies, and produced a decline in medicine as well as all the other sciences cultivated in those schools.

The art of healing very soon became nothing more than the practice of experience, reduced to precepts without any idea of theory.

In the midst of this darkness the Cabala reigned over learning. A great number of disciples devoted their attention only to this occult science, a mixture of Pythagorism, Platonism and the theosophy of Zoroaster, combined with the Jewish theology which had originated in the Alexandrian school, but which was so mixed up with their own ideas of traditions, that it ultimately lost all traces of its former origin and passed as their own doctrine.

Soon there appeared works decorated with the celebrated names of antiquity, in which was explained this mystical doctrine. There was one among others published at one time under the name of the patriarch Abraham, and a short time after that another under that of Akiba, bearing the title of Sefer Jezirah. A book with this title was in existence as late as the fifth century, since it is quoted by the Talmud.*

At the same period there is attributed to Ismael ben Elisha, a number of similar writings issuing from the pen of the disciples of sophistry. Their various works explain all the systems of emanations of Zoroaster. From the infinite God En-Sof, issued ten angels Esser Sefirot, who made the first world Olam Azilot. Besides the first world there were also three others, emanations from eternity in concentrical circles, viz. the created world Olam Beria, the formed world Olam Ieziré, and the constructed world Olam Assié, between which there existed such a relation that all which happened in the last had already existed in similitude in the first.

When they treated a disease the object aimed at was to put in action the corresponding powers of the superior worlds; which could only be accomplished by one who by a study of the Cabala had obtained the knowledge of those worlds, and who

*Treatise Sabbath, ch. v.

by his piety and contemplation had become worthy of holding communion with the celestial powers. These qualities were deemed much more necessary for the practice of medicine than all terrestrial knowledge which is so often found deficient.

S XIV.

MASER DJAWAH.

Although the number of learned Israelites had much diminished during the conquest of Persia by the Saracens, and notwithstanding their books as well as those of the Persians were destroyed by fire and water by the order of Omar,* the taste for study was not entirely destroyed, but it soon revived, and medicine resumed its ancient splendor. Maser Djawah Ebn Djeldjal, of Basra, appeared. This celebrated physician was one of those remarkable geniuses that nature appears to raise up from time to time to revolutionize the sciences. This able physician who at the same time was a good poet, judicious critic, and profound philosopher, taught the Arabians the arts and sciences; he prevailed on the Caliph Moawia, the first, whose physician he was, to cause works which were written in foreign languages to be translated, to put them in the power of the whole world. Many Greek books, particularly on chemistry, were then translated from the Greek into the Arabic by Kalid, son of Yesid, son of Moawia, his pupil.†

* "When the Mussulmen had conquered the provinces of Persia," says Ebn Khalican in his historical Prelegomena, "and many of their books had fallen into the power of their conquerors, Saad, son of Abou Wakkas, wrote to Omar, asking permission to transport them among the Mussulmen; the reply of the Caliph was 'cast them into the river, for if they contain any thing which is useful to guide us, God has already directed us by something which is very superior to that; bu if on the other hand they contain any thing which would lead us astray, God will preserve us from it by the Koran;' all the books were therefore cast into the water and fire."

† Consult in reference to this learned Arabian, who died in the 82d year of the Hegira (701) Aboulfeda Annel Mosl, Book i, p. 425.

He himself had already translated, in 683, the Pandects of Haroun, a physician of Alexandria, a cotemporary of Paulus Eginetis.*

In the work which he translated from the Greek into the Syriac language, there is a disquisition on the small pox. The first description of which is not due to Mahomed ben Zazaria Razi, as is generally supposed.

We do not possess at the present day these pandects, but Rhazes has preserved for us some fragments. The same fate has befallen his other works, which the learned Arabians in the early periods of their civilization were anxious to quote and to comment on.

Rhazes particularly relies upon their authority on every page, he quotes them on the modus operandi of medicines, on inflammation of the stomach, paralysis, jaundice, hernia, epilepsy, and the signs of death.†

At the period that Maser Djawah rendered such great services to his art, some other Hebrew physicians established among the Nestorians a celebrated school of medicine at Djondisabour in Khusistan. Students flocked there from all parts to listen to the most celebrated masters of that epoch. In an hospital situated near that celebrated school, the young students were initiated into the practices of the art, and received clinical lessons; their pupils obtained the greatest success, so much so that on leaving this school they were deemed qualified to fill the place of professors in medical and other institutions.

§ XV.

ISAAC BEN EMRAN.

But the sucessors of Moawia were not animated with the same zeal for the science. The thirst for military glory absorbed all

† See Rhazes, 1. v. 1. vii., and 1. viii.

Assemani, Biblioth. Orient, Clement Vatican, vol. vi. p. 940, and 942.

their thoughts. But an age had scarcely elapsed before the sceptre passed from their hands into that of the Abassides. Abou Giaffir Almanzor, the second Caliph of his dynasty, was attacked with a dangerous disease; he sent for a physician of the Nestorian school. Being restored to health by the skill of this physician, he learned the value of the healing art, and became the patron of the sciences. Almanzor enriched the new city of Bagdad with a great number of works on medicine, astronomy and philosophy, which he had caused to be translated from the Greek; viz: those which had escaped the researches of the schools of Maser Djawah and the Nestorians.

He had the works of Aristotle, Galen and Ptolemy translated; and these labors continued under his successors, powerfully contributed to give to the young Jews the desire for instruction.

The school of Bagdad soon became celebrated. From it arose Isaac ben Emran, a celebrated physician and philosopher. Born at Damascus, he came at an early period to Bagdad to study medicine, and there made such progress, that Zaid, an African emir of Kairouan, the chief city of the Arabs in Barbary, gave him his full confidence and appointed him his physician. Zaid having fallen sick, a Christian physician condemned so obstinately all that had been directed by the Jewish physician, that he could not but perceive that the sole object of the Christian was to deprive him of the good will of the Emir.

Isaac could not submit to such treatment. He declined attending upon the case of Zaid not so much from anger as or account of attachment for him. When the emir demanded the reason of his conduct, he replied in these remarkable words: "The disagreement of two physicians is more deadly than a Tertian fever." This was apparently the disease with which Zaid was attacked. Isaac ben Emran died in the year 183 of the hegira, (799 of the common era). He wrote upon the cure of the sympoms caused by poisons and upon some other subjects.* Ebn Beïtar, physician of Almelic Alcamet, sovereign of Egypt, frequently quotes him in his works.

ELOY, Diction. hist. de medicine, vide Isaac ben Emram.

§ XVI.

JOSHUA BEN NUN.

The Arabs still remember with admiration Haroun al Raschid. He enriched the city of Bagdad with a great number of works on astronomy and mathematics, which he caused to be translated from the Greek into Syriac and Arabic. He filled his court with poets and learned men, whom he had invited there from all parts of the world. He was a cotemporary of Charlemagne, who sent to him that celebrated embassy in 805, the chief of which was an Israelite of France. He so much favored physicians, that he founded the city of Tauris as a memorial of the cure performed on his wife.

He patronised the school of Djondesabour and established one at Bagdad where he selected to teach the sciences, the most celebrated among the Jewish and Christian physicians. He assigned them a good salary and decreed that those who wished to devote themselves to the practice of medicine should be examined by these professors, as was the custom in the Nestorian schools. Among the Jewish professors of this celebrated school was one particularly distinguished, Joshua ben Nun, surnamed Rabbi of Seleucia* The particulars of his life are little known; except that at the beginning of the ninth century he enjoyed great celebrity at Bagdad both as a good practitioner and an excellent theorist. His school was frequented by the greatest physicians of his time, and among his disciples were Yahia ben Masoviah, commonly called John Masuée, and the celebrated Abou Joseph Jacob ben Isaac Kendi. This last physician was himself, according to d'Herbelot,† an Israelite by birth and condition; but this opinion is not received by authors generally.‡

However that may be, Joshua neglected no means of extending every where around him the knowledge of the healing art.

*

Asseman, Biblioth. Orient. vol. ii. p. 435.

† Biblioth. Orient. vide Jacob ben Isaac Alkendi.

Russel. The Nat. Hist. of Aleppo, 2d ed. appendix, p. ix.