English: ‘Ali ibn Khalifah al-Mutatabbib al-Salmasi, Durar-e makhzan-e kaykawusi ('The Pearls of the Treasury of Kay Kawus'), commissioned for the library of Sultan Kay Kawus II (r.1247-57 AD), Konya, Anatolia, Seljuk, dated 649 AH/1251 AD

Ink on paper, bound 31.1 by 22.9cm.

Persian manuscript on paper, 188 leaves, 13 lines to the page, written in naskh script in brown ink, catchwords, headings in bold naskh in red ink, text interspersed with inverted commas in red, ruled in red, later black morocco binding

Provenance

Muhammad ibn Amir Shams al-Din (minister to 'Izz al-Din Kay Kawus?). Muhammad ibn Mahmud (Shams al-Din?). Mahmud (Shams al-Din?) ibn Muhammad al-Mawlawi, in Konya (the manner in which he has written his name may indicate that he is Shams al-Din Mahmud Tughra'i, recorded as malik al-kuttab, 'king of scribes', an influential official at the court of Kay Kawus). Muhammad Muhsin ibn Muhammad Muhsin, 18th century. Haji 'Abd al-Karim, 19th century.

Dedicated to Sultan is 'Izz al-Din, who ruled over Anatolia, Syria and Armenia, this treatise is an important medical work by 'Ali ibn Khalifa al-Salmasi, in which the author describes the body and various sickness and their treatments. The text itself is divided into five sections (maqala), each subdivided in chapters (fasl) and sub-chapters (babs).

Two colophons are present at the end of this manuscript, one indicating the date of composition of the text and one which refers to the date of copying of the manuscript by the scribe, both dated 649 AH/1251 AD. The time gap between the two is less than a year, making this manuscript the earliest known copy.

Thanks to ownership notes we know that the manuscript was probably in Konya during the thirteenth century, whilst there is a later marginal note on f.285 signed by Muhammad Riza son of Mirza ‘Abdullah the Isfahani, on request of Aqa ‘Abdullah.

The contents of the maqalas are as follows:

1. Description of different parts of the body, including bones, veins, hair and nails; preservation of health, including drinking, eating, sleeping, bathing and different constitutions and symptoms of illnesses. 2. Pulse, urine. 3. Treatment of different parts of the body. 4. On fevers, poisons and bone breakages.

5. Dictionary of pharmaceutical terms, medicine, arranged alphabetically.