“Burr al-Saa” (Short-term treatment methods)

This manuscript represents a practical medical handbook known as Burr al-Saʿa, written by the great tenth-century physician Abu Bakr al-Razi, known in Europe as Rhazes.
The title may be translated as “healing within an hour.” The work functioned as a quick medical reference guide, containing treatments for common conditions such as headaches, toothaches, and digestive illnesses. In many ways, it can be compared to an early portable medical manual.
This particular copy was transcribed in 1891, demonstrating the remarkable longevity of al-Razi’s medical authority. His works continued to be used by physicians in Central Asia well into the modern period.
Al-Razi is also regarded as a pioneer of clinical medicine. He emphasized careful observation of patients and systematic recording of symptoms, practices that anticipated later medical methodology.
The worn binding of the manuscript is also telling: unlike ceremonial books, medical texts were working tools that accompanied practicing physicians.
This manuscript illustrates the practical scientific tradition of Islamic civilization, where knowledge was closely connected with service to society.