Introduction
Ezer Elohi – Ma’amar Be-ipush ha-avir ve-hadever (“God’s Aid, A Treatise on the Corruption of Air and Plague”) was written in 1399 by Benjamin ben Isaac Karkashoni. It extends in MS Héb 1191, 141r-145v, Bibliothèque National, Paris and in Cod. Hebr.59, 225r-227r, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna. This is a translation of the popular Latin treatise “De epidemia” by Johannis de Burgundia (14th century) written in 1365.
The treatise is a short and practical regimen against the plague. It was aimed for general readership, advising how to avoid contagion and how to treat the sick body with the aid of medicinal plants and according to the six non naturals theory.
I chose to present the preface, which offers two main focuses of interest: 1. Medicinal: it portrays a pre-modern understanding of corrupted air, how it affected the environment, how it entered the body and some possible treatments. Ideas about contagion and preventive measures during plague time correspond with challenges we are facing today. 2 Socio-religious: The preface offers a glimpse to the existing tension between polemics and collaboration, as well as questions of medical authority, between Jews and Christians in the medical arena. The Jewish translator notes his efforts to obtain the treatise from Christians, who hid it like a treasure. Though a common motif in Jewish translations of Latin medical sources, it raises questions regarding the demand to wrestle knowledge from Christian colleagues. What can be learnt from this phrase, given that when the treatise was translated original Hebrew plague treatises were already composed and medical knowledge circulated among Jews relatively freely? Why did the Jewish translator choose to leave John’s personal motivation to write the treatise as is, and not to state only his own motivation? Was there a “chain of authority”, starting in Greco-Arabic medical writings, Latin treatises and at last, a Hebrew translation? Of what importance was this “chain of authority” to the Jewish audience?
Suggested Bibliography
Barkai, Ron. 1998. “Jewish Treaties on the Black Death (1350–1500): A Preliminary Study”. Medicine from the Black Death to the French Disease. Aldershot: Ashgate. 6-25.
Einbinder, Susan. 2018. “Abraham Caslari: A Jewish Physician on the Plague”. After the Black Death: Plague and Commemoration among Iberian Jews. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 57-78.
Freudenthal, Gad. 2018. “The Brighter Side of Medieval Christian - Jewish Polemical Encounters: Transfer of Medical Knowledge in the Midi (Twelfth - Fourteen Centuries)”. Medieval Encounters 24. 29-61.
García-Ballester, Luis. Lola, Ferre. Edward, Feliu. 1990. “Jewish Appreciation of Fourteenth Century Scholastic Medicine”. Orisis 6. 85-117.
García-Ballester, Luis. 1992. “Changes in the ‘Regimenia Sanitatis’: The Role of Jewish Physicians”. Health, Disease and Healing in Medieval Culture. Sheila Campbell et al. (eds.). Toronto: Center for Medieval Studies Press.
Nicoud, Marilyn. 2007. Les régimes de santé au moyen âge – naissance et diffusion d’une écriture médicale (XIII-XV siècles) vol I, II. École française de Rome.
Stearns, K. Justin. 2009. “New Directions in the Study of Religious Responses to the Black Death”. History Compass 7(5) .1363–75.
Source 1 Translation
Paris, Bibliothèque National, Ms. Héb. 1191, 141r-147v.
An honorable treatise on the corruption of the air and pestilence
The author said, for many days the air is corrupted and became pestilential, though I do not mean the air itself became corrupted as it is a simple substance, but because of the vapors that are mixed with it. As a result, a pestilence is spread to many countries and towns where many people die because their bodies are filled with bad humors. The corruption of the air is not due to the air itself but due to bad humors of the dead, as Galen wrote in the book of fevers: The air will not be corrupted unless it is ready to be. Like the fire will not burn unless the matter is ready to be burnt. Also, the pestilential air will not harm the body unless the body is ready to accept the corruption. Therefore, cleansed bodies whose purgation regime is good are healthy, and so are people whose complexion is contrary to the mutable complexion of the air. Otherwise, where the air is corrupted people will die because the substance matter is developed by its developer.
Many admired physicians who are well trained (in practical medicine) unless are not used to, are ignorant and deprived of the wisdom (of astrology), that is essential to the physician, as Hippocrates states in the book of Epidemic, that no man is ought to be treated by a physician who is ignorant of this wisdom. The garment of wisdom and the art of medicine balance each other. Both disciplines are depended on each other and cannot be understood without the other. I examined this by (practical?) medicine for over a year that when a medicine, well compound and chosen cannot help the patient as the physician intended. For example, if the medication is a laxative, and the patient will vomit, though by his nature his body should have accept the laxative medication. Therefore, those who did not drink from the well of wisdom (of astrology), especially in cases of epidemic diseases, cannot offer relief. As the Master of Physicians said: how shell I cure if I am ignorant of the cause? Also, in the field of epidemics Ibn Sina said: The one who is ignorant of the cause cannot offer treatment”. and, Averroes says: “One is ought to know the immediate and ultimate causes (of the disease)”. The celestial things are the first cause to be understood. It is also that the art of medicine cannot be of high impact without the advice (of astrology) and therefore, with the lack of advice many will die.
Therefore I, John of Burgundy, (citizen) of Liège, a practitioner of medicine and the least of physicians, at the beginning of the epidemic in the year of ________, composed this little treatise (of another treatise) of the causes and the nature of the pestilential disease, so people can benefit from it. The epidemic is newly returned and will return from time to time because it is not diminished yet. As I offer my help for the common good, I composed this treatise and named it “with God’s aid”, to indicate clearly how to prevent and cure this illness almost completely, so everyone can be his own physician, preservers, avoider, and guide.
First, we shall discuss the proper regime. Everyone who wishes to know my intention by the aid of celestial bodies and earthly matters shall adhere the above-mentioned treatise. And I, the least of physicians, Benjamin, son of Izaak Karkashoni, copied this treatise, as I saw this treatise sealed like a treasure, well established and verified by admired physicians, put my best efforts to obtain it out of their hands and copy to the holy tongue, so it will be of our benefit and to our future generations to come, Amen.
You should avoid too much food and drink, avoid bathing and everything which might open the pores of the body and enables corrupted air to enter it and corrupt the body. Avoid conjugal sex and fruits. If you eat fruits eat only sour fruits. You ought to eat easily digested food and good wine mixed with water. Avoid honey of all sorts and eat all food with vinegar. In rainy _____ light fire in your room. Every morning before leaving the room inhale the aromatic medications: amber, musk, _____, _____ with musk and alike. If you cannot afford it, inhale ______, zedoary and alike.