Tacuinum sanitatis

medieval handbook on health and wellbeing

The Tacuinum (sometimes Taccuinum) Sanitatis[1] is a medieval handbook mainly on health. It is based on the Taqwim al‑sihha تقويم الصحة ("Maintenance of Health"), an eleventh-century Arab work an health by Ibn Butlan of Baghdad.[2] The text exists in several variant Latin versions.

Ibn Butlan's Tacuinum sanitatis, Rhineland, 2nd half of 15th century.
Harvesting garlic, from Tacuinum Sanitatis, ca. 1400 (Bibliothèque nationale, Paris).

It describes in detail the beneficial and harmful properties of foods and plants. It explains the six essential elements for well-being:

Tacuinum Sanitatis says that illnesses result from imbalance of these elements.

Notes change

  1. Forbes, Andrew ; Henley, Daniel; Henley, David (2013). 'Tacuinum Sanitatis' in: Health and Well Being: A Medieval Guide. Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books. ASIN:B00DQ5BKFA
  2. E. Wickersheimer, "Les Tacuini Sanitatis et leur traduction allemande par Michel Herr", Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 12 1950:85-97.

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