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Table 2 Medical substances of animal origin in the Levant in the 10th–18thcentury

From: Healing with animals in the Levant from the 10th to the 18th century

Scientific Name

Common Name

Figure no.

Extract/Product

Selected Sources

Selected Uses

Ammoperdix heyi

Desert partridge

 

Meat

[70]

Strengthens the stomach

Angulus sp.

Sea Shell (Tallina)

 

Shell

[46]

Mild purgative; women's diseases

Anser anser

Goose

 

Oil

[70]

Unknown

Apis mellifica

Honey

 

Honey

[55, 67, 69, 70]

Skin, eye, and stomach diseases, haemorrhoids, burns and wounds. Strengthens and cleans stomach and lungs.

Apis mellifica

Wax

1 – wax

Wax

[49, 55, 70]

Haemorrhoids, burns, and wounds

Archispirostreptus syriacus

  

Body

[67]

Removes unwanted hair from the eyelids

Avicula margarittifera

Pearl

 

Pearl

[70, 71]

Eye, heart, and liver ailments

Bombyx mori

Silkworm

2 – cocoon

Cocoon, Larva

[64]

Wounds, throat inflammation, haemorrhoids

Bos Taurus

Cow

3 – hard cheese

Milk, Cheese, Butter

[64, 67, 70, 71]

Eye diseases, haemorrhoids, leprosy. Strengthens the stomach, cleans the blood; treats skin diseases

Capra hircus mambrica

Goat

 

Cheese

[67, 70]

Cancer and skin diseases; fattens; enhances libido, reinforces potency

Castor fiber

Common Beaver

 

Testicles

[55, 57, 71]

Eye diseases, animal bites and stings, cramp, epilepsy, hysteria.

Chamydotis undulate

Bustard

 

Body parts

[64]

Eye diseases; breaks up kidney stones

Cimex lectularius

Stinkbug

 

Body

[46, 64, 67]

Clears urinary tract obstructions; jaundice

Coleoptera sp.

Scarabees

 

Body

[67]

Haemorrhoids; enhances libido

Echis coloratus

Adder, Ter

4 – adder in the Judean desert

Body

[45, 47, 57, 62, 60, 63, 71]

Basic component of theriac; snake bites

Equus asinus

Ass

 

Body parts

[67]

Haemorrhoids, eye diseases, epilepsy

Equus asinus X Equus cabllus

Mule

 

Body parts

[64]

Rheumatism, eye diseases, internal diseases

Gallus gallus domesticus

Hen

 

Egg parts

[67, 70, 71]

Wide variety of uses including reinforcement of potency and enhancing libido

Gazella sp.

Gazelle

 

Horn

[70]

Cleans the blood

Helix sp.

Snail

 

Body

[67]

Haemorrhoids and internal diseases

Homo sapiens

Mummy

 

Mummified body parts

[64, 71]

Headache, skin, internal diseases, ulcer

Homo sapiens

Human

 

Urine

[67]

Sciatica, skin, internal diseases

Homo sapiens

Human

 

Bone

[71]

Unknown

Homo sapiens

Human

 

Stone

[71]

Unknown

Lampyris sp.

Firefly

 

Body

[64]

Breaking up kidney stones; haemorrhoids

Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus

Scorpion

 

Body

[67, 71]

Haemorrhoids; skin diseases; component of theriac

Lumbricus sp.

Earthworm

 

Body

[70, 71]

Haemorrhoids; earache, arthritis, clears obstructions of the urinary tract

Lytta vesicatoria

Spanish fly

 

Body

[71]

Raises a blister, counter-irritant

Merops sp.

Bee eater

 

Body parts

[64]

Colds and skin diseases

Moschus moschiferus

Musk Deer

 

Rectal gland

[47, 51, 52, 70, 71]

Purgative; eye diseases, headaches; reinforces potency, heart diseases; 'cold' ailments

Mus musculus

House mouse

 

Ash, body parts

[67]

Haemorrhoids, skin diseases, wounds, insanity

Muscicapa sp./Ficedula sp.

Flycatcher

 

Body parts

[64]

Skin, eye, internal diseases; jaundice and spleen inflammation

Ovis

Lamb

 

Body parts

[70]

Strengthens the body, increases weight, cleans the blood

Paraechinus aethiopicus pectoralis

Hedgehog

 

Skin, spines, blood

[67]

Expels fleas (Pulex irritans)

Pediculus sp.

Louse

 

Body

[67]

Clears urinary tract obstructions

Physeter catodon

Sperm Whale (Ambergris)

 

Intestinal secretion

[43, 47, 71]

Sore throat, heart diseases, paralysis, cough, cardiac diseases, hysteria

Rana ridibunda

Frog

 

Body

[67, 71]

Haemorrhoids, wounds, bleeding, rheumatism

Sepia officinalis

Cuttle Fish

5 – skeleton

Skeleton

[46, 71]

Skin and tooth diseases; clears obstruction of the urinary tract

Struthio camelus

Ostrich egg shell

 

Egg shell

[67]

Eye diseases

Titurus vittatus

Triton

 

Body

[46, 59, 64]

Reinforces potency and enhances libido

Tubipora Musica or Corallium rubrum

Coral

 

Body

[50, 61, 70, 71]

Eye diseases and bleeding; strengthens the heart; headache, cough rheumatism, kills worms

Unidentified

Ant

 

Body

[67]

Jaundice

Unidentified

Lizard

 

Secretion

[67]

Eye diseases

Unidentified

Kermes

 

Insect body

[71]

Unknown

Unidentified

Fish

 

Meat

[70, 71]

Helps digestion, treats internal diseases, strengthens the nerves

Unidentified

Lacca

 

Secretion

[71]

Unknown

Vivera civetta

Civat Cat (Zebed)

 

Gland secretion

[67]

Reinforces male potency; ear inflammation

Vulpes sp.

Fox

 

Oil

[71]

Unknown