Cauterization and it's Islamicate Origins by Haanya Ijaz

Cauterization: A Treatment in the Islamicate World

haanyaijaz — 2025-03-13 04:23:51 UTC

This project will explore the historical use of cauterization, particularly its application in treating psychiatric disorders in the Islamicate world. One such example is the early color illustration for Mal-i Hulya, or cauterization, used to treat certain neurotic disorders around the 15th century. The drawing is taken from Cerrahiyetü’l Haniyye (Imperial Surgery), one of the first illustrated surgical textbooks (1). The author, Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu (1385–1470), was a prominent physician who practiced in Amasya, Northern Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Sabuncuoglu’s textbook is significant as both the first illustrated surgical atlas and the last comprehensive medical encyclopedia from the Islamic world (1).

Cauterization was a procedure that involved the controlled application of heat to specific tissues or vessels and was used to treat various illnesses, including psychiatric disorders, when other interventions failed (2). Sabuncuoglu recommended a stepwise approach to treatment: first, herbal medicine; then, the application of warm oil derived from sheep's tail fat to the vertex area; and finally, if these measures were ineffective, cauterization at specific points (1). He methodically describes five points on the skull and spine where cauterization should be applied, with caution to avoid skin damage.

I chose this particular artifact as it provides a fascinating example of a practice that was utilized actively by Ottoman physicians to treat neuropsychiatric disorders; it illustrates the intersection of scientific advancement with applied treatment. Moreover, the fact that practices and procedures such as these were illustrated in textbooks and instructed to others indicates that this was not a practice that was merely utilized informally, but to some extent, was seen as a viable and respected form of medical practice. The fact that Zahrawi’s work was translated and served as a leading textbook in Europe for around 500 years shows that the findings and procedures detailed in these textbooks, such as cauterization and more, can be seen as early steps towards understanding the brain and neuroscience. Moreover, we can potentially connect the procedures we have today back to those surgical procedures developed by the likes of Zahrawi.

Sabuncuoglu, O. (2006). Early color illustrations of psychiatric treatment methods, as drawn by physician Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu (1385–1470). American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(12), 2071-2071.
Mir, R. A., & Shah, N. A. Cauterization: An Age-Old Therapeutic Modality in Unani (Greek-O-Arab) System of Medicine.

Cauterization's Transmission to the West

haanyaijaz — 2025-03-13 04:27:26 UTC

Abū al-Qāsim al-Zahrāwī (d. 1013 CE), an Andalusian Muslim court physician during the Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba, authored al-Taṣrif (The Method of Medicine) near the year 1000, which became the leading textbook on surgery in Europe for 500 years. The textbook includes sections on ophthalmology, surgery, orthopedics, pharmacology, and nutrition. He included the use of cauterization to treat illnesses such as “melancholia” and provided detailed guidelines for its application. Al-Zahrawi also used both cauterization of the temporal artery for the treatment of migraines and severe chronic headaches (3).

This artifact obtained from the Library of Congress shows a Latin translation of Al-Tasrif. This translation was written by Gerard of Cremona in the 12th century, published in Augsburg, Germany in 1519 under the title, Liber theoricae necnon practicae Alsaharavii (Theoretical and practical book by al-Zahrawi). This translation became a medical textbook in Europe and was referenced by physicians up to the late 18th century. This translation, among others, played a significant role in his medical writings being accessible in the West (4).

I included this artifact as it served as a bridge between Islamic and Western medical traditions; it underscores the importance of cultural exchange between medical practices.

Amr, S. S., & Tbakhi, A. (2007). Abu Al Qasim Al Zahrawi (Albucasis): pioneer of modern surgery. Annals of Saudi medicine, 27(3), 220–221. https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2007.220
Abū Al-Qāsim Khalaf Ibn ʻAbbās Al-Zahrāwī, D. 1. A., Gherardo, D. C. & Ricius, P. (1519) Theoretical and Practical Book by Al-Zahrawi. Augsburg, Germany: Printed by Sigismund Grim. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666820/.

Orientalist Depictions of Cauterization Centuries Later

haanyaijaz — 2025-03-13 04:32:03 UTC

As discussed in the last artifact, Al-Zahrawi’s treatise on surgery was especially notable for its description of cautery. His works left a legacy across the Eastern and Western world. This painting is one 26 paintings by the Ernest Board that were commissioned by Henry S. Wellcome in around 1912, specifically to depict scenes relating to the history of medicine (5). It portrays the use of cauterization by Zahrawi, around the late 10th to early 11th century, the period when Al-Zahrāwī lived and wrote his influential medical encyclopedia, al-Taṣrīf.

Henry S. Wellcome was a British-American pharmaceutical entrepreneur and philanthropist, a and was very interested in preserving medical history. He co-founded Burroughs Wellcome & Company and later established the Wellcome Trust, one of the world’s largest medical research charities. His passion for collecting medical artifacts led to the creation of the Wellcome Collection, which houses rare manuscripts, medical instruments, and historical paintings, including this one (6)

This painting is an essential artifact as it reflects how early pioneers of medicine were later recognized for their contributions. It also illustrates the role of art in preserving and celebrating medical history, bridging historical Islamic medical achievements with modern historical appreciation.

Albucasis blistering a patient in the hospital at Cordova. Oil painting by Ernest Board. Wellcome Collection. Source:Wellcome Collection.

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, February 11). Henry Wellcome. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:31, March 13, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_Wellcome&oldid=1275201473

Direct Evidence of Cauterization

haanyaijaz — 2025-03-13 04:33:57 UTC

This artifact is a unique and original case of cautery dating back to the 11th century, discovered in 2018 on the mummy of an Italian saint, Davinus of Armenia, and discovered in Lucca, Italy. These images were taken between March 26th through 29th during an examination of the body. Around one of the elliptical lesions that were found, researchers found a wide pentagonal scar with a thin margin, evidently caused by the application of a red-hot iron, a cautery with a pentagonal head (7).

Cautery scars had different shapes depending on the purpose of the cauterization, and this was documented by Zahrawi in Al-Tasrif. This artifact is important as it provides us direct evidence of the practice, and was used to treat cranial blunt trauma (7).

Fornaciari, A., Giuffra, V., Mongelli, V., Caramella, D., & Fornaciari, G. (2018). Cautery in medieval surgery: a unique palaeopathological case. The Lancet, 392(10153), 1111-1111.

What Does Cauterization Look Like?

haanyaijaz — 2025-03-13 04:37:36 UTC

This artifact features a clip from a historical documentary which gives an example as to how cauterization may have been used. Matt Lewis is a historian of the Medieval period. Kevin Goodman is a medical historian who studies the use of surgery through history. This clip allows us to see in real-time how a cautery procedure may have looked. I have included this specific clip as it allows us to visualize this, along with other medieval surgical procedures, and get a better understanding of how they may have worked in contrast to today.

Lewis, M., & Goodman, M. (2024, May). How Safe Were Medieval Medical Practices?. YouTube. https://youtu.be/U8DvYxGh7nQ?t=768

Contemporary Connection: The Evolution of Cautery Tools

haanyaijaz — 2025-03-13 04:42:16 UTC

This artifact is an illustration of surgical instruments from Kitāb al-Taṣrīf (The Book of Practice), written by Abū al-Qāsim al-Zahrāwī (Abulcasis), a 10th-century Andalusian physician and surgeon (2). It demonstrates early neurosurgical techniques and tools, particularly those used for trepanation (cranial surgery), cauterization, and wound management. The manuscript BnF ms. Hebrew 1163, fol. 226 represents a Hebrew translation of Abulcasis’ surgical treatise, showcasing the cross-cultural transmission of medical knowledge. The BnF ms. Hebrew 1163 manuscript, which contains a Hebrew translation of Kitāb al-Taṣrīf, is believed to date to the late medieval period, likely between the 13th and 15th centuries (9). This illustration depicts the tools utilized by Zahrawi and other physicians on this matter.

His emphasis on precision, sterilization (through cautery), and specialized surgical instruments parallels modern neurosurgical advancements, such as trepanation for brain injuries and tumor removal techniques.

Modern cauterization, an example of which is depicted, is done in a more controlled manner; an example is electrocauterization, which can be used to remove tumors in delicate areas such as the brain. The use of cautery has therefore, shifted and isn’t utilized in the same way in modern neurosurgery, however, findings from predecessors provide interesting insight into the origins of the practice in the field. I chose this artifact as we can see more clearly the types of tools used in early neurosurgical practices and cautery during that time period (10).

Béatrice Bakhouche (May 5, 2020). The Drawings of Surgical Instruments in the Inventarium sive Chirurgia Magna by Guy de Chauliac (2). Intellectual Heritage in Montpellier. Accessed on March 13, 2025, at https://doi.org/10.58079/svru
Cleveland Clinic medical. (2025, January 17). Electrocauterization surgery: What it is & procedure details. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24032-electrocauterization

My Docent: Dr. Emilie Savage Smith

haanyaijaz — 2025-03-13 04:47:51 UTC

The docent whom I chose is Dr. Emilie Savage-Smith, a specialist in medieval Islamic medicine at the University of Oxford. Her work, Medieval Islamic Medicine, is a comprehensive book that is organized around five topics: the origins of medieval Islamic medicine and its transfer with other cultures; the theoretical medical framework; the role of Islamicate physicians; case studies and histories and the role of magic and devout religious invocations in scholarly as well as everyday medicine. The book concludes by discussing the impact of this tradition on modern European medical practices, and its continued practice today (11)

This specific book was published in 2007, but she has written and published extensively on the topic of Islamic Medieval medicine, including surgery and cauterization. She has published an article, “The Practice of Surgery in Islamic Lands: Myth and Reality“ (2000), that discusses the works of Zahrawi, al-Razi, Avicenna, and other Islamicate physicians and analyses evidence for specific surgical practices (12). She would be an excellent docent for my mini-museum, providing both a modern and historical perspective.

Pormann, P. E., & Savage-Smith, E. (2007). Medieval islamic medicine. Washington, DC.
Savage-Smith, E. (2000). The practice of surgery in Islamic lands: myth and reality. Social History of Medicine, 13(2), 307-321.