Alumen alasfur

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Alumen alasfur exponit Rasis in libro divisionum capitulo de dolore dentium quod est kali vel cali de quo infra.


Apparatus:

alasfur B ejk | alassur ACD {"sf" misread as "ss"} | alaffur H f

in li. ACD | in libro H efjk | in prĩo libro B

dolore ABCDH efk | calore j

kali vel cali ABCDH efk | keki vel kaki j


Translation:

Rasis states in his liber divisionum, in the chapter on tooth ache that alumen alasfur {"yellow or safflower alum"} is the same as kali or {also spelt differently} cali. For more information see the entry Kali below.


Commentary:

Wehr (1976): ﻋﺼﻔﺮ /ʕuṣfur/ "safflower (Carthamus tinctorius; bot.); the red dyestuff prepared from its flower head".

Simon alludes here to Rhazes' Liber divisionum, cap. 45 De dolore in dentibus, where he gives instructions for a Medicamẽ astringẽs dẽtes, and he mentions … cali & ē alumẽ & alafur {sic!}. Quoted from: Rhazes, Venice edition (1497).

This is an erroneous equalisation started by Rhazes. The name alumen, "alum", was applied in antiquity and by the Arabs to hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate (potassium alum) or similar substances wheareas ﻗﺎﻯ /qaly/ in the Arabic literature refers to the salts extracted from the ashes of salt-rich plants.


See also: Alumen (1), Alumen (2), Kali, Usnen


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