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Avicenna’s pharmacopeia for the treatment of animal bites

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Abstract

Envenomation is a common medical problem. The Canon of Medicine written by Avicenna is one of the reliable sources of Persian medicine. The present study aims to identify Avicenna’s clinical pharmacology approach and the pharmacopeia used for the treatment of animal envenomations and also to evaluate the related data in light of the current medicine. The Canon of Medicine was searched using related Arabic keywords for the contents about the treatment of animal bites. A literature search was conducted in scientific databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science to obtain relevant data. Avicenna recommended one hundred and eleven medicinal plants for the treatment of bites of vertebrate and invertebrate venomous animals including snakes, scorpions, spiders, wasps, and centipedes. He mentioned different methods of administrating these drugs including oral drugs, lotions, sprayed drugs, slow-dissolving tablets in the mouth, and enemas. Moreover, he paid special attention to pain relief in addition to specific treatments for animal bites. In the Canon of Medicine, Avicenna recommended several medicinal plants alongside analgesics for the management and treatment of animal envenomations. The current research elucidates the clinical pharmacology and pharmacopeia of Avicenna for the treatment of animal envenomations. Further research is encouraged to evaluate the efficacy of these therapeutic agents for the treatment of animal bites.

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Data availability

The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Operating Room, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Addiction Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

    Ebrahim Nasiri

  2. Department of History of Medical Sciences, School of Allied of Medical Sciences, Mazanadaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

    Jamal Rezaei Orimi

  3. Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, No. 27, Sarparast Ave., Taleqani St., Tehran, Iran

    Zahra Aghabeiglooei

  4. Science Museum Group, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD, UK

    Kathleen Walker-Meikle

  5. Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, 5th Kilometer of Khorramabad-Boroujerd Highway, Khorramabad, 68151-44316, Iran

    Mohammad Amrollahi-Sharifabadi

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Contributions

Conceptualization: Ebrahim Nasiri, Mohammad Amrollahi-Sharifabadi, Jamal Rezaei Orimi; Methodology, software, validation, analysis, and investigation: Mohammad Amrollahi-Sharifabadi, Ebrahim Nasiri, Jamal Rezaei Orimi, Zahra Aghabeiglooei, Kathleen Walker-Meikle; Data curation, original draft preparation, editing, and reviewing: Mohammad Amrollahi-Sharifabadi, Ebrahim Nasiri, Zahra Aghabeiglooei, Jamal Rezaei Orimi, Kathleen Walker-Meikle; Visualization, supervision, and project administration: Ebrahim Nasiri, Mohammad Amrollahi-Sharifabadi, Jamal Rezaei Orimi, Zahra Aghabeiglooei, Kathleen Walker-Meikle.

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Correspondence to Zahra Aghabeiglooei or Mohammad Amrollahi-Sharifabadi.

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The current research has been approved by the ethics committee of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences under the ethics code IR.MAZUMS.REC.1400.383.

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Nasiri, E., Orimi, J.R., Aghabeiglooei, Z. et al. Avicenna’s pharmacopeia for the treatment of animal bites. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 396, 3375–3393 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-023-02586-3

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