Collection and storage of medicines

We say: some medicines are mineral, some are herbal, some are animal. Of the minerals, the best are those that are extracted from mines that have become famous thanks to these medicines, like Kilcadis of Cyprus and vitriol of Kerman they are followed by drugs free from foreign impurities. Moreover, the substance should be collected pure, without impurities, without defects, in its inherent color and taste.

As for plant medicines, these include leaves, seeds, roots, stems, flowers, fruits, resins and whole plants as they are.

The leaves must be plucked after they have completely acquired their characteristic volume and shape and remain in this form for some time, but before they change color and break, and in any case, before they begin to fall off and crumble.

The seeds should be collected after their body has become stronger and when the immaturity and wateriness have left them, and as for the roots, they should be taken before the leaves begin to fall.

Flowers should be collected after full opening, but before they wither and fall off.

The stems should be harvested when they have reached maturity and have not begun to wither and wrinkle.

As for the fruits, they are picked after they are fully ripe, but before they are ready to fall.

Plants that are taken whole must be collected while they are in full sap and before the seeds ripen in them.

The less the roots wrinkle and the stems wilt, the fattier and fuller the seeds, the denser and heavier the fruits, the better. A large value will not help if the fruit is sluggish and skinny, but if it is full-bodied, this is very good. Fruits picked in good weather are better than those picked in wet weather and soon after rain.

All wild fruits are harder than garden fruits, although they are mostly smaller in size the fruits of mountain plants are harder than those of the plains, and those that are collected near places blown by the winds and near hills are harder than others. Fruits picked at the right time are harder than those picked at the wrong time.

All this refers to what happens in most cases and most often. The richer the color of the fruit, the more distinct the taste, and the sharper the smell, the stronger they are of their kind.

The herb weakens after two to three years, except for a small number of medicines that constitute an exception, such as both harbucks, because they retain their properties longer.

As for gums, they need to be collected after they have hardened, but before drying, at which point the gums can be ground. The property of most of them does not last longer than three years, and this especially applies to furbiyun.

The stronger medicine of each category retains its good qualities for a long time. If a fresh, strong medicine is not at hand, then an old, weak medicine can hardly replace it in all respects.

Medicines of animal origin should be taken from young animals in the spring. In this case, one must choose the healthiest animals, having all the members, and take away from them what is taken away by slaughtering and killing them. You should not use what is taken from animals that have died from diseases that occur in them.

These are the general rules about the use of simple medicines that a doctor should know well, and now let’s take on the second article.

We want to talk in this article about the natural properties of simple medicines that we know, as well as those medicines that we can easily know if we follow their trail by studying their true symptoms. We will omit only the description of drugs about which we know nothing except the name.

We will arrange all the mentioned headings according to their colors and in each heading we will first indicate several diseases together, and then we will mark each disease with a special color.

By the will of Allah Almighty and with His good assistance, the first article of the Book of Simple Medicines has been completed.