Usos medicinales del olivo y el acebuche en al-Andalus (ss. IX-XV)

Resum

This paper deals with the knowledge about the therapeutic potential and the medicinal uses of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) and the wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. Oleaster (Hoffmanns. & Link) Negodi) in al-Andalus. The results of this research are recorded in a table in which ailments and diseases treated with olive tree and wild olive tree are followed by data concerning therapeutic treatments, parts of the plant used in each specific treatment, its preparations and ways of administration, the naturalists of al-Andalus who mention each use and the Greek and Eastern Arabic sources they cite. Taking into account that information we assess whether Andalusi naturalists made a significant contribution to the information they received from Greek and Eastern Arab scientific traditions. Finally, we compare the information we find in the Andalusi sources with the current steate of knowledge on the therapeutic potential of the olive tree and the wild olive tree in both traditional and modern conventional medicine.