Kitāb al-Diryāq

Kitāb al-Diryāq
Andromachus the Elder on horseback, questioning a patient who has received a snake bite. Kitâb al-Diryâq, 1198-1199, Syria.
AuthorPseudo-Galen
Original titleكتاب الدرياق
LanguageArabic
SubjectMedicine, Antidotes
GenreNon-fiction
PublisherVarious (modern editions)
Publication date
12th, 13th centuries
Publication placeJazira (Syria or Northern Iraq)
Media typeManuscript, Print

Kitāb al-Diryāq (Arabic: كتاب الدرياق, "The Book of Theriac"), also Book of Anditodes of Pseudo-Galen or in French Traité de la thériaque, is a medieval Arabic book supposedly based on the writings of Galen ("pseudo-Galen"). The work describes the use of Theriac, an ancient medicinal compound initially used as a cure for the bites of poisonous snakes.

Two illustrated manuscript copies are extant, adorned with beautiful miniatures revealing of the social context at the time of their publication. The books describe various physicians of Antiquity, including Greek ones such as Andromachus the Elder, and their medical techniques. These manuscripts are generally attributed to the Jazira region of Syria and northern Iraq.