Zarrīn Dast's Nūr al-ʿUyūn and its Sources

Abū Rūḥ Mūḥammad ibn Manṣūr Jurjānī, known as Zarrīn Dast (golden handed) wrote his Nūr al-ʿUyūn in 1087 AD/480 AH for the non-specialist and those interested in the elements of medicine without knowing Arabic. A comparison of this book with the most importants texts on ophtalmogy written before it shows that the author has based his work on Tadhkira al-Kaḥḥālīn by ʿAlī ibn ʿĪsā, introducing some important changes in the general plan as well as details of Ibn ʿĪsā’s book, and adding some material form ʿAlī ibn ʿĪsā’s main sources, i.e., The Book of the Ten Treatises on the Eye by Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq and the second Book of Razi’s Continens. Some parts of the book are based upon the author’s personal clinical observations. In this way he has creatd a new work, especially in the field of ocular surgery.