Medical Benefits of Gemstones According to Zeynelabidin bin Halil’s Treatise “Şifa el-fuad”

Zeynelabidin bin Halil’s treatise “Şifa el-fuad” (The Heart’s Cure) was composed in 1627 in Ottoman Turkish. It reflects the medical knowledge circulating among the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire at that time. A copy of the manuscript is currently preserved in the collection of the Oriental Department at the Bulgarian National Library St. St. Cyril and Methodius (Sofia, Bulgaria). The dating of the copy is based on paleographic data (type of paper, watermarks, writing style), suggesting it was completed in the first half of the eighteenth century. The treatise contains various recommendations for maintaining and preserving the physical health, along with numerous herbal and mineral remedies for facilitating recovery from illness. It also discusses beneficial foods. The manuscript consists of a brief introduction, 17 chapters, and a conclusion. This paper focuses on the fourteenth chapter, which explores the properties of precious stones and their purported benefits for the human body. The section provides remedies derived from gemstones for alleviating symptoms or health conditions, some of which are intertwined with superstitions.