Infectious Ideas: Contagion in Premodern Islamic and Christian Thought in the Western Mediterranean

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Infectious Ideas This page intentionally left blank 䡲 䡲 䡲 Infectious Ideas Contagion in Premodern Islamic and Christian Thought in the Western Mediterranean Justin K. Stearns The Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore This book has been brought to publication with the generous support of the Program for Cultural Cooperation between Spain’s Ministry of Culture and United States Universities.© 2011 The Johns Hopkins University Press All rights reserved. Published 2011 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 The Johns Hopkins University Press 2715 North Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4363 www.press.jhu.edu Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Stearns, Justin K., 1974– Infectious ideas : contagion in premodern Islamic and Christian thought in the Western Mediterranean / Justin K. Stearns. p. ; cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8018-9873-0 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8018-9873-0 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Diseases—Causes and theories of causation—History—To 1500. 2. Medicine , Medieval—Western Mediterranean. 3. Epidemiology—History—To 1500. 4. Medicine—Religious aspects—Islam—History—To 1500. 5. Medicine—Religious aspects—Christianity—History—To 1500. I. Title. [DNLM: 1. Medicine in Literature—Africa, Northern. 2. Medicine in Literature— Portugal. 3. Medicine in Literature—Spain. 4. Christianity—history—Africa, Northern. 5. Christianity—history—Portugal. 6. Christianity—history—Spain. 7. Communicable Diseases—Africa, Northern. 8. Communicable Diseases— Portugal. 9. Communicable Diseases—Spain. 10. Cross-Cultural Comparison— Africa, Northern. 11. Cross-Cultural Comparison—Portugal. 12. Cross-Cultural Comparison—Spain. 13. Islam—history—Africa, Northern. 14. Islam—history— Portugal. 15. Islam—history—Spain. 16. Leprosy—history—Africa, Northern. 17. Leprosy—history—Portugal. 18. Leprosy—history—Spain. 19. Plague— history—Africa, Northern. 20. Plague—history—Portugal. 21. Plague—history— Spain. WZ 330 S7995i 2011] RB152.S74 2011 362.196⬘9—dc22 2010019679 A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Special discounts are available for bulk purchases of this book. For more information, please contact Special Sales at 410-516-6936 or specialsales@press.jhu.edu. The Johns Hopkins University Press uses environmentally friendly book materials, including recycled text paper that is composed of at least 30 percent post-consumer waste, whenever possible. All of our book papers are acid-free, and our jackets and covers are printed on paper with recycled content. To Mataio for everything you have given us and for everything that will come This page intentionally left blank ...