Osteoarcheological and biomolecular evidence of leprosy from an 11-13th century CE Muslim cemetery in Europe (Orosháza, Southeast Hungary).

Orosháza site no. 10 (Southeast Hungary) contains the partially excavated archaeological remains of an 11-13th century CE Muslim merchant village and its cemetery located in close proximity to Christian villages of the same era. The skeleton of a young woman (grave no. 16) from the last phase of the cemetery use was identified with rhinomaxillary lesions associated with lepromatous leprosy. The right parietal bone also exhibited signs of cranial trauma, possibly caused by symbolic trepanation, a well-known ritual practice in the 9-11th century CE Carpathian Basin. The retrospective diagnosis of the disease was supported by ancient DNA analysis, as the samples were positive for Mycobacterium leprae aDNA, shown to be of genotype 3. Contrary to the general practice of the era, the body of the young female with severe signs of leprosy was interred among the regular graves of the Muslim cemetery in Orosháza, which may reflect the unique cultural background of the community.

The Córdoba caliphate and infectious diseases

Durante il Califfato di Cordova e negli anni immediatamente successivi vi fu una intensa fioritura di studi medici, come viene testimoniato dai numerosi documenti relative anche a parecchie malattie di origine microbica quali: tetatno, gangrena, avvelenamenti e tossinfezioni alimentari, colera, peste, meningite, diarrea, dissenteria, infezioni della bocca e dei denti, pustole e foruncoli, infezioni di ferite, impetigine, tonsillite, erisipela, polmonite, infezioni delle vie urinaire, infezioni sessualmente transmesse, otite, congiuntivite, tigna, mughetto, malaria, teniasi, infestazione da pulci, scabbia, vaiolo, morbillo, tracoma, raffreddori, poliomielite e rabbia. Esistono importanti saggi sulla natura contagiosa di queste malattie e sui rimedi terapeutici. I contributi dottrinali maggiormente pregevoli dell'epoca furono dati da autorevoli medici quali Isaac, Arib ibn Said, Abulcasis, Averroè, Maimonide e Al-Gafiqi.

[The diseases yudam and baras (leprosy) in treatises of Islamic Law (Malikí Doctrine)]. / Las enfermedades yudam y baras (lepra) en los tratados de derecho islámico (doctrina Malikí).

Two diseases that appear in the legal treatises, yudam and baras, are semantically ambiguous and present difficulties when it comes to establishing their meaning. However, comparison of lexicographical and medical sources with modern bilingual and monolingual Arabic dictionaries bring us closer to the real meanings of the terms within the spacial and temporal contexts of the Maliki legal treatises. In these treatises, they appear as vitia redhibitoria in certain types of contract and also as diseases subject to regulations for the prevention of infection.