Melancholia is a disease which physicians often fail to treat successfully, for, though all melancholic diseases are chronic, melancholia is a pathological condition which is [especially] slow to pass.

Abu'l-Ḥasan b. Yaḥyá, in his work entitled the “Hippo­cratic Therapeutics” (Mu'álaja-i-Buqráṭí),*

a book the like of which hath been composed by no one on the Art of Medicine, hath reckoned up the leaders of thought, sages, physicians, scholars, and philosophers who have been afflicted by this disease, for there were many of them; and he continues thus:—

“My master Abú Ja'far b. Muḥammad Abú Sa'd*

al-Nashawí, commonly known as Ṣarakh,*

related to me,” says he, “on the authority of the Imám Shaykh Muḥammad b. al-'Aqíl al-Qazwíní, on the authority of the Amír Fakhru'd-Dawla Kálinjár the Buwayhid, that one of the princes of the House of Buwayh was attacked by melancholy, and was in such wise affected by the disease that he imagined himself to have been transformed into a cow. Every day he would low like a cow, causing annoyance to everyone, and saying, ‘Kill me, so that a good stew may be prepared from my flesh’; until matters reached such a pass that he would eat nothing, and the physicians were unable to do him any good.

“Now at this juncture Abú 'Alí (Avicenna) was prime minister, and the king 'Alá'u'd - Dawla Muḥammad b. Washmgír had the fullest confidence in him, and had entrusted into his hands all the affairs of the kingdom, and placed under his judgment and discretion all matters. And, indeed, since Alexander the Great, whose minister was Aristotle, no king had such a minister as Abú 'Alí. And during the time that he was minister, he used to rise up every morning before dawn and write a couple of pages of the Shifá.*

Then, when the true dawn appeared, he used to give audience to his disciples, such as Kiyá Ra'ís Bahmanyár, Abú Manṣúr Zíla,*

'Abdu'l - Wáḥid Jurjání, Sulayman of Damascus, and me, Abú Kálinjár. We used to continue our studies till the morning grew bright, and then perform our prayers behind him; and as soon as he came forth he was met at the gate of his house by a thousand mounted men, comprising the dignitaries and notables, as well as such as had boons to crave, or were in difficulties. Then the minister would mount, and this company would attend him to the Government Offices. By the time he arrived there, the number of horsemen had reached two thousand. And there he would remain until the morning prayer, and when he retired for refreshment all that company ate with him. Then he took his midday siesta, and when he rose up from this he would perform his prayer, wait on the King, and remain talking and conversing with him until the next prayer; and in all matters of importance there was no third person between him and the King.

“Our object in narrating these details is to show that the minister had no leisure time. Now when the physicians proved unable to cure this young man, the King's inter­cession was sought, so that he might bid his minister take the case in hand. So 'Alá'u'd-Dawla spoke to him to this effect, and he consented. Then said he, ‘Good tidings to the patient, for the butcher has come to kill him!’ When the patient heard this, he rejoiced. Then the minister mounted his horse, and came with his retinue to the gate of the patient's house. Taking a knife in his hand, he entered with two attendants, saying, ‘Where is this cow, that I may kill it?’ The patient made a noise like a cow, meaning, ‘He is here.’ The minister bade them bind him hand and foot in the middle of the house. The patient ran forward into the middle of the house and lay down on his right side, and they bound his hands and feet firmly, and 'Abú 'Alí then came forward, rubbing the knives together, sat down, and placed his hand on his side, as is the custom of butchers. ‘He is very lean,’ said he, ‘and not fit to be killed: he must eat fodder until he gets fat.’ Then he rose up and came out, having bidden them loose his hands and feet, and place food before him, saying, ‘Eat, so that thou mayst grow fat.’ They did so, and he ate, and recovered his appetite, after which they administered to him drugs and draughts. ‘This cow,’ said Abú 'Alí, ‘must be well fattened’; so the patient ate in the hope that he might grow fat and they might kill him; while the physicians applied themselves vigorously to treating him as the minister had indicated, and in a month's time he completely recovered.”

All wise men will perceive that one cannot heal by such methods of treatment save by virtue of extreme excellence, perfect science, and unerring acumen.