Doctrine of Signatures of Plants in Old-Anatolian Turkish Texts

Abstract

In this study, we will try to show the examples of the “Doctrine of Signatures” in 13th – 15th centuries Anatolian Turkish writing particularly within plants (Regnum: Plantae). Doctrine of Signatures refers to a doctrine in subject of plants that some part of plants, or their whole resembling an organ or body part of a human, thus the plant in question being medically effective on the organ or body part it resembles. The doctrine was set around the belief that there was a natural code that enabled such treatments. According to this belief, if roots or leaves of a plants resembled human hairs, it was expected that those plants to be useful in treatment of diseases and problems about hair: such as hair loss, early bleaching, not growing at a regular pace, etc. The belief also consisted that such theories about plants having juice similar to milk increased the lactation ratio of mothers; if a plant resembled a specific animal’s body part, then it was believed that the plant would prevent any harm coming from that animal. Plants grown in humid temperatures were used for illness and diseases related to humidity. The theory and belief consist of many examples like these. The resembling thing used in treatment of something it is similar because it resembles the similar was the concept of the theory, and attributes other than physical resemblance, such as smell was also part of the theory. Doctrine of Signatures can be found in Indian, Chinese, Greek and Roman civilisations. The theory was later introduced to Islamic world after documents of the civilisations mentioned above translated into Turkish, Arabic, Persian and Syriac language.