A brief historical review of medical treatment  indicates  that  diseases  were cured either by “simple” (müfred) or composed (mürekkeb) drugs derived  from plants, minerals and various animal products. In this respect, the usage of these drugs  has  always  been an issue of great  interest in all cultures ranging  from the Chinese, Indian, Islamic to the Western.The present  article is  based on medical works  compiled in Turkish  between  the XVth and XVIIIth  centuries. It  examines  the concepts of simple drugs (müfred deva) and materia medica (müfredat), the use of ‘simple drugs’,  and the principles followed in their application. The general characteristics  of the works  on simple drugs  is  elucidated. The article  also aims  to identify the significance of treatment with simple drugs in Ottoman medicine.

A brief historical review of medical treatment  indicates  that  diseases  were cured either by “simple” (müfred) or composed (mürekkeb) drugs derived  from plants, minerals and various animal products. In this respect, the usage of these drugs  has  always  been an issue of great  interest in all cultures ranging  from the Chinese, Indian, Islamic to the Western.The present  article is  based on medical works  compiled in Turkish  between  the XVth and XVIIIth  centuries. It  examines  the concepts of simple drugs (müfred deva) and materia medica (müfredat), the use of ‘simple drugs’,  and the principles followed in their application. The general characteristics  of the works  on simple drugs  is  elucidated. The article  also aims  to identify the significance of treatment with simple drugs in Ottoman medicine.