gold and silver wires to ligate loosened teeth, extracting and replanting teeth, and scaling the calculus from the teeth to prevent periodontal disease. Al-Zahrawi depicted over 200 surgical instruments, some of which he created himself. Instruments in the al-Tasrif include different kinds of scalpels, retractors, curettes, pincers, specula, and also instruments designed for his favoured techniques of cauterization and ligature. He also invented hooks with a double tip for use in surgery. Latin translation and legacy The book was translated into Latin in the 12th century by Gerard of Cremona. It soon found popularity in Europe and became a standard text in universities like those of Salerno and Montpellier. It remained the primary source on surgery in Europe for the next 500 years, and as the historian of medicine, Arturo Castiglioni, has put it: al-Zahrawi's treatise "in surgery held the same authority as did the Canon of Avicenna in medicine". Manuscripts Patna Manuscripts Two manuscripts are known from the archives of Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library in Patna (India). These copies date back to the early 18th century CE. See also Islamic medicine References External links Al-Tasrif - islamset.com Sami Hamarneh Drawings and Pharmacy in Al-Zahrawi's 10th-Century Surgical Treatise, in United States National Museum Bulletin No.228, 1961 Medical works of the medieval Islamic world Scientific works of Al-Andalus 10th-century Arabic books 1000 books Arabic-language encyclopedias Encyclopedias of medicine