Saturday 22 September 2012

AL-RAZI (864-930 C.E.)



Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi (864-930 C.E.) was born at Ray, Iran. Initially he was interested in music but later on he learnt Medicine, Mathematics, Astronomy, Chemistry and Philosophy.
In medicine his contribution was so significant that it can only be compared to that of Ibn Sina. Some of his works in Medicine e.g. Kitab al-Mansoori, Al-Hawi, Kitab al-Mulooki, and Kitab al-Judari wa al-Hasabahearned everlasting fame. Kitab al-Mansoori which was translated into Latin in the 15th century C.E., comprised ten volumes and dealt exhaustively with Greco-Arab medicine. He became the first to draw clear comparison between smallpox and chicken-pox. Al-Hawi was the largest medical encyclopedia composed by then. He greatly favoured cure through correct and regulated food and psychological treatment. He was also an expert surgeon and was the first to use opium for anaesthesia. 
He compounded medicines and designed several instruments used in chemical investigations. One of his books called Kitab al-Asrar deals with the preparation of chemical materials and their utilization. He paved way for organic and inorganic Chemistry. He was the first to produce sulphuric acid and prepared alcohol by fermenting sweet products. His contribution as a philosopher is also well known. 
He has more than 200 outstanding scientific contributions to his credit, out of which about half deal with Medicine and 21 concern alchemy,






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