Al Razi

 

4. Al-Razi / Rhazes* 
*Name*: Al-Razi or Rhazes 
*Full Name*: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi 
*Born*: 854 CE, Ray (near Tehran) 
*Died*: 932 or 925 CE, Ray 
*Era*: Medieval Era 
*Field*: Islamic Philosophy, Persian Science, Islamic Medicine 
*Main Interests*: Chemistry, Medicine, and Philosophy 
*Notable Ideas*:
1. First to produce acids like sulfuric acid
2. Wrote limited or extensive notes on diseases like smallpox and chickenpox
3. Pioneer in ophthalmology, author of the first book on pediatrics
4. Pioneering contributions in inorganic and organic chemistry
5. Author of many philosophical works 

Al-Razi, Muhammad ibn Zakariya Razi (Persian: محمد زکریای رازی), known to medieval Latinists as Rhazes or Rasis, (26 August 865–925) was a Persian polymath, a prominent figure of the Islamic Golden Age, physician, alchemist and chemist, philosopher, and scholar. He has many “firsts” in medical research, clinical care, and chemistry, credited with being the first to differentiate smallpox from measles and discovering countless other compounds and chemicals, including kerosene.

Edward Granville Browne considers him “perhaps the greatest and most original of all physicians, and one of the most prolific as an author.” Razi made fundamental and lasting contributions to the fields of medicine, alchemy, music, and philosophy, recorded in over 200 books and articles in various fields of science. He was well-versed in Persian, Greek, and Indian medical knowledge and made many advances in medicine through his observations and discoveries.

Educated in music, mathematics, philosophy, and metaphysics, he chose medicine as his professional field. As a physician, he was an early proponent of experimental medicine and has been described as the father of pediatrics. He was also a pioneer of ophthalmology. He was one of the first to use humorism to differentiate one infectious disease from another. In particular, Razi was the first physician to distinguish smallpox and measles through his clinical characterization of the two diseases. As an alchemist, Razi is known for his study and discovery of sulfuric acid and alcohol. He became chief physician of Ray and Baghdad hospitals.

Razi was a rationalist and very confident in the power of argument; he was widely considered by his contemporaries and biographers to be liberal, free from prejudice, and courageous in expressing his views. He traveled extensively, mostly in Persia. As a teacher in medicine, he attracted students of all backgrounds and is said to have been compassionate and devoted to the service of his patients, whether rich or poor.

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