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AL-ZAHRAWI (ABULCASIS) THE PHARMACIST

Dr. Mohd Zuhair Al-Baba
SYRIA

ABSTRACT

The famous historian Ben Abi Ussaib'a has pointed out in his book that Khalaf Ben Abbas al-zahrawi was a distinct physician and an expert of simple and compound drugs, well known for therapy and had very well known compilations best of which is his famous book "al-Tasrif".

This large book consists of thirty fascicles dealing with medical sciences. Since the last fascicle specialised in surgery, had been translated into Latin by Gerard of Cremona in the Twelfth Century A.C. and widespreaded in Europe under the name "al- Tasrif' or "LIBER SERVITORIS" .Thus when the name of al-Zahrawi is mentioned most Europeans remember him only as an Arab Surgeon, while he was well known in Orient as a physician expert of simple and compound drugs.

Al-Zahrawi had talked about anatomy, pathology and general surgery in three fascicles whereas to the remaining fascicles, they are all pharmaceutical topics concerned with simple and compound drugs in connection with their specifications, preparation, effect, conservation, durability, substitution, nomenclature and measures.

These pharmaceutical fascicles, indeed, as a whole constitute an un-paralleled Pharmacopoeia in the history of Medicine of Andalusia.

This paper gives some important description about fascicle No.28. The first chapter is about the preparation of mineral drugs, the second about the preparation of vegetal drugs and the third about the preparation of animal drugs.

Thus this paper clearly describes that al-Zahrawi had dealt with a number of significant topics in al- Tasrif, the Encyclopedia in the field of pharmaceutics and chemistry more than ten centuries ago.

Finally we wonder whether we are entitled or not to call al-Zahrawi. " FATHER OF PHARMACISTS AND CHEMISTS OF ANDALUSIA "?

* As the English translation of the full text could not be made available, we are publishing here the abstract only.
                                                                                                                                                                                         --- Editors.