A TRIBUTE TO GREAT MUSLIM SCIENTISTS 2

                IBN-AL-BAITAR
Abu Muhammad Abdallah ibn ahmed Ibn al-Baitar Dhiya al-din al-Malaqi was one of the greatest scientists of Muslim spain and was the greatest botanist and pharmacist of the Middle ages. He was born in the spanish city of Malaqa (Malaga) Towards the end of the 12the century. He learned botany from abu al-Abbas al-Nabati, a learned Botanist, with whom he started collecting plants in and around spain. In 1219 he left spain on a plant collecting expedition and traveled along the northern coast of africa as far as asia Minor. the exact modes of his travel (Whether by land or sea). are not known, but the major stations he visited include bugia, Qastantunia (Copnstantinople).
Tunis, Tripoli, Barqa and adalia. After 1224 he entered the service of al-Kamil, the egyptain Governor, and was appointed chief herbalist. in 1227 al-Kamil extended his domination to damascus, and Ibn al-Baitar accompainied him there which provided him an opportunity to collect plants in syria. His researches on plants extended over a vast area including Arabia and palestine, which he either visited or managed to collect plants from stations located there. he died in Damjascus in 1248. 


Ibn Bairar's major contibution, Kitab al-Jami fi al-Adwiya al-Mu frads, is one of ther greatest botanical compilations dealing with medicinal plants in Arabic It enjoyed a high status among botanists up to the 16th century as systematic work that embodies earlier works, with due criticism and adds a great part of original contribution. The encyclopedia comprises some 1,400 different items, largely medicinal plants and vegetables, of which about 200 plants were not known earlier. The book refers to the work of some 150 authors mostly arabic, and it also quotes about 20 early greek scientists. It was translated into Latin and Published in 1758.


His second monumental treatise kitab al-Mughni fi al-adwiya al-Mu frada is an  encyciopedia of medicine. The drugs are listed in accordance with their theapeutical value. Thus, its 20 different chapters deal with the plants bearing significance to diseases of head, ear, eye, tec on surgical issues he has frequently quoted the famous Mulim surgeon, Abul Qasim Zahravi, Besides Arabic, Baitar, has given Greek and latin names of the plants, thus facilitating transfer of knowledge. 


Ibn Baitar's contribnutions are characterized by obervation, analysis and classification and have exerted a profound influence on Eastern as well as weten botany and medicine. Through the jami was translated/published late in the western languages as mentioned above, yet many scientists had 
earlier studied various parts of the book and made several references to it. 
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          (CREATED BY DR. JAMAL-UD-DIN KHAN MBBS)

A TRIBUTE TO GREAT MUSLIM SCIENTISTS

                 JABIR IBN-HAIYAN

Jabir Ibn haiyan, the alchemist geber of the middle ages, is generally known as the father of chemistry. Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan, sometimes called 

Al-Harrani and al-Sufi, was the son of the druggist 

(Attar). The precise date of his birth is the subject of some discussion, but it is established that he practiced medicine and alchemy in Kufa around 776.

A.D He is reported to have studied under imam Jafar sadiq and the ummayed prince khalid Ibn Yazid. In his early days, he practiced medicine and was under the patronage of the barmaki vizir during the abbasid caliphate of harcon al-Rashid. He shared some of the effects of the downfall of the barmakis and was placed under house arrest in Kufa, where he died in 803. A.D. Jabir's major contribution was in the field of chemistry. he introduced experimental investigation into alchemy, which rapidly changed its character into modern chemistry. on the ruins of his well-known laboratory remained after centuries, but his fame rests on over 100 monumental treatises, of which 22 relate to chemistry and alchemy. his contribution of fundamental importance to chemistry includes perfection of scientific techniques such as crystallization, distillation, calcification, sublimation and evaporation and development, of several instruments for the same. The fact of early development of chemistry as a distinct branch of science by the Arabs, is well-established and the very name chemistry is derived from the Arabic word al-Kimys, which was studied and developed extensively by the Muslim scientists, Perhaps Jabir's major practical achievement was the discovery of mineral and others acids, which he prepared for the first time in his alembic (Anbique). Apart from several contributions of basic nature to alchemy, involving largely the preparation of new compounds and development of chemical methods, he also developed a number of applied chemical processes, thus becoming a pioneer in the field of applied science. His achievements in this field include preparation of various metals, development of steel, dyeing of cloth and tanning of leather, varnishing of water-proof cloth, use of manganese dioxide in glass-making, prevention of resting, lettering in gold, identification of paints, greases, etc. During the course of these practical endeavors, he also developed aqua Regina to dissolve gold. The alembic is his great invention, which made easy and systematic the process of distillation. jabir laid great stress on experimentation and accuracy in his work. Based on their properties, he has described three distinct types of substances. First, Spirits i.e those which vaporize on heating, like camphor, arsenic and ammonium chloride; secondly, metals, for example, gold, silver, lead, copper, iron; and thirdly, the category of compounds which can be converted into powders, He thus paved the way for such later classification as metals, non-metals and volatile substances. although known as an alchemist, he did not seem to have seriously pursued the preparation of noble metals as an alchemists. instead he devoted his effort to the development of basic chemical methods and study of mechanisms of chemical rations in them selves and thus helped evolve chemistry as a science from the legends of alchemy. He emphasized that, in chemical rations, definite quantities of various substances are involved and thus can be said to have paved the way for the law of constant proportions. A large number of books are included in his corpus. Apart from chemistry, he also contributed to other sciences such as medicine and astronomy. His books on chemistry. Kitab-al--kimya, and kitab al-sab'een were translated into Latin and various European languages. These translations were popular in Europe for several centuries and have influenced the evolution of modern chemistry. Several technical terms devised by Jabir. such as alkli, are today found in various European languages and have become part of scientific vocabulary. only a few of this books have been edited and published. while several other preserved in Arabic have yet to be annotated and published. Doubts have been expressed as to whether all the voluminous work included in the corpus is his own contribution or it contains later commentaries/

additions by his followers. according to darton, the true worth of his work would only be known when all his books have been edited and published. His religious views and philosophical concepts embodied in the corpus have been criticized but, apart from the question of their authenticity, it is to be emphasized that the major contribution of Jabir lies in the field of chemistry and not in religion. 

His various breakthroughs e.g preparation of acids for the first time, notably nitric, hydrochloric, citric, tartaric acids and emphasis on systematic experimentation are outstanding. It is on the basis of such work that he can justly be regarded as the father of modern chemistry. In the words of Max Mayerhaff, the Development of chemistry in Europe can be traced directly to jabir Ibn Haiyan.

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                                    (CREATED BY DR. JAMAL-UD-DIN KHAN MBBS)