ANDALUSIAN SURGEON Ebu'l-QASIM el-ZEHRAVÎ (930-1013) and ENCYCLOPEDIC BOOK OF SURGERY al-TASRIF
ANDALUSIAN SURGEON Ebu'l-QASIM el-ZEHRAVÎ (930-1013) and
ENCYCLOPEDIC BOOK OF SURGERY al-TASRIF
Prof. Dr. Kadircan KESKİNBORA
Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Medicine
– I –
The name of Ebu'l-Kasım Zehravî, one of the physicians of Andalusia, is Ebu'l Kasım Halef İbn el-Abbas el-Zehrâvî and his nickname is Ebû'l-Kasım. He became famous with the name Zehravi because he was born in El-Zehra near Cordoba. In Europe, he was known by names such as Abulcasis Abulcases, Bulcasis, Albucasis, Albuchasius, Albulcasis, Alcarani, Alcaravius, Alzahavi, Ezzahravi, Ezaharagui and was considered the father of surgery. He lived between 930 (Hijri 318) and 1013 (H. 404). In some sources, his date of birth is given as 936.
He studied in Cordoba Madrasas, which had the highest level of science and culture at that time. Zahrawi, who spent part of his life researching medicine and pharmacy in his birthplace, Medinat-uz-Zehra, also studied religion and other sciences of his time and practiced his profession in Cordoba. He deepened and had a say, especially in the theoretical and applied fields of medical science. European countries, which were at a very primitive level in science and technology in the times when Zahrawi lived, took the path of enlightenment with the basic information they received from Islamic madrasahs and scholars.
In some sources, it is stated that Zahrawi was the son of III, one of the Andalusian Umayyad caliphs. With Abdurrahman and his successor II. It is stated that he worked as a palace doctor during the reign of Hakem and was the private physician of the rulers. III. Abdurrahman, II. Referee and II. Although it is accepted that Zahrawi, who lived during the reign of Hisham, was close to these rulers as a famous physician, there is no information in the primary sources about his relationship with the palace and the rulers.
Arab traveler Hasan el-Vezzân (d. after 1550), known as Leo Africanus (Liyûn el-İfrîkī), wrote in Italian and translated into Latin by J. H. Hottinger (Libellus de viris quibusdam illustribus apud Arabes), 30 Arabs and Jews In his work, in which he gives information about the philosopher and physician, he states that Zahrawi was the physician of Mansur-Billah and that he died in 1013 at the age of 101. Mansur-Billâh mentioned here, II. The vizier and commander who took control during the reign of Hisham must have been Ibn Ebû Âmir. In the Islamic world, such as al-Razi, Ibn al-Haytham, Biruni and Ibn Sina, Although Zahrawi, who was among the scientists of the 19th century, was interested in various branches of medicine, he was mostly known for his surgeon qualities.
Zahrawi, who is considered the father of Muslim surgeons, is successful and famous mostly in the field of surgery. During the time of Zahrawi, who was the pioneer of modern surgery, this field of specialization was not considered superior by physicians in Europe, so its field of application was not opened. Unlike Europe, in the Islamic world; Since it was an acceptable, widespread and popular science, its application yielded successful results. Although Zahrawi was interested in various branches of medicine, he was more successful and famous in the field of surgery. He died in 1013, after a long medical career filled with rich, meaningful and original contributions.
His only work known to have survived to the present day: al-Tasrif.
He is well known for his first and original major discoveries in surgery, as well as for his famous Medical Encyclopedia called “Al-Tasrif”, which consists of thirty chapters (articles) covering different aspects of medical science. The full name of the work is "El-Tasrif limen Acize an'it Te'lif". His encyclopedic book consists of three volumes on surgery, describing various aspects of surgical treatments based on important parts of his methods, operations performed by him, including cauterization, excretion of bladder stones, midwifery, astringents, and eye, ear, and throat surgery. He has perfected several delicate operations, including disposing of a dead fetus and amputation.
In the first article of his book, Al-Tasrif explains general medical information and principles. In the second article, 325 diseases from head to feet, their symptoms and treatments, in the third to twenty-fifth articles, simple and complex medicines and their preparation, in the twenty-sixth article, nutrients suitable for each disease, in the twenty-seventh article, the properties of plant and animal foods and simple medicines, in the twenty-eighth article. In the article, the production of mineral, herbal and animal drug tablets is discussed, in the twenty-ninth article, drug names, equivalents with the same properties, duration of use, weight and volume measurements, and in the thirtieth article, surgery is discussed.
Although Kitâbü't-Tasrîf , completed by Zahrawi in 1000, is largely based on previously published Greek and Islamic medical sources, it is important in that it gives the results of the author's personal experiences of nearly fifty years, and stands out especially with its explanations of surgical operations and pictures of the instruments it contains.
Al-Tasrif, first the part about surgery, was translated into Latin by the famous translator Gerard de Cremona (114-1187) under the name "Liber Al-Saharavi de Chirurgia". It was also translated into Latin and Hebrew many times. Contrary to the view that Muslims shy away from surgery, al-Zahrawi's al-Tasrif provided a tremendous collection for this applied science. The book contained numerous diagrams and pictures of surgical instruments in use or developed by Zahrawi. After the thirtieth chapter of the work, especially on surgery, was translated into Latin, manuscript copies spread in Spain, Italy and France.
The work, which contains 200 pictures and descriptions of surgical instruments, was instrumental in laying the foundation of surgery in Europe. It was taught as a textbook in Salerno, Montpelleier and other European medical schools for centuries. Europeans, who benefited from his works for centuries, knew Abu'l-Qasim Zahrawi rather than Muslims, and took his discoveries and treatment methods to themselves.