Rhazes by Maxine Berger

Kitab al-Hawi Fi Al-Tibb (Historical)

maxineberger123 — 2025-01-21 00:12:18 UTC

Rhazes classified peripheral nerve damage in his Kitab al-Hawi Fi Al-Tibb (900 A.D.) in Baghdad, Iraq. Rhazes was pivotal in the classification of the cranial nerves. Rhazes was a practiving physician, and would document his medical cases. His work had a major impression in medieval middle east due to the localization and functionalization of the peripheral nervous system. This was also pertinent due to the stagnation of European medical advances during this time period. source: Souayah, N., & Greenstein, J. I. (2011, January 12). Insights into neurologic localization by Al-Razi (rhazes), a medieval Islamic physician. Muslim Heritage. https://muslimheritage.com/neurologic-localization-al-razi/

Rhazes the Psychologist (Historical)

maxineberger123 — 2025-01-21 00:35:50 UTC

Rhazes participated in the practice of psychiatry as depicted by this painting by Thom RA in 1966. Rhazes was known for his practice of ethics in a hospital in Baghdad. He pioneered psychiatric consultation in the Middle East. In the context of neuroscience, Rhazes made contributions to not only the anatomical realm, but also the behavioral and psychological.

source: Daghestani, A. (1997, November 1). Al-Razi (rhazes), 865–925. American Journal of Psychiatry. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/ajp.154.11.1602

Rhazes as an influential figure in Iran (Historical)

maxineberger123 — 2025-01-21 00:44:45 UTC

Rhazes was an influential figure in Iran during 865-925 A.D. The image above depicts a bust of Rhazes that exists in a gallery in Iran. He was known to be a highly revered medical professor offering his students rigorous training. He pioneered numerous treatments for neurological conditions including massaging areas of the head near the cerebellum to help with absorption of ointments. He documented his work meticulously in numerous handbooks to be used as common medical practice.

source: Zarshenas, M. M., Mehdizadeh, A., Zargaran, A., & Mohagheghzadeh, A. (2012, February 1). Rhazes (865–925 AD) - Journal of Neurology. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-011-6398-x

Kitab Al-Hawi (Liber Continens) (Historical)

maxineberger123 — 2025-01-21 00:51:58 UTC

The Kitab Al-Hawi is a compilation of Rhazes readings and interpretations of Greek and Roman medical knowledge. Rhazes wrote this medical text around 900 A.D. in Baghdad, Iran. It was translated into Latin and distributed throughout Europe. His work included treatments for ailments, diagnosis, and classification of disease states. Translation of the Kitab Al-Hawi was pivotal for progress made in Europe regarding neuroscience.

Source Tibi S (2005). Al-Razi and Islamic medicine in the 9th Century. JLL Bulletin: Commentaries on the history of treatment evaluation (https://www.jameslindlibrary.org/articles/al-razi-and-islamic-medicine-in-the-9th-century/)

Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, December 13). Al-Hawi. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Hawi

Kitab Al-Hawi part 2 (Contemporary)

maxineberger123 — 2025-01-21 01:02:07 UTC

"If the dullness in the head is greater than the pain, and there is no insomnia, but rather sleep, then the fever will abate, but the throbbing will be immense but not frequent and he will progress into a stupor (lîthûrghas). So when you see these symptoms, then proceed with bloodletting. For I once saved one group [of patients] by it, while I intentionally neglected [to bleed] another group. By doing that, I wished to reach a conclusion (ra’y). And so all of these [latter] contracted meningitis."

A quote by Abu Bakr Mohammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi (Rhazes) in the Kitab Al-Hawi. Rhazes described his treatment for meningitis around 900 A.D. in Baghdad, Iran. His work in treatment is influential as it shows an understanding of the disease state and an attempt to ameliorate it similarly to modern medicine (though bloodletting is considered outdated). The Kitab Al-Hawi

represents a pivotal from medieval medical practices to treatments and descriptions of cases that parallel modern day practice. Though the treatments described would not be used in modern day, the approach to diagnostics and and documentation is more similar and foundational as a development towards what we see in medicine today.

source: Tibi S (2005). Al-Razi and Islamic medicine in the 9th Century. JLL Bulletin: Commentaries on the history of treatment evaluation (https://www.jameslindlibrary.org/articles/al-razi-and-islamic-medicine-in-the-9th-century/)

Al-Razi. Kitab al-Hawi fi al-tibb. Oxford Bodleian MS Marsh 156, fol. 167a lines 6-12. (also on page 122 in Volume 15 of the 1st edition of the 23-volume set of the book published by Osmania Oriental Publications Bureau, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, 1955-7).

Case Study: Prince Mansur

maxineberger123 — 2025-01-21 01:30:44 UTC

Prince Mansur of Saudi Arabia was treated by Rhazes in the first psychiatric ward in Baghdad around 900 A.D. This was influential culturally in the Middle East. This was pivotal for mental healthcare institutionally.

Source: Ahmed, J. O., Kakamad, K. K., Najmadden, Z. B., & Saeed, S. I. (2024, July 15). Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (rhazes) (865-925): The founder of the First Psychiatric Ward. Cureus. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11324200/

Andreas Vesalius (Docent)

maxineberger123 — 2025-01-21 01:43:26 UTC

Vesalius was alive 1514-1564 and was a Belgian anatomist who trained in France. He is now known as the "Father of Modern Human Anatomy". Vesalius was known for dissecting the deceased he had found in cemeteries. Vesalius would be the best docent for Rhazes's work due to his own involvement in anatomy and accurate depictions of the human nervous system. His realistic descriptions of the human brain could be overlayed with the structure and function determined by Rhazes in the Middle East to create the topic as a whole. Both Vesalius and Rhazes were skeptics of Galen's work and shared similarities in that regard.

Source: Florkin, M. (2024, November 27). Andreas Vesalius. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andreas-Vesalius