Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya Razi (
Persian ?????? ????
Zakaria ye Razi;
Arabic ??? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???????;
Latin Rhazes or
Rasis) was a
Persian [2][3]alchemist, chemist,
physician,
philosopher and
scholar. According to
Biruni, Razi was born in
Rayy,
Iran, in the year 865 AD (251 AH), and died there in 925 AD (313 AH).
Razi made fundamental and enduring contributions to the fields of medicine, alchemy, and philosophy, recorded in over 184 books and articles in various fields of science. He was well-versed in Arabic, Persian, Greek and Indian medical knowledge and made numerous advances in medicine through own observations and discoveries.[4] He was an early proponent of experimental medicine and is considered the father of pediatrics.[5] He was also a pioneer of neurosurgery and ophthalmology.[6]
As an alchemist, Razi is known for his study of sulfuric acid, which is often called the "work horse" of modern chemistry and chemical engineering. He also discovered ethanol and refined its use in medicine.
Razi was a rationalist, and was very confident in the power of reason; he was widely regarded by his contemporaries and biographers as liberal and free from any kind of prejudice, very bold and daring in expressing his ideas without a qualm.
