Ibn Zuhr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ibn Zuhr ابن زهر
Avenzoar |
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An imaginary sketch representing Muslim physician Ibn Zuhr.
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| Born | 1094 Peñaflor, Almoravid empire, now Province of Seville, Spain
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| Died | 1162 (aged 68) |
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| Academic work | |
| Era | Medieval Islamic civilization |
| Notable works | Kitab al-Taisir fi al-Mudawat wa al-Tadbir |
| Influenced | Averroes, Maimonides, Pietro d'Abano, Guy de Chauliac |
Ibn Zuhr (1094–1162), also known as Avenzoar, was a famous Arab doctor, surgeon, and poet. He was born in Seville, in what is now Spain. He lived at the same time as other great thinkers like Averroes. Many people thought he was the best doctor of his time.
Ibn Zuhr believed that medicine should be based on facts and experiments. His most important book was Al-Taysīr fil-Mudāwāt wal-Tadbīr. This book was translated into other languages like Latin and Hebrew. It greatly helped the development of surgery. He also learned a lot about different diseases and how to treat them.
Ibn Zuhr was the first to try a tracheotomy (a surgery on the windpipe) on a goat. He also described bezoar stones, which were once thought to have medicinal uses.
Contents
Biography of Ibn Zuhr
Avenzoar was born in Seville in 1094. He came from the Banu Zuhr family, which was very well-known. This family had many doctors for six generations. They also had lawyers, poets, and even people who worked for the rulers.
Ibn Zuhr first studied religion and literature, as was common back then. Later, he studied medicine with his father, Abu'l-Ala Zuhr. His father taught him about the works of famous ancient doctors like Galen and Hippocrates. He even made Ibn Zuhr promise to follow the Hippocratic Oath when he was young.
Ibn Zuhr started his career as a doctor for the Almoravid empire. But for some reason, he had problems with the ruler, 'Ali bin Yusuf bin Tashufin. He had to leave Seville and was later put in jail in 1140. This experience made him feel very upset.
In 1147, the Almohad empire took over Seville. Ibn Zuhr then returned home and focused on his medical work. He passed away in Seville in 1162.
Another famous scholar, Leo Africanus, said that Ibn Zuhr learned from Averroes. Ibn Zuhr greatly admired Galen. He strongly spoke out against fake doctors and superstitious cures, like those from astrologers.
Ibn Zuhr's Important Books
Kitab al-Iqtisad: The Book of Moderation
This book was about general health and treatments. Ibn Zuhr wrote it when he was young for a prince. It covered many diseases, treatments, and tips for staying clean and healthy. The book also gave advice on cosmetics and looking good. Ibn Zuhr even suggested plastic surgery for things like big noses or crooked teeth.
Kitab al-Aghdhiya: The Book of Foods
As the name suggests, this book was a guide about foods and healthy eating. Ibn Zuhr wrote it after he left jail for a new ruler. It listed different types of foods like bread, meat, drinks, fruits, and sweets.
When talking about meat, Ibn Zuhr mentioned many kinds of animals, even unusual ones like gazelles and snakes. He described their taste, how useful they were, and how easy they were to digest. He also suggested specific foods for each season. For example, in winter, he said people should eat more food because digestion is faster. He also recommended warmer and drier foods for colder, wetter weather.
Kitab al-Taysir: The Book of Simplification
This was likely Ibn Zuhr's last book. He wrote it because his friend, Averroes, asked him to. It was meant to go along with Averroes' own medical book, which focused on general medicine. Both books were translated into Hebrew and Latin. They were printed together and were very popular until the 1700s.
This book has 30 chapters. It describes diseases starting from the head. Ibn Zuhr accurately described cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and mediastinum. He even suggested feeding patients with stomach cancer through enemas to keep them alive. He was also the first to describe conditions like otitis media (ear infection) and pericarditis (heart lining inflammation).
Ibn Zuhr also gave one of the earliest descriptions of the Scabies mite. This helped the study of tiny living things, called microbiology. In his book, he wrote:
There are lice under the hand, ankle and foot like worms, and sores affecting the same areas. If the skin is removed, there appears from various parts of it, a very small animal which can hardly be seen.
Perhaps Ibn Zuhr's biggest contribution was using experiments in medicine. He was one of the first to test medical procedures on animals before trying them on humans. This helped him see if they would work safely. He strongly supported the surgical procedure of tracheotomy, which was debated at the time. To show it was safe, Ibn Zuhr described an experiment he did on a goat:
"Earlier on in my training when I read those opinions (controversies), I cut on the lung pipe of a goat after incising the skin and the covering sheath underneath. Then I completely cut off the substance of the pipe, an area just less than the size of a tirmisah (lupine seed). Then, I kept washing the wound with water and honey till it healed and it (the animal) totally recovered and lived for a long time."
Other Writings
Ibn Abi Usaibia mentioned these other works by Ibn Zuhr:
- Fi al-Zinah (On Beauty).
- Al-Tiryaq al-Sabini (On Antidotes).
- Fi Illat al-Kila (On Kidney Diseases).
- Fi Illat al-Baras wa al-Bahaq (On Leprosy and Vitiligo).
- Al-Tadhkirah (The Remembrance).
Ibn Zuhr's Legacy
The Jewish doctor and philosopher Maimonides greatly admired Ibn Zuhr. He called him "unique in his age and one of the great sages." Maimonides often quoted Ibn Zuhr in his own medical books. Averroes also praised him, saying he was the greatest doctor since Galen. Ibn Zuhr's daughter and granddaughter also became doctors, specializing in helping with childbirth.
See also
In Spanish: Ibn Zuhr para niños
- Islamic medicine
- List of Muslim scientists
- List of Arab scientists and scholars
