ABU RAYHAN BERUNI'S VIEWS ON MEDICINE

ISSN: 2582-4686 SJIF 2021-3.261,SJIF 20222.889, 2024-6.875 ResearchBib IF: 9.948 / 2024 VOLUME-5, ISSUE-12 673 ABU RAYHAN BERUNI'S VIEWS ON MEDICINE Islam Buriev Junior Research Fellow, Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 93 001 40 95 Keywords: Abu Rayhan Beruni, medicine, doctor, personal hygiene, sanitation, cleanliness, environment, water bodies, genetics, human life, body parts, pharmacology. Abstract: The great Turanian encyclopedist Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad Beruni Khorezmi (973 – 1051) was involved in almost all branches of science of his time. Along with various sciences, Beruni also had advanced knowledge in the field of medicine. Beruni's views on medicine can be conditionally divided into two groups: cleanliness (personal hygiene and sanitation) and directly on medicine. Beruni's views on cleanliness are varied. They talk about the cleanliness of the person himself, i.e. about the cleanliness of his body, organs and clothing, about the cleanliness of the environment in which he lives, what he eats and drinks, and even about the cleanliness of water bodies that people use. Beruni's views on direct medicine are also noteworthy. The great scientist here presents his views on various areas of medicine, from the issue of human life to aspects of treatment related to women, from the problems of heredity to the science of pharmacology. In general, Beruni’s views in the field of medicine are still relevant today and occupy an important place in the study of the history of Uzbek medicine during the First Renaissance. Ключевые слова: Абу Райхан Беруни, медицина, врач, личная гигиена, санитария, чистота, окружающая среда, водоемы, наследственность, человеческая жизнь, части тела, фармакология. Аннотация: Великий туранский энциклопедист Абу Райхан Мухаммад ибн Ахмад Беруни Хорезми (973 – 1051) занимался практически всеми отраслями науки своего времени. Наряду с различными науками Беруни также обладал передовыми знаниями в области медицины. Взгляды Беруни на медицину можно условно разделить на две группы: чистота (личная гигиена и санитария) и непосредственно на медицину. Взгляды Беруни на чистоту разнообразны. Они говорят о чистоте самого человека, т. е. о чистоте его тела, органов и одежды, о чистоте окружающей среды, в которой он живет, того, что он ест и пьет, и даже о чистоте водоемов, которыми пользуются люди. Примечательны также взгляды Беруни на непосредственную медицину. Великий учёный здесь представляет свои взгляды на различные области медицины, от вопроса человеческой жизни до аспектов лечения, связанных с женщинами, от проблем наследственности до науки фармакологии. В целом взгляды Беруни в области медицины актуальны и сегодня и занимают важное место в изучении истории узбекской медицины периода Первого Ренессанса. The great Turanian encyclopedist Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad Beruni al-Khwarizmi (973 – 1051) was engaged in almost all branches of science of his time. Beruni also had mature knowledge in the field of medicine, among various sciences. Muvaffaqiddin Ahmad Abul-Abbas ibn Abu ISSN: 2582-4686 SJIF 2021-3.261,SJIF 20222.889, 2024-6.875 ResearchBib IF: 9.948 / 2024 VOLUME-5, ISSUE-12 674 Usaybi'a (1194 – 1270), who wrote various memoirs about physicians of ancient and medieval times, and other authors devoted a special place to Beruni in their works and highly appreciated his work in the field of medicine [9: 459]. Beruni's views on medicine can be conditionally divided into two groups: cleanliness (personal hygiene and sanitation) and direct medicine. Biruni's views on cleanliness are diverse. They range from the cleanliness of the person himself, that is, his body, organs, and clothing, to the cleanliness of the environment in which he lives, the things he eats and drinks, and even the water bodies used by people. According to Biruni, the highest of praiseworthy deeds is kindness. Kindness is cleanliness and order. Those who adhere to these can achieve abundance, while those who avoid them will face poverty. The first thing that is noticeable about a person's body is his appearance and skin. It is desirable for the face to be beautiful. In fact, in the past, beautiful, handsome people were chosen for the ambassadorship. The head is the highest part of the human body. A person should decorate it, protect it from dirt and harmful things. Also, a person must keep his body clean if he does not want to be inferior to animals. For example, cats don't leave their litter in the house, they cover it well so that it doesn't stink. They clean their entire bodies, including their heads and ears, with their saliva and feet, and sneeze by scratching their nostrils with their nails [2: 89 – 90]. At this point, Beruni is giving an example to people that ordinary cats strive to keep themselves so tidy. This shows how seriously he took this issue. Then he begins to describe the etiquette of cleanliness. According to him, the basis of people's desire for cleanliness is the water used for washing. Nothing cleans the disgusting sights and stench emanating from filth like water. However, liquids that act like water can sometimes replace it. Even in the past, a bride's parents advised her to use more water for cleanliness [2: 90]. Those who were concerned about their beauty would wash their skin with plenty of water, even to the smallest pores, and would also apply makeup to the perfectly clean skin. To remove any natural or accidental yellowness from the body, the skin was poured with a lot of water and bleached with rose oil. Although the smell of a person's mouth is naturally healthy (not foul), it smells bad due to the waste products accumulated during digestion. This smell is especially bad when the stomach is empty and when waking up in the morning. To get rid of it, it is advisable to brush the teeth with a miswak. The eyes and eyelids should be kept clean and antimony should be applied to them. The hair should be combed, the ends should be cut (i.e. to prevent ingrown hairs), and if necessary, it should be dyed. Pulling out some hairs on the body by the roots and cutting and smoothing the nails are signs of cleanliness [2: 89 – 91]. Of all the things that cover the body, the most important for a person is clothing. It touches the body and keeps the body neat. Clothing should be a color that is widely worn, that is, white. It should be smooth so that dust does not stick to the clothing. It is also good for clothing to be suitable for the weather and the customs of the people. Beruni considers the cleanliness of clothing to be a sign of the purity of the heart. Precious stones can be used to decorate the clothing, provided that they are not extravagant [2: 92 – 93]. Biruni dwells separately on the subject of bathing in running water, following the tradition of purity, on the day of Nowruz. This is a blessing and is done to cleanse and ward off disasters. By disasters, Biruni must have meant diseases, more precisely, viruses and microbes. Because the act of people bathing in running water and pouring water on themselves indicates this. When people sprinkle water on each other on the day of Nowruz, the purpose is to cleanse the skin of smoke and moths from fire that have stuck to the body. Also, people sprinkling water on each other removes the air pollution that ISSN: 2582-4686 SJIF 2021-3.261,SJIF 20222.889, 2024-6.875 ResearchBib IF: 9.948 / 2024 VOLUME-5, ISSUE-12 675 causes plague and other diseases [3: 257; 4: 202 – 203]. By the pollution that causes these diseases, the same viruses and microbes must have been meant. Because the pollution that causes disasters and diseases in the body corresponds to the description of viruses and microbes. Beruni considers the use of vaporized and incensed medicines by the Khorezmians on the midwinter day of Nimhab as a sign of vigilance and caution [3: 281; 4: 224 – 225]. This suggests that in the past the Turanians used disinfectants to prevent the spread of airborne diseases. This information also proves that Beruni thought about viruses that spread in the air and cause diseases. Biruni mentions that if impurities fall into a spring, the fragrant water will smell bad, but if it is emptied and cleaned, the fragrance will return. In the past, the Turanians cleaned water bodies in this way. Biruni cites evidence that infectious diseases spread rapidly, when the humidity in the air increases in tropical areas. According to him, when it rains in Egypt and the surrounding areas, the air becomes polluted, plague spreads, and animals and plants are affected. Biruni says that such phenomena depend on the nature of the land, its proximity to mountains and seas, its elevation, and its latitude to the north or south [3: 291; 4: 235 – 236]. The great scientist analyzes that air suffocation occurs when the sky is blocked by clouds and the earth by mountains, preventing air from circulating. This is clearly evidenced by the fact that people on the bridge from one mountain to another on the way from Khotan to China suffered from suffocation. The Tibetans even called this place the Poison Mountain [3: 315; 4: 263]. Biruni also notes that while some springs produce clean drinking water, others produce dangerous water, and that these harmful springs should be tightly closed and buried [3: 307; 4: 255]. In general, through these views of Biruni, one can learn how the Turanians of 1000 years ago adhered to the rules of cleanliness, and the level of thought in their lives and behavior. Biruni's views on medicine are also noteworthy. The great scientist presents his views on various areas of medicine, from the issue of human life to the aspects of treatment related to women, from problems of genetics to the science of pharmacology. Biruni confirms that a person's life depends on his lineage. He emphasizes that if a person lives as long as his father, mother, or grandfather, he cannot escape any misfortune that befalls him without strong evidence [3: 115 – 116; 4: 94 – 95]. Nowadays, in the study of human life, and in general, human heredity, the construction of a genealogy of ancestors is widely used, in which the transmission of signs of a certain character or disease over several generations is observed. The genealogical method was introduced into modern science by Francis Galton (1822 – 1911) [6: 196]. However, 1000 years earlier, the Turanians knew that a person's life depends on his lineage and used this method. Abu Rayhan Beruni also supports this view. Abu Rayhan Beruni also sharply criticizes those who calculate human life based on the movement of celestial bodies. In particular, he refutes the opinion of his contemporary Abu Abdullah Hussein Natili (Abu Abdullah Hussein Natili – 10th century philosopher and physician, teacher of Ibn Sina) that human life cannot exceed 140 solar years, reminding the reader that there is no evidence for this [3: 116 – 117; 4: 96 – 97]. However, Beruni, like the great thinker Natili, divides human life into three stages of maturity: 1) puberty – the period of youth (adulthood); 2) the period of mental power – the period of middle age; 3) the period of old age. In this, Beruni defines puberty as the time when a person can give birth to another person like himself, that is, when he acquires the ability to reproduce sexually. The power of thought is the time when a person's mind turns from strength to action, that is, when a person is fit for physical labor. The third period is seen as a time when a person can wait for himself, his family, or others [3: 116 – 117; 4: 96 – 97]. This is how Beruni scientifically ISSN: 2582-4686 SJIF 2021-3.261,SJIF 20222.889, 2024-6.875 ResearchBib IF: 9.948 / 2024 VOLUME-5, ISSUE-12 676 substantiates the division of human life into these phases. Currently, the main difference between the past and present approaches is that childhood is also distinguished before the stage of adulthood. Also, Beruni emphasizes that these stages can occur at different times, and it is wrong to limit them to certain times - strict ages. This means that Beruni theoretically and practically proved that each body is unique, and that each living human organism can reach these stages at different ages [3: 116 – 117; 4: 96 – 97]. That is, if one person reaches puberty at the age of 15, then for another this may happen at the age of 19 or 13. In general, Beruni's ideas about the stages of human life are still considered dominant in modern medicine. Biruni's views on the issues of pregnancy in women are noteworthy. According to Biruni, a baby can be born in the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th months. Beruni opposes the idea that a child born in the eighth month of pregnancy does not live, and believes that such a baby can continue its life [5: 330]. Today, the correctness of this view of the great scientist has been proven. At the same time, Beruni was the first scientist from Turan to explain the astronomical method of calculating the duration of pregnancy. According to this method, the time of birth of the child is first determined, and the parents of the child are asked in what month the child was born, and the state of the moon at that time is determined. Then, the calendar is moved back by that amount of time from the time of the child's birth (according to Beruni, if the pregnancy period is 7 months, 191 days 6 hours, 8 months – 218 days 13 hours, 9 months – 245 days 21 hours, 10 months – 273 days 5 hours) and the state of the moon is looked at. If the Moon is at the beginning of the cycle at this time, that is, at the new moon, the time from the birth of the baby to the beginning of the cycle is taken as the length of pregnancy. However, if the Moon is not at the beginning of the cycle, but is above the Earth (that is, during the 14-day period when the Moon is full) or below the Earth (during the 14-day period when the Moon is not visible to us), the degree of elevation of the Moon relative to the Earth is determined. When the Moon is above the Earth, every 13 degrees and 11 minutes is considered 1 day, and the degrees of elevation of the Moon relative to the Earth are converted into days and hours. The result is subtracted from the date the child's parents estimate that their child was born in that number of months. The difference is the length of the pregnancy [5: 330]. For example, the parents said that the child was born at 8 months. The Moon's elevation would be approximately 40 degrees at that time, 8 months back from the date of birth. 40 degrees is considered to be approximately 3 days. Subtracting 3 days from 218 days and 13 hours, we know that the pregnancy lasted approximately 215.5 days. At that time, when the Moon is below the Earth, the degree of the Moon is converted into days and hours, and these are added to the estimated period in which the child was born in that many months. The total amount will be the duration of pregnancy [5: 330]. For example, let us say that the child was born in the 9th month. When the calendar is 245 days and 21 hours back, the degree of the Moon is 60. 60 degrees is approximately 4 days and 12 hours more. If we add this to 245 days and 21 hours, we get 250 days and 9 hours more. This is the period of pregnancy. The actual duration of pregnancy, determined based on the two phases of the moon, is determined by going back in time from the time of birth to the time when the male sperm and the female egg unite in the uterus. This method is important for determining the root cause of various diseases in the future of a child, and for finding out what changes occurred in the mother's body during and before pregnancy. Although these views of Beruni seem strange today, they were considered effective and alternative measures in the lives of people 1000 years ago. ISSN: 2582-4686 SJIF 2021-3.261,SJIF 20222.889, 2024-6.875 ResearchBib IF: 9.948 / 2024 VOLUME-5, ISSUE-12 677 It can be said that Beruni's work in pharmacology, specifically in the field of pharmacognosy, completed the process of formation of Muslim pharmacy, which began to emerge in the 9th century. Beruni wrote one work on pharmacology and called it "Kitab as-saydana fi-t-tibb", that is, "Pharmacology in Medicine". Of the 1116 medicinal substances collected in this book, 107 are mineral substances, 880 are plants, their parts and products, 101 are animal substances, and 28 are compound drugs. Beruni pays special attention to the names of these drugs in different languages and dialects, because there were many errors and confusions in the medical literature of that time in this regard. The number of terms in Arabic, Greek, Syriac, Indian, Persian, Turkish, Khorezmian, Sogdian and other languages and dialects cited by Beruni is about 4500, and with this work the scientist made a great contribution to the systematization of the pharmacological terms of that time [7: 49 – 55; 8: 104 – 110]. In addition, these synonyms are also important for modern researchers, because they allow for the correct identification of plants and other substances. In this regard, this work, as a multilingual dictionary, also has philological significance. "Saydana" gives a complete description of medicinal plants growing in the East, especially Turan. This work of the great scientist, written in alphabetical order, describes the names, origin, species and properties of medicines, as well as the disagreements of previous physicians about their medicines. For the first time in the history of Turan, Beruni wrote a work on medicinal plants. In this work, he discussed the treatment, food, poisons, the effect of the body on the medicine and the medicine on the body, the contributions of previous Western physicians Galen (129 – 216), Eastern physicians Yahya Mosuwayh (777 – 857), Mosarjuwayh (9th century), Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya Razi (865 – 925) to the science of medicinal plants, the shortcomings of the medical plants translated from Greek into Arabic, and the difficulty of this science. In writing the "Saydana", Beruni used the works of 250 authors over a period of almost 1500 years. The works and names of many of them have been lost to us and forgotten, and we have information about them only through the "Saydana". Among the sources used by Beruni are references to the works of scholars who were his contemporaries, including Abul-Khair Hammar (942 – 1032), Abu Sahl Masihi (died 1011) [1: 35 – 886]. But the important thing is that Beruni verified the information he received from the books in practice as much as possible, and if not, based on other sources or oral information from pharmacists. He himself classified many medicines. This indicates that the "Saydana" is a scientifically reliable source. In conclusion, Beruni had a profound knowledge in the field of medicine. His views analyzed above prove this. We can also learn from this that the great scientist was engaged not only in one field of medicine, but in many branches. Beruni was not limited to theoretical medical knowledge, but also applied it in practice. His work in the field of pharmacology is a confirmation of this. In general, Beruni's ideas in the field of medicine are relevant to our day and play an important role in studying the history of Uzbek medicine during the First Renaissance. References 1. Абу Райхан Беруни. Избранные произведения. Т. IV. Фармакогнозия в медицине. Иссл. перев., примеч. и указатели У.И.Каримова. Ташкент: Фан, 1974. – 1120 с. 2. . .نارهت .رهاوجلا ىف رهامجلا .ينوريبلا دمحأ نب دمحم ناحير وبأ١٦۴١ .ق٥٦٢ ص 3. Абу Райҳон Беруний. Танланган асарлар. I жилд. Қадимги халқлардан қолган ёдгорликлар. – Тошкент, 1968. – 492 б. ISSN: 2582-4686 SJIF 2021-3.261,SJIF 20222.889, 2024-6.875 ResearchBib IF: 9.948 / 2024 VOLUME-5, ISSUE-12 678 4. Albîrûni. The chronology of ancient nations: an English version of the Arabic text of the Athâr-ul-Bâkiya of Albîrûni or "Vestiges of the past". Translated and edited, with notes and index, by Dr. C. Edward Sachau. – London, 1879. – 464 p. 5. Abu'l-Rayḥān Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Bīrūnī. The book of instruction in the elements of the art of astrology. The Translation facing the Text by R. Ramsay Wright, M.A. Edin., LL.D. Tor. and Edin. Emeritus Professor of Biology University of Toronto. – London, 1934. – 332 p. 6. G‘ofurov, S. Fayzullayev. Genetika. – Тоshkent, 2013. – 247 b. 7. У. Каримов. «Китоб ас-Сайдана фи-т-Тибб» «Доривор моддалар ҳақида китоб» («Фармакопозия») номли асарида филология масалалари. // Бируний – ўрта асрнинг буюк олими. Бируний вафотининг 900 йиллигига бағишланган мақолалар тўплами. – Тошкент, 1950. – Б. 49 – 55. 8. У. Каримов. Берунийнинг «Сайдана» номли асари ҳақида. // Беруний туғилган кунининг 1000 йиллигига бағишланган тўплам. – Тошкент, 1973. – Б. 104 – 110. 9. . ص ٢٩٧ .٢٨٨١ . وريبت . ابطلأا تاقبط ىف ءابنلأا نويعء . عبيصأ يبأ نباة