Diyāʾ al-Dīn Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad al-Mālaqī, commonly known as Ibn al-Bayṭār (Arabic: ابن البيطار) (1197–1248 AD) was an Andalusian[1]Arab[2] physician, botanist, pharmacist and scientist. His main contribution was to systematically record the additions made by Islamic physicians in the Middle Ages, which added between 300 and 400 types of medicine to the one thousand previously known since antiquity. He was a student of Abu al-Abbas al-Nabati.[3]
Ibn al-Bayṭār
Statue of Ibn al-Bayṭār in Benalmádena Costa, Spain
Ibn al-Baitar was born in the city of Málaga in al-Andalus (Muslim Spain) at the end of the twelfth century, hence his nisba "al-Mālaqī".[1] His name "Ibn al-Baitar" is Arabic for "son of the veterinarian", which was his father's profession.[4][5] Ibn al-Bayṭār learned botany from the Málagan botanist Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Nabātī with whom he started collecting plants in and around Spain.[6]
After 1224, he entered the service of the Ayyubid Sultan al-Kāmil and was appointed chief herbalist. In 1227 al-Kāmil extended his domination to Damascus, and Ibn al-Bayṭār accompanied him there, which provided him an opportunity to collect plants in Syria. His botanical researches extended over a vast area including Arabia and Palestine. He died in Damascus in 1248.[1]
Ibn al-Bayṭār used the name "snow of China" (in Arabic, thalj al-Ṣīn) to describe saltpetre while writing about gunpowder.[7][8]
Copy of Ibn al-Baytar's Kitab al-jami' li-mufradat al-adwiyah wa'l-aghdhiyah, Near East, dated c. 1300
Ibn al-Bayṭār’s largest and most widely read book is his Compendium on Simple Medicaments and Foods (Arabic: كتاب الجامع لمفردات الأدوية والأغذية).[3] It is a pharmacopoeia (pharmaceutical encyclopedia) listing 1400 plants, foods, and drugs, and their uses. It is organized alphabetically by the name of the useful plant or plant component or other substance—a small minority of the items covered are not botanicals. For each item, Ibn al-Bayṭār makes one or two brief remarks himself and gives brief extracts from a handful of different earlier authors about the item. The bulk of the information is compiled from the earlier authors. The book contains references to 150 previous Arabic authors, as well as 20 previous Greek authors.[9][10] One of the sources he quotes most frequently is the Materia Medica of Dioscorides who was inspired by Magon, another Amazigh, having also written an Arabic commentary on the work.[11] Another book often cited by him is Book Two of the Canon of Medicine of Ibn Sīnā (Aveicenna). Both of those sources have similarities in layout and subject matter with Ibn al-Bayṭār's own book, but Ibn al-Bayṭār's treatments are richer in detail, and a large minority of Ibn al-Bayṭār's useful plants or plant substances are not covered at all by Dioscorides or Ibn Sīnā. In modern printed edition, the book is more than 900 pages long. As well as in Arabic, it was published in full in translation in German and French in the 19th century.[12]
Ibn al-Bayṭār provides detailed chemical information on the Rosewater and Orangewater production. He mentions: The scented Shurub (Syrup) was often extracted from flowers and rare leaves, by means of using hot oils and fat, they were later cooled in cinnamon oil. The oils used were also extracted from sesame and olives. Essential oil was produced by joining various retorts, the steam from these retorts condensed, combined and its scented droplets were used as perfume and mixed to produce the most costly medicines.
Kitāb al-Mughnī fī al-Adwiya al-Mufradaedit
Ibn al-Bayṭār’s second major work is Kitāb al-Mughnī fī al-Adwiya al-Mufrada, كتاب المغني في الأدوية المفردة .an encyclopedia of Islamic medicine which incorporates his knowledge of plants used extensively for the treatment of various ailments, including diseases related to the head, ear, eye, etc.[9]
Other worksedit
Mīzān al-Ṭabīb.ميزان الطبيب
Risāla fī l-Aghdhiya wa-l-Adwiya.
Maqāla fī al-Laymūn, Treatise on the Lemon (also attributed to Ibn Jumayʿ); translated into Latin by Andrea Alpago as Ebn Bitar de malis limonis (Venice 1593).[3]
Tafsīr Kitāb Diyāsqūrīdūs, a commentary on the first four books of Dioscorides' "Materia Medica."[13]
^James Riddick Partington (1960). A history of Greek fire and gunpowder (reprint, illustrated ed.). JHU Press. p. 22. ISBN0-8018-5954-9. The first definite mention of saltpetre in Arabic language is that in al-Baytar (died 1248), written towards the end of his life, where it is called "snow of China." Al-Baytar was a Spanish Arab, although he travelled a good deal and lived for a time in Egypt.
^Peter Watson (2006). Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud (illustrated, annotated ed.). HarperCollins. p. 304. ISBN0-06-093564-2. Retrieved 2011-11-28. The first use of a metal tube in this context was made around 1280 in the wars between the Song and the Mongols, where a new term, chong, was invented to describe the new horror...Like paper, it reached the West via the Muslims, in this case the writings of the Andalusian botanist Ibn al-Baytar, who died in Damascus in 1248. The Arabic term for saltpetre is 'Chinese snow' while the Persian usage is 'Chinese salt'.28
^Encyclopedia of the History of Arabic Science, volume 1: Astronomy, Theoretical and Applied, pgs. 271–272. Ed. Roshdi Rasheed. London: Routledge, 1996. ISBN0415124107
^Tafsīr Kitāb Diyāsqūrīdūs, - A commentary of Dioscorides' "Materia Medica," by Abu Muhammad 'Abdallah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Baytar de Malaga, Beirut 1989 (Arabic)
^German edition in two volumes, 1840–1842, translated by Sontheimer. French edition in three volumes, 1877–1883, translated by Leclerc.
^Tafsīr Kitāb Diāsqūrīdūs, - Commentaire de la "Materia Medica" de Dioscoride, by Abu Muhammad 'Abdallah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Baytar de Malaga, (ed. Ibrahim ben Mrad), Beirut 1989 (Arabic w/ Taxonomic names in English)
baytar, diyāʾ, dīn, abū, muḥammad, ʿabd, allāh, aḥmad, mālaqī, commonly, known, bayṭār, arabic, ابن, البيطار, 1197, 1248, andalusian, arab, physician, botanist, pharmacist, scientist, main, contribution, systematically, record, additions, made, islamic, physic. Diyaʾ al Din Abu Muḥammad ʿAbd Allah ibn Aḥmad al Malaqi commonly known as Ibn al Bayṭar Arabic ابن البيطار 1197 1248 AD was an Andalusian 1 Arab 2 physician botanist pharmacist and scientist His main contribution was to systematically record the additions made by Islamic physicians in the Middle Ages which added between 300 and 400 types of medicine to the one thousand previously known since antiquity He was a student of Abu al Abbas al Nabati 3 Ibn al BayṭarStatue of Ibn al Bayṭar in Benalmadena Costa SpainBorn1197Malaga Andalusia Almohad Caliphate now Province of Malaga SpainDied1248 aged 51 Damascus Ayyubid dynasty now SyriaKnown forScientific classification OncologyScientific careerFieldsBotanist Scientist Pharmacist Physician Contents 1 Life 2 Works 2 1 Kitab al Jamiʿ li Mufradat al Adwiya wa l Aghdhiya 2 2 Kitab al Mughni fi al Adwiya al Mufrada 2 3 Other works 3 See also 4 Notes 5 ReferencesLife editIbn al Baitar was born in the city of Malaga in al Andalus Muslim Spain at the end of the twelfth century hence his nisba al Malaqi 1 His name Ibn al Baitar is Arabic for son of the veterinarian which was his father s profession 4 5 Ibn al Bayṭar learned botany from the Malagan botanist Abu al ʿAbbas al Nabati with whom he started collecting plants in and around Spain 6 In 1219 Ibn al Bayṭar left Malaga travelling to the coast of North Africa and as far as Anatolia to collect plants The major stations he visited include Marrakech Bugia Constantinople Tunis Tripoli Barqa and Antalya citation needed After 1224 he entered the service of the Ayyubid Sultan al Kamil and was appointed chief herbalist In 1227 al Kamil extended his domination to Damascus and Ibn al Bayṭar accompanied him there which provided him an opportunity to collect plants in Syria His botanical researches extended over a vast area including Arabia and Palestine He died in Damascus in 1248 1 Ibn al Bayṭar used the name snow of China in Arabic thalj al Ṣin to describe saltpetre while writing about gunpowder 7 8 Works editKitab al Jamiʿ li Mufradat al Adwiya wa l Aghdhiya edit nbsp Copy of Ibn al Baytar s Kitab al jami li mufradat al adwiyah wa l aghdhiyah Near East dated c 1300Ibn al Bayṭar s largest and most widely read book is his Compendium on Simple Medicaments and Foods Arabic كتاب الجامع لمفردات الأدوية والأغذية 3 It is a pharmacopoeia pharmaceutical encyclopedia listing 1400 plants foods and drugs and their uses It is organized alphabetically by the name of the useful plant or plant component or other substance a small minority of the items covered are not botanicals For each item Ibn al Bayṭar makes one or two brief remarks himself and gives brief extracts from a handful of different earlier authors about the item The bulk of the information is compiled from the earlier authors The book contains references to 150 previous Arabic authors as well as 20 previous Greek authors 9 10 One of the sources he quotes most frequently is the Materia Medica of Dioscorides who was inspired by Magon another Amazigh having also written an Arabic commentary on the work 11 Another book often cited by him is Book Two of the Canon of Medicine of Ibn Sina Aveicenna Both of those sources have similarities in layout and subject matter with Ibn al Bayṭar s own book but Ibn al Bayṭar s treatments are richer in detail and a large minority of Ibn al Bayṭar s useful plants or plant substances are not covered at all by Dioscorides or Ibn Sina In modern printed edition the book is more than 900 pages long As well as in Arabic it was published in full in translation in German and French in the 19th century 12 Ibn al Bayṭar provides detailed chemical information on the Rosewater and Orangewater production He mentions The scented Shurub Syrup was often extracted from flowers and rare leaves by means of using hot oils and fat they were later cooled in cinnamon oil The oils used were also extracted from sesame and olives Essential oil was produced by joining various retorts the steam from these retorts condensed combined and its scented droplets were used as perfume and mixed to produce the most costly medicines Kitab al Mughni fi al Adwiya al Mufrada edit Ibn al Bayṭar s second major work is Kitab al Mughni fi al Adwiya al Mufrada كتاب المغني في الأدوية المفردة an encyclopedia of Islamic medicine which incorporates his knowledge of plants used extensively for the treatment of various ailments including diseases related to the head ear eye etc 9 Other works edit Mizan al Ṭabib ميزان الطبيب Risala fi l Aghdhiya wa l Adwiya Maqala fi al Laymun Treatise on the Lemon also attributed to Ibn Jumayʿ translated into Latin by Andrea Alpago as Ebn Bitar de malis limonis Venice 1593 3 Tafsir Kitab Diyasquridus a commentary on the first four books of Dioscorides Materia Medica 13 See also editIslamic science Islamic medicine Islamic scholarsNotes edit a b c Alam 1997 pp 6 8 The Book of Medicinal and Nutritional Terms 1800 a b c Vernet 2008 Himes Norman Edwin 1963 Medical history of contraception The Book of Medicinal and Nutritional Terms 1800 Saad amp Said 2011 James Riddick Partington 1960 A history of Greek fire and gunpowder reprint illustrated ed JHU Press p 22 ISBN 0 8018 5954 9 The first definite mention of saltpetre in Arabic language is that in al Baytar died 1248 written towards the end of his life where it is called snow of China Al Baytar was a Spanish Arab although he travelled a good deal and lived for a time in Egypt Peter Watson 2006 Ideas A History of Thought and Invention from Fire to Freud illustrated annotated ed HarperCollins p 304 ISBN 0 06 093564 2 Retrieved 2011 11 28 The first use of a metal tube in this context was made around 1280 in the wars between the Song and the Mongols where a new term chong was invented to describe the new horror Like paper it reached the West via the Muslims in this case the writings of the Andalusian botanist Ibn al Baytar who died in Damascus in 1248 The Arabic term for saltpetre is Chinese snow while the Persian usage is Chinese salt 28 a b Russell McNeil Ibn al Bayṭar Malaspina University College Encyclopedia of the History of Arabic Science volume 1 Astronomy Theoretical and Applied pgs 271 272 Ed Roshdi Rasheed London Routledge 1996 ISBN 0415124107 Tafsir Kitab Diyasquridus A commentary of Dioscorides Materia Medica by Abu Muhammad Abdallah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al Baytar de Malaga Beirut 1989 Arabic German edition in two volumes 1840 1842 translated by Sontheimer French edition in three volumes 1877 1883 translated by Leclerc Tafsir Kitab Diasquridus Commentaire de la Materia Medica de Dioscoride by Abu Muhammad Abdallah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al Baytar de Malaga ed Ibrahim ben Mrad Beirut 1989 Arabic w Taxonomic names in English References editAlam Hushang 1997 EBN AL BAYṬAR ZiAʾ AL DiN ABu MOḤAMMAD ʿABD ALLAH Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol VIII Fasc 1 pp 6 8 Saad Bashar Said Omar 2011 3 3 Greco Arab and Islamic Herbal Medicine West Sussex England John Wiley amp Sons ISBN 9781118002261 Vernet J 2008 1970 80 Ibn Al Bayṭar Al Malaqi Ḍiyaʾ Al Din Abu Muḥammad ʿAbdllah Ibn Aḥmad Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography Encyclopedia com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ibn al Baytar amp oldid 1180355490, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
