Editing Abu Bakr al-Razi (section)

====''For One Who Has No Physician to Attend Him'' (''Man la Yahduruhu Al-Tabib'') (''من لا يحضره الطبيب'')====

Al-Razi was possibly the first Persian doctor to deliberately write a home medical manual ([[Home remedy|remedial]]) directed at the general public. He dedicated it to the poor, the traveller, and the ordinary citizen who could consult it to treat common ailments when a doctor was unavailable. This book is of special interest to the history of pharmacy since similar books were very popular until the 20th century. Al-Razi described in its 36 chapters diets and drug components that can be found in either an apothecary, a marketplace, in well-equipped kitchens, or military camps. Thus, every intelligent person could follow its instructions and prepare the proper recipes with good results.

Some of the illnesses treated were headaches, colds, coughing, melancholy and diseases of the eye, ear, and stomach. For example, he prescribed for a feverish headache: "2 parts of ''duhn'' (oily extract) of [[rose]], to be mixed with 1 part of vinegar, in which a piece of [[linen]] cloth is dipped and compressed on the forehead". He recommended as a [[laxative]], "7 [[Dram (unit)|drams]] of dried [[violet (plant)|violet]] flowers with 20 pears, [[Maceration (food)|macerated]] and well mixed, then strained. Add to this [[filtrate]] 20 drams of sugar for a drink." In cases of melancholy, he invariably recommended prescriptions, which included either [[poppy|poppies]] or its juice ([[opium]]), ''[[Cuscuta epithymum]]'' (clover dodder) or both. For an eye-remedy, he advised [[myrrh]], [[saffron]], and [[frankincense]], 2 drams each, to be mixed with 1 dram of [[yellow arsenic]] formed into [[Tablet (pharmacy)|tablets]]. Each tablet was to be dissolved in sufficient [[coriander]] water and used as eye drops.

[[File:Colofón-Libro de Medicina de Razi.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Colophon of al-Razi's ''Book of Medicine for Mansur'']]<!-- Commented out but usefull image: [[File:Petrus Rusticus, Memoriale medicorum Wellcome L0023854.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Woodcut depicting al-Razi and [[Avicenna]] (by Pietro Antonio Rustico, fl. 1486–1522)]]-->
;''Book for al-Mansur ({{lang|ar|Kitāb al-Manṣūrī}})''
Al-Razi dedicated this work to his patron [[Abu Salih Mansur|Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Manṣūr]], the [[Samanid]] governor of Ray.<ref>{{harvnb|Adamson|2021b|p=17}}.</ref> It was translated into Latin by [[Gerard of Cremona]] around 1180.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rāzī, Liber Almansoris (Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 9213) |url=https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-09213/1 |website=Cambridge Digital Library |access-date=22 November 2023}}</ref> A Latin translation of it was edited in the 16th century by the Dutch anatomist and physician [[Andreas Vesalius]].<ref name="auto"/>