Iran
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Abu Bakr al-Razi (Rhazes)
Rayy (Tehran), Iran
Archival Overview
Chief physician of Baghdad Hospital who first clinically distinguished smallpox from measles, pioneered pediatric medicine, discovered ethanol distillation, and authored Kitab al-Hawi.
Biographical Record
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (865–925 CE), called Rhazes in Europe, directed the grand hospital (*Bimaristan*) in Rayy and subsequently in Baghdad. To select the healthiest site for Baghdad's new hospital, he hung pieces of fresh meat in various quarters of the city, choosing the location where the meat decomposed most slowly.
His treatise On Smallpox and Measles (*Kitab al-Jadari wa-al-Hasba*) provided the first clinical differential diagnosis distinguishing the two fatal diseases. In chemistry, he was the first to distill pure medical ethanol (alcohol) and discover kerosene. His 23-volume medical encyclopedia *Kitab al-Hawi* was a cornerstone text in European medical faculties until the 17th century.
Key Life Milestones
Clinical Separation of Smallpox and Measles
Published the first medical diagnostic handbook distinguishing between smallpox and measles lesions.
Compilation of 'Kitab al-Hawi fi al-Tibb'
Compiled his 23-volume medical encyclopedia synthesizing Greek, Persian, Indian, and original clinical observations.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialRayy (Tehran), Iran