Ibn Zuhr

Ibn Zuhr ابن زهر Avenzoar
Born	1094 Seville
Died	1162 Seville
Residence	Al-Andalus
Academic background
Influences	Abu al-'Ala' (father) Galen
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 (Arabic: ابن زهر‎‎; 1094–1162), traditionally known by his Latinized name of Avenzoar, was a Muslim Arab physician and surgeon. He was born at Seville in medieval Andalusia (present-day Spain), was a contemporary of Averroes and Ibn Tufail, and was the most well-regarded physician of his era. He was particularly known for his emphasis on a more rational, empiric basis of medicine. His major work, Al-Taysīr fil-Mudāwāt wal-Tadbīr ("Book of Simplification Concerning Therapeutics and Diet"), was translated into Latin and Hebrew and was influential to the progress of surgery. He also improved surgical and medical knowledge by keying out several diseases and their treatments.

Ibn Zuhr performed the first experimental tracheotomy on a goat. He is thought to have made the earliest description of bezoar stones as medicinal items.

Biography

Name

His full name is Abū-Marwān ʻAbd al-Malik ibn Abī al-ʻAlāʼ Ibn Zuhr (أبو مروان عبد الملك بن أبي العلاء بن زهر). His name was Latinized as Avenzoar, Abumeron, Abhomeron, Alomehón or Abhomjeron.

Early life

He was born in Seville and belonged to the Banu Zuhr family (of Arab origin), which produced six consecutive generations of physicians, and included jurists, poets, viziers or courtiers, and midwives who served under rulers of Al-Andalus. He studied medicine with his father, Abu'l-Ala Zuhr (d.1131) at an early age.

Fleeing from Seville

He fell out of favour of with the Almoravid ruler, 'Ali bin Yusuf bin Tashufin, and fled from Seville. He was however, apprehended and jailed in Marrakesh in 1140. Later in 1147 when the Almohad dynasty conquered Seville, he returned and devoted himself to medical practice. He died in Seville in 1162.

Works

Ibn Zuhr wrote three major books:

• Kitab al-iqtisad fi Islah Al-Anfus WA al-Ajsad, written in his youth.
• Kitab al-aghdhiya, on foods and regimen of health, written in exile in Morocco.
• Kitab al-taysir, his opus magnum and written at the request of his colleague Averroes.

Pathology

Ibn Zuhr presented an accurate description of the esophageal and stomach cancers, as well as other lesions.

Animal testing

Ibn Zuhr introduced animal testing as an experimental method of testing surgical procedures before applying them to human patients.

Identification of Scabies.

He is the first to record evidence of the Scabies mite, which contributed to the scientific advancement of microbiology.

Legacy

The Jewish physician-philosopher Maimonides admired Ibn Zuhr, describing him as "unique in his age and one of the great sages". He frequently quoted him in his medical texts. He performed medical procedures on animals before doing them on humans to know if they would work

Veneration

• He was depicted on a 1968 stamp from Syria.

See also

• Islamic medicine
• List of Muslim scientists
• List of Arab scientists and scholars