- Abd-el-latif
Abd-al-latif, Abd-el-latif or Abd-ul-Latif (1162 – 1231), also known as al-Baghdadi (
Arabic ,عبداللطيف البغدادي), born inBaghdad ,Iraq , was a celebrated physician, historian,Egyptologist . and traveller, and one of the most voluminous writers of theNear East in his time.Biography
An interesting memoir of Abdallatif, written by himself, has been preserved with additions by Ibn Abu-Osaiba (Ibn abi Usaibia), a contemporary. From that work we learn that the higher education of the youth of Baghdad consisted principally in a minute and careful study of the rules and principles of
grammar , and in their committing to memory the whole of the "Qur'an ", a treatise or two onphilology andjurisprudence , and the choicest Arabic poetry.After attaining to great proficiency in that kind of learning, Abdallatif applied himself to
natural philosophy andmedicine . To enjoy the society of the learned, he went first toMosul (1189), and afterwards toDamascus . With letters of recommendation fromSaladin 'svizier , he visitedEgypt , where he realized his wish to converse withMaimonides , "the Eagle of the Doctors".He afterwards formed one of the circles of learned men whom Saladin gathered around him at
Jerusalem . He taught medicine andphilosophy atCairo and at Damascus for a number of years, and afterwards, for a shorter period, atAleppo .His love of travel led him to visit different parts of
Armenia andAsia Minor in his old age. Also, he was in the process of setting out on a pilgrimage toMecca when he died at Baghdad."Account of Egypt"
Abdallatif was undoubtedly a man of great knowledge and of an inquisitive and penetrating mind. Of the numerous works (mostly on medicine) which Osaiba ascribes to him, one only, his graphic and detailed "Account of Egypt" (in two parts), appears to be known in
Europe .Archeology
Abd-al Latif was well aware of the value of ancient monuments and praised Muslim rulers for preserving and protecting pre-Islamic artifacts and monuments. He noted that the preservation of antiquities presented a number of benefits for Muslims:citation|title=Egyptology: The Missing Millennium : Ancient Egypt in Medieval Arabic Writings|first=Okasha|last=El Daly|publisher=
Routledge |year=2004|isbn=1844720632|page=10]*"monuments are useful historical evidence for chronologies;"
*"they furnish evidence for Holy Scriptures, since the Qur'an mentions them and their people;"
*"they are reminders of human endurance and fate;"
*"they show, to a degree, the politics and history of ancestors, the richness of their sciences, and the genius of their thought."While discussing the profession of
treasure hunting , he notes that poorer treasure hunters were often sponsored by rich businessmen to go on archeological expeditions. In some cases, an expedition could turn out to befraud , with the treasure hunter dissappearing with large amounts of money extracted from sponsors. This fraudulent practice continues to the present day, with rich businessmen in Egypt still being deceived by local treasure hunters. [citation|title=Egyptology: The Missing Millennium : Ancient Egypt in Medieval Arabic Writings|first=Okasha|last=El Daly|publisher=Routledge |year=2004|isbn=1844720632|page=36]Egyptology
This work was one of the earliest works on
Egyptology . It contains a vivid description of afamine caused, during the author's residence in Egypt, by theNile failing to overflow its banks. He also wrote detailed descriptions on ancient Egyptian monuments. [Dr. Okasha El Daly (2005), "Egyptology: The Missing Millennium: Ancient Egypt in Medieval Arabic Writings", UCL Press, ISBN 1844720632. (cf. [http://www.muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=481 Arabic Study of Ancient Egypt] , Foundation for Science Technology and Civilisation.)]Autopsy
Al-Baghdadi wrote that during the famine in Egypt in
597 AH (1200 AD), he had the opportunity toobserve andexamine a large number ofskeleton s. This was one of the earliest examples of a postmortemautopsy , through which he discovered thatGalen was incorrect regarding the formation of thebone s of the lowerjaw andsacrum . [Emilie Savage-Smith (1996), "Medicine", in Roshdi Rashed, ed., "Encyclopedia of the History of Arabic Science ", Vol. 3, p. 903-962 [951] .Routledge , London and New York.]Translation
The Arabic manuscript was discovered in 1665 by
Edward Pococke theorientalist , and preserved in theBodleian Library . He then published the Arabic manuscript in the 1680s. His son, Edward Pococke the Younger, translated the work intoLatin , though he was only able to publish less than half of his work. Thomas Hunt attempted to publish Pococke's complete translation in 1746, though his attempt was unsuccessful. [G. J. Toomer (1996), "Eastern Wisedome and Learning: The Study of Arabic in Seventeenth-Century England", pp. 272-273,Oxford University Press , ISBN 0198202911.] Pococke's complete Latin translation was eventually published by Professor Joseph White of Oxford in 1800. The work was then translated into French, with valuable notes, bySilvestre de Sacy in 1810. [G. J. Toomer (1996), "Eastern Wisedome and Learning: The Study of Arabic in Seventeenth-Century England", p. 275,Oxford University Press , ISBN 0198202911.]Medical works
"Al-Mukhtarat fi al-Tibb"
Al-Baghdadi's "Mukhtarat fi al-Tibb" was one of the earliest works on
hirudotherapy . He introduced a more modern use formedicinal leech , stating that leech could be used for cleaning the tissues after surgical operations. He did, however, understand that there is a risk over usingleech , and advised patients that leech need to be cleaned before being used and that the dirt or dust "clinging to a leech should be wiped off" before application. He further writes that after the leech has sucked out the blood,salt should be "sprinkled on the affected part of the human body." [Nurdeen Deuraseh, "Ahadith of the Prophet (s.a.w) on Healing in Three Things (al-Shifa’ fi Thalatha): An Interpretational", "Jounal of the International Society for the History of Islamic Medicine", 2004 (3): 14-20 [18] .]"Medicine from the Book and the Life of the Prophet"
He wrote a book called "Al-Tibb min al-Kitab wa-al-Sunna" ("Medicine from the Book and the Life of the Prophet") describing the Islamic medical practices from the time of
Muhammad . [http://tabsir.net/?p=211 The Prophet’s Medicine: Part One] ]Diabetes
Al-Baghdadi was also the author of a major book dealing with
diabetes .Notes
References
*1911
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