Ebu'l Mansur Muvaffak

Kimya Bilgini, Tıp Bilgini

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Diğer İsimler
Muvvaffak bin Ali el-Hirevî

Scholar of chemistry and medicine (B. ?- D. ?, 10th century). His full name is Muvvaffak bin Ali el-Hirevî and his title is Ebu’l-Mansur. His birth and death dates are unknown. It is assumed that he lived in the same age with the Samanid Ruler Emin Mansur bin Nuh who ruled in the second half of the 10th century between the years 961-976. Ebu’l-Mansur collected his studies and researches about the science of chemistry rather around issues concerning people’s daily lives and became the first scholar to use the practical results of chemical science for the daily life. In the same time he is the author of the oldest Persian book on medicine.

Ebu’l-Mansur heated calcium sulphate at a certain temperature and obtained a plaster. He mixed this with albumen and used it to wrap broken bones, thus making the knit of bones possible with ease. George Sarton in his work about the history of science mentions this scholar as following; “Ebü’l-Mansûr was unique at his age. He analyzed copper oxide completely and defined it scientifically. Besides he analyzed antimony and explained its areas of usage at daily life.

Ebu’l-Mansur Muvaffak determined during his researches on copper that a greenish layer appeared on copper when in touch with air. He used this layer for dyeing hairs with a shiny and black color. He knew all composites of copper and lead and used them in various fields. He also researched about mercury and managed to produce salicylic acid (ground substance of Aspirin). He developed filtration and evaporation methods for medicine production. He also managed to purify sea water through filtration.

Ebü’l-Mansur Muvaffak followed two methods in his scientific works. The first one focused on people and consequently society. He gave lectures, prepared medicines for daily problems and applied them. He introduced these medicines to the market and earned the required money to buy the tools and items he needed. In this respect, he may be regarded as the master and founder of chemical industry.

Ebu’l-Mansur Muvaffak aside from these scientific works went on numerous trips and benefited from numerous scholars and masters in order to increase his scientific knowledge and competence. His work titled “Kitâb-ul-Ebniye fî Hakâyık-il-Edviye” reached a reputation beyond reach. In this work which was used as the most reliable source of chemistry for centuries, he defined 585 sorts of medicines. 466 of them were extracted from plants, 75 from mines and 44 were produced from animals. The mentioned work is very important for medicine production. The work became one of the guide books in branches of experimental and industrial chemistry.

Ebu’l-Mansur Muvaffak’s work titled “Kitâbü’l-Ebniye” is regarded, aside from its reputation in medicine, as one of the best samples of Persian prose with its style, simplicity and beauty of expression. The book which was first published in Persian was translated into German by Abdulchalig Achundovv under the title “Die Pharmakologischen Grundsätze des Abu Mansur Muwaffak bin Ali Harawi using the same text (Halle 1893, 1968). A recent publication of the work has been made by Ahmed-i Behmenyâr and Hüseyin Mahbûbî-i Erdekânî (1346 / 1967).

REFERENCE: Mahmûd Necmâbâdî / Târth-i Tıb der İrân pes ez İs­lâm (s. 634-640, Tahran 1366), Seyyid Hü­seyin Nasr / İslâm ve İlim (Çev. İlhan Kutluer, s. 187, 1989), Ali Haydar Bayat / “Ebû Mansûr el-Herevî” (Türkiye  Diyanet Vakfı İslam Ansiklopedisi, cilt:10, s.180-181, 1994), İhsan Işık / Ünlü Bilim Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 2, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013). 

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