16. Al-Zahrawi
(Died in 404H/1013AD)

Al-Zahrawi is one of the greatest Muslim and world surgeons. Abu al-Kacem Khalaf Ibn Abbas al-Zahrawi, known as Abulcassis in the West, was born in the city of Al-Zahra, in the outskirts of the city of Cordoba in Andalusia. He flourished in Andalusia in the 4th century where he served as private doctor of Abderrahman III, and then of his son al- Mustansir.

While the date of his birth may be unknown, the historians believe his death to have occurred in  404 H/1013 AD.

His Scientific Contributions

The scientific contributions of al-Zahrawi are manifest in his several scientific achievements in medicine as a whole, and in surgery in particular. He was the first to differentiate between surgery ant the other subjects of medicine, making it an independent field of science based on the anatomical study of alive and head bodies. He was also the first to undertake an operation to remove stones from the bladder through the vagina, and was the first to make a cleft in the respiratory tube in an operation on his servant. He also succeeded in stopping a haemorrhage by legating the big veins. He taught his students how to stitch injuries internally without leaving visual scars, and how to make stitches with two needles and one thread fixed in them.

In the field of general medicine, he was the first to give a description of the readability of certain bodies for haemophilia, as he was concerned by rheumatism and vertebra tuberculosis. He also introduced new methods and new instruments for gynaecology. Indeed, European surgeons and dentists benefited from the drawings he made for the design of necessary surgical instruments.

Major Works

The biggest and most famous of al-Zahrawi compilations was a treatise entitled “al-Tasrif liman Ajaza ani Ta'lif”. It a sort of encyclopaedia comprising 30 volumes, illustrated by pictures, and by a profusion of drawings of the surgical instruments used by al-Zahrawi. The part of the book dealing with surgery was translated by Gerard de Cremona into Latin in the 12th century. It was also published in many versions: one in Venice in 1497, the second in Basel in 1541 and the third in Oxford in1778. It was also translated into French in the 19th century by Dr. Leclerck.

Zigfried Hunkah says on this part of the book: “the third part of this book played an important role in Europe, as it laid the foundation for European surgery. It has elevated this branch of medicine to a high status. Surgery has thus became an independent science based on anatomy.”(97) By far, this book had an important impact on the European Renaissance for five centuries. It was taught in the universities, and constituted a reference for European surgeons.