Y

. CONAftBIIITOII OF.AIZBERT'M TIT B'O[oGr
prci M.S. Khd

Abu-rl Rarhan Muhannad Ibr Ahnad Al-Berunt v6 bom ar Khwatum rDow
j h q?3 Atrhoush h. r< ku raDh ro aI AE;3t3

and Indologtsls as a nattdmdc, . strchm€r, phlslctsrs. gogmpher, mru.altst.
and?ncyclopaedct. hls mme ts scldom tound rn dy of the rrea *s d€atrng sdrh
thc hrslory of blologr. Hrs outstandtng work enflded. hdta, ls d account of ihc
Elrglon. phlosophy uieEture, g.ogEphy, chmnologr, sEonomy, .ustoms, raws aid
astftlo$ of Indra 

'ntkn abour rhd 
yd I o30. wrc4rskl has reendy pohted out

inal RahN b his work enuded. -Ihe g.€at s.holaE of Uzbekrsran publrshed trom
Tshkent tn 194 can.d auention b tne racr that Ai Betunt tn hb abow mmtion€d
wo.k, ex?Essed sone viss und.dahly srnil* b $e b*r pnndptes of Da atl,s
futue theory of narurat setecdon thmu& the shuggle fo. dst€nce dd surv,tval of
Lh. nhrJ ,a. Already 

'houcht 
oI be Al B.runr spprcunar.ry soo !ear. b.tor

cunously enough, rhc w.y ncanrng and t}je ky jn whrch thd ida dam€d ro bin
as applied by antnsr br€ed.rs. Dars4n, b 1a59, wh.n hjs ongjn of sper6 w
publrsh.d in Engr d @ appmndy nol awar€ of aj Berunt 5 work srDe rheft rsno
menuon of it in rhe inftdu.don to hls tbok nor dong rhe dara col.cred by hrm jn
hls vanaftn of prmb ad antnrs under dom€suaron . rt rs ault undctindabl.
rs tF cnc.ch ll?ftrauon o, al-Bfd \ Mrk qdpubl.hed br n. naq*.y, r.a-
otnce only h lsas, u'!t |g nve yas ane. oaffi 3 deat!.
ln the hroduclon ro rhc de*dpron oftle srdfe that pEsunably took place 1n rh€
pftnous epochs or rndtan ln*ory echlng back io ny+nobgrcat th.s, Ar B.d
explains m€ hstory of maikhd on gen.ial nalural processes in the whole wrld
whrh m conem.d vdth tour drff€ren! phcnonena. Fhdy he dcats dth thc sready.
unlrmrbd r€produclon tn r}j. t,n,t€d d.a ot tne edd h rhe fouoMng snt n.es :
The ltfc ot lhe wodd depcnds upon the sowrng ad procftadng. Eotn processes
hcrce ln the cou.se of um., .nd thls h...a* rs unthtt€d vhrst rhe turtd t3
Itnlt d, Thrsi* coF.sponds lftdkably io thc dmtrat lda of Manh$ pr.dt d
rn I /o3 .n rh. dsDroporuon bw..n $e DcEs. h rh. Er.s oI reprodu.Uon Dd
mean.or3Ubsl!bnc.'w.knd6amDdn3dUlob'ol9cph't
@!!!atjq otMdlnus played ! drcrt de.rslvc lu h lhe con, "p ror or h,s ihdry
s€condty. Al Berunl conanLca to grve $c appxcaron of this pd.ctple ro trdns
be,ngs ftus: Mr.n a da!. or prdr5 or an.hdrs do.s no, 

'ai 
rese b, --. h ,;

d rs established as a snecres of Is M, the, €ch
indMdual of rr doe. nor dnply .on. rnto ensbnce onc ad pedsh, bui b€srd4,
prccr@tcs a hctnc ln{e nser or swcial roEeth€i and not oity oncc but !4raj drne,
tnen rhrs \411, as stngle specres ot plsts or armals oeupy the eartn d sprcad

Banglade+ Jolmar ofMedGl screncc



lt3 llod tts lihd, ovcr as much iedtory a ti cd n'd. 1l!. idea is not ld from ore
or th. re,sontngs Datun pDt roNrd b expldn hb $cory of nahral seledtton
namcv that all dgdrsDs lcnd to re.€3g b numbd at . gome$c €te.
Thtfttly, h the soe desdp€on. Ar-Bdrnl ad& the fonMg p@ge h 

'rnch 
on.

my drs@€r th. d€ ol srtrqcrar sehcdon : -fhe agrLulhdsl s.ltris hh @m, Ietung
grow as much as he r€qut6. d banne out the rendnder. Th€ for€ster leav€s
thGe btuchd *'llrch h. p.r@rv€ to b€ cxcltent, vhtist h. cuts aMy aI otlkr. The
b*s lJll tho* of $err ldnd who only el but do not vork Ir th.rr be l4v€',
Frially rhe autlDr ends hrs @tusrtsdc tnt€'pr€tadon ofvhat bapp# to nd dnd

s: Il rhus the earth b ruh.d or
by harrng too Ddy hhabltants. rtl R!le. for rt has a Ruld - dd His arr
embEchng.e rb app*nt ln d.ry palucle of rt - sdds it a n€snge. for the
pu+os or redu.tu the too g..al numb.r and oI cutlng away all tnat ts e l' o
rd€a v€.y srntllar to tlEt of Dar*t! r surdlal of the fttdL'
n @y bc concluded tnat tn $es vtd8 of Al'B.turn tne b6tc prrrctple of Dastn g
tuturc doctnnc a€ u(ldrtrly to tre fodd dthough they e vaeu. dd acdd€ntal
dd do not fom ary coh€re.t thdry. No. drd A-E€runt pr€t nd to ascnb. to ih.h
my pdsbte ig.r6mce a ftr a dreb btologrcal n.slng b cmem.d
Al-Bcruk tliab-d S&y.ltah'

don orar Berunr ts hrs Kr2b ar savd ah r ,l-dbr)
(thd bodk of drut klrNledge) whrch rs a preE of collecflon and bsu.€ of synoyns
of pr ts. He giv€s ibe G.eari srdac, Persra, Hlndt, Sindht, srgzt, zabun, noklhl,
and KhEratul equivalents as wl ds synonyms ln othq
long.r stut. kgends dd ny'lns assocrared frth nany a h.rb have bem de.crrb.d.
and a dctal€d r.fomadon on rlnosr aI the najor drugs h6 b€en giftn. Tbrs rs tIe
last work of h1s lf€ whrch be left b a nBt dran wh€n h€ B air@dy nsty blrd
and h need of the h€lp of an assrs6t. !t rs a mnprete dicrion ry h alphab.trcal
ordd ot tne he.bal drugs know b hrn sd b hts coltabonto., Abu ttmtd A})nad
rbn Muhmad a-Nahshd. acco.dbg b M.]c.hon2, the o'ly cr{'giing Ma of rhs
book ls in tbe librarr ot the Ku ey. Thrs mtrre Mrk
compristu uDwar& of 9oo dcl€s Es cdrled by r.Gus md Mcydhofis h rs42.
Halom Mohmad sdd4. sho rdned dn Engrhh 

'6n6trhm 
anl ompFhd$on

dnotauon publrsh.d rn eo volunes, optles mat thea ar nmuscnpl3 of rhrs
Mrk rl$ rn cdrc d Baghdad. A@ng tn. hlndreds or article, sev€ral m v€'y
orrginal dd udque h ob*etjon. The adrcle on r€a rs lost ln t})c Arabrc o.ginar
but ds15 o.t h rh€ P€dar taslauon ard ln an abrldg€d ret. starrorn hto

Anothd r€ndkabrc obs€radon rs rerat.d ro a planl calt.d cdel thom lalhagl
n,'r.tunr , sr€cr6 lound rn desen Egrons rmn No.tn Afica ro cnlr.t A.ra, Aftd
grvhg a detatled d€scnpftn of rhe plant, me anuni eys:
'h rts l€av.s ,s a specral fatuE
vhtch ts geneEt d an aninal (in*c0 frth a frar€n.d head: when ft (th.lea, rs
ope.ed, ,t (the hseco reaps torlh. r do not know 10 whrch spd€s it belongsr ii is tnis
cr€ature I'on vhich is ],lelded tn

Banelad6h JoDrrui of Medical sc'ence 39



,'-";;;;;;;;;i"; {",; --""' &hhh Eb.* as r'Dnrubh GDnr} d*r ."::":- ;;;;;*IiF*a rn rh' Harv eud at D.* pra*s 12 57
;:;ii;J';".#; 

' ';::;;;;;our 
t oa. r*a'ri" N B'runr s obsauon 6 or

;;";j;;-";';,, "*! 
nmr@ ror dF n'd tu' a maniipm* h*cL Il

::-":; ,- 
'-" 

,hq, rs aDout soo vd and dDL surcklardt h hts Tavels ri
H"",ii" 

'rjri-rjio "'u*""a '".;o"dadoro 
or on' capt Frcdm'k rrod rn't,

--ljl-i-" ,i,j" i"i. i r*"r" rs@n\brt. ror rn. produtuon or ",m o' 'stahll'#'ifr'." 
''i 

lliri ""*e -; H@pn'h 
ftpon'd '-"t 'rr' cd hr'dr 'rc'cLfiii,,l i'l- ."r,-J;;;;;-; -."""''" 'houshr b pdoke rhdddsbon '5r

rennr on ian"dsk ts*s of Stn tpctu$la 
5

i]o-' t * "". 
udl.s or hb drua boo* quoF!drFzd mrh'Nrk

.l-T--_"i,-- -* ** .r,* Illajm r! t*. l}F ra'lrns or d.B dd rall.d h ADbr.

fl-xxxi:rm:"ls-um"ff :?"lintrff ;Tff :ix'*:
,nd lt l. sld rhat tr rs of alhagr_nr,@ lrlElllllq&
* 

' 
n-. -.ur*r. oo"*,-n6 bv Al_B'ruru' onc rL sn* drh admsuons 

at hrs

:'j::;i:;';"; ,r'e cnu.ar s;ht rd. or dft dd rhe n*rrc' ar -oJrage
:;il";: il;;; ;;;n;;"e", "r x,.t "r s,'t* n * ,. no 

mnd.t c.orye
ili',i"li.L"iig,".r- r;;ce d.*rib'd Ai Beru{ as oe orth' v€ry EFst'st
;;;;;-"*- rd ar consdded one ortn'eleaet orar Dh6
Aj.Bdud dr.d li loso la.@rdrng to M'vfl ho0€ dr chma m Sourh Atghdlstln
R.LMc..

v,--" ,, ' srhde €ndrb 
ot drfiedt pbnts belongbg ro

ilii,ll'" irJ* iJ"; "* p*urr '* rdft'r 
@ hm rs $l a: ry11::,:l

i*ii .i-*. , z. * u. o*sun.d oa tuE oI At-B'lln 'lc!r huadrd ver 
o

_ 
b"fo; [h;a|l. €ls so lal , a59 (lgsn

' ;;;.;;. 
-;r;;" 

ron or a bdr'paro* bsr Isrs - 37:32 (re7a)
. v.*.r'a V lbia
i iii,Llii.*-..0 r"o r.r') Ar'B.*s b6k on phma(v md rokna m"drca

P, i {r9?3) Hddard Nauonal Fo

40 BaJreladesh Jomai of Medtcai s.id'e