Abu Mansur al-Herevi

Ebû Mansur Muvaffak b. Alî el-Herevi is an Iranian physician and pharmaceutical writer who lived in the second half of the 10th century. He is known as the author of the oldest known Persian medical book, as well as one of the oldest extant prose works in New Persian. His nisbe indicates that he is from Herat; Information about his life is largely derived from his own work.

Kitâbü'l-Ebniye

Kitâbü'l-Ebniye an hakâiki'l-edviye, known as his only work, is a reference book on the real qualities of medicines. More than 580 drugs are discussed in the book in alphabetical order; Most of these are substances obtained from plants, the rest from animal and mineral sources. The effects of each and their use in treatment are explained.

Although it has been claimed that the work was written in the name of the Samanid emir Mansur I (961-976), this is not certain.

Greek physicians such as Herevi, Hippocrates, Galen and Dioscorides, Huneyn b. He benefited from scholars of the Islamic world such as Ishaq and Indian medicine. His frequent reference to Indian sources suggests that he may have been in India for a while. The book is notable for chemistry as well as medicine: it covers how to separate sodium and potassium carbonate, the toxic properties of arsenic and copper oxide, antimony compounds, and the depilatory effect of quicklime.

The oldest copy of the work was copied by the poet Esedî-i Tûsî in 1055-1056 and is preserved today in the Austrian National Library in Vienna. The book became known in Europe with its Latin and German translations from the 19th century onwards; The Persian text has been published many times.