Journal of - International Society for the History of Islamic Medicine

Al-Jaldakī ’S Views About What the Doctor Needs, in the
Lights of the Science of the Balance
Buthaina JALKHI*
Osama DHABBEET**
George ILIAS SHAQRA***
* The History of Basic Sciences, Institute for the History of Arabic Science, Aleppo University
** Chemistry Section, Faculty of Science, Aleppo University
*** Ph. D. student , Institute for the History of Arabic Science, Aleppo University
Summary
In this study, we will present a scientific and a historical study on the relation between Medicine and the Science of the Balance of Ali Aydamir Al-
Jaldakī; who is renowned as one of the most important Arab and Muslim chemists in the 8th H. / 14th A.D. century.
In his book: ‘alburhan fi asrar elm almizan’, which is still in the form of a manuscript and not edited or studied yet, he presented the procedures that
the doctors must do whilst their examining patients through their diagnosis and in giving prescriptions depending on the Science of the Balance and its
properties.
Key Words: Medical History, Muslim Chemists, Al-Jaldakī
Introduction
The Science of the Balance is defined as the science that
studies the proportions of the elements of the mass. This
science is defined as the Law of the Definite Proportions,
and is first made by J. Proust (1754- 1826). It states that:
“The chemical compound always contains exactly the
same proportion of elements by mass.” [1]
Arab chemists specifically defined this science as the
Science of the Balance. Then, they stated its basics and
rules, and wrote about it. For example, ‘almizan al sagheer’
by Jābir ibn Hayyān (120- 200 H./ 737-816 A.D.), ‘alawzan
fi elm almizan’ by Elmejraiti (339-397 H./ 950- 1007 A.D.),
‘alburhan fi asrar elm almizan’ by Al-Jaldakī (d. 743H./
1342 A.D.), and others.
The purpose of the research
This research aims to shed lights on the correlational
relation between Medicine and the Science of the Balance
of Al-Jaldakī; who is one of the most important Arab and
Muslim chemists at his age.
Al-Jaldakī , Ali ibn Aydamir
His Life:
Izz al-Dīn, Ali ibn Muhammad, Aydamir ibn Ali al-
Jaldakī was born in Jaldak, a district of Khurasan about 2
leagues from Mashhad al Rida in Iran. He studied the Basic
sciences in his village, and then he moved to Cairo where
he devoted his life to study chemistry.
He studied the history of Chemistry, focused on civilizations
that precede the Islamic one. Also, he studied every
chemical book at that time and commented on it.
During his life, he claimed to concentrate on studying
the chemical works of Jābir ibn Hayyān, Khālid ibn
Yazīd, Abū Bakr al Rāzī, and other Muslim scientists. Besides,
he was known for his scientific explanations and
comments on some vague opinions. He spent his life in
travelling for the purpose of discussing certain points in
chemistry with his rivals. Most of his travels were to Damascus.
Thus, he travelled a lot between Damascus and
Cairo.
He was known of being a man of experience, who did
the experiment by himself and not just relying on theoreti-
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