| ABOUT MANUSCRIPT : | The Ikhtiyārāt Badī‘ī is a comprehensive pharmacopoeia of simple and compound remedies written in Persian in 1368 AD by Ali Ibn Husain Ansari Shirazi, also known as Haji Zainuddin Attar. Initially divided into three treatises on singular drugs, substitutes (Abdal), and corrective drugs, this work played a pivotal role in reviving Persian pharmacy and medicine. It served as a foundational text for the compilation of other drug manuals and scientific works for centuries. The pharmacopoeia was apparently dedicated to Badī al-Jamal, a Muzaffarid princess. The treatise is divided into two parts: 1. Simple Drugs: The first section (Maqalah) presents medicaments alphabetically in 28 chapters (Babs). Each drug is described in detail, including its actions, characteristics, synonyms in different languages, and substitutes. 2. Compound Remedies: The second section provides a formulary of compound remedies, organized into 16 chapters by type. These include: 1. Stimulants, 2. Sweet electuaries (a medicinal substance mixed with honey or another sweet substance),3. Bitter electuaries, 4. Electuaries of Myrobalans (astringent), 5. Jams, 6. Syrups and Rubbs, 7. La'uqat, 8. Powders, 9. Pills, 10. Tablets and Lozenges, 11. Purgatives, 12. Collyria or eye salves, 13. Various kinds of Tiriyaq, 14. Tooth powders, 15. Oils, 16. Salves and plasters Author Zayn Attar was born in Shiraz and lived during the reigns of the Injuids and Muzaffarids. He was a descendant of the Sufi philosopher Abdullah Ansari. His father, Kamaluddin Husain Ansari, was a well-known physician who had migrated from Isfahan to Shiraz. For sixteen years, Attar served as the court physician to Shah Shuja (r. 1358-1384), the Muzaffarid ruler. Attar passed away in Shiraz. He had two sons: Husain and Ahmad. His elder son, Husain Ansari, authored Sahah al-Adwiah or Is-hah al-Adwiah ("The Correction of Medicines"), a supplement to his father's book that includes correct pronunciations of drugs and Hosein's opinions on specific medical cases. The younger son, Ahmad ibn Ali, also known as Ahmad Ansari, wrote several works, including Miftah al-Kunuz (on medication), (دستور المتاکلین) Dastur al-Mutakilīn ("Protocol for Gourmets," on sweet foods), Tohfa al-Muluk ("The Presents of Kings," on intoxicating drinks), Dastur al-Zira'ah ("The Protocol for Agriculture"), and Dastur al-Su'ada (دستور السعدا) ("The Protocol of the Fortunate," on the wisdom of sages). A collection of biographies titled Fazilat Ilm wa Hikmah wa Tawarikh al-Hukama ("The Virtue of Science, Philosophy, and Biographies of Sages"), also attributed to Ahmad, is known as Kitab li-Valad Haji Zain al-Attar ("The Book of Haji Zain al-Attar's Son"). |
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