Contribution of Daud Antaki as Unani physician in the field of ilmul advia [Unani pharmacology]

ABSTRACT

Role of Unani Medicine as alternative to Modern Medicine has been duly recognized throughout the World. The fabulous services rendered by Unani Physicians are still subject of attraction for researchers. The story of description of medicinal properties starts from Ebers Papyrus in 1500 B.C. Aflatoon al-Tabib, a physician lived around 1460 B.C. has compiled some treatises on herbal drugs. Hippocrates [460 B.C.], Dioscorides [70 A.D.], Galen [130-201 A.D.], Rufas [130 A.D.], Oribasiyoos [525 A.D.], Yuhanna Ibn Masawiya [853 A.D.], Hunain bin Ishaq [873 A.D.], Rabban al-Tabri [886 A.D.], Abu Bakr Mohammad Bin Zakariya al-Razi [925 A.D.], Ibn Sina [1025 A.D.], Ibn Baitar [1248 A.D.] and Daud Antaki [1541 A.D.] have compiled several books with different titles on Medicinal properties of Herbal, Mineral and Animal drugs. Obviously this was a great job performed by these author physicians of Unani Medicine. Among them Tazkiratul ulil Albab compiled by Daud Antaki is an important compendium based on peculiar style and particular approach for the description of drugs. Importance of this book can be assessed by the fact that, this book was published seven times in Egypt. The book contains description of 1712 drugs. Besides fundamentals of pharmacology and therapeutic efficacy of diseases it provides valuable information on the subject