Structural analysis of pharmacology in the book of “Al-Abnieh An Haghayegh Al-Advieh” by Abu Mansour Heravi

Background and purpose:

Abu Mansour Muvaffak Heravi was an Iranian pharmacist and physician (4th and 5thAH/10th&11th AC) and the author of the first known pharmacy handbook in Persian language with the title of “Al-Abnieh An Haghayegh Al-Advieh”. The researches about this book rely mainly on the examination of words from a linguistic viewpoint. However, no research has been taken regarding the extraction of pharmaceutical terms in the history of pharmacology studies. The purpose of this study is to explain the basic contents of Heravi’s book regarding pharmacological knowledge and description of the structures used in pharmaceutical categorizations.
Methods and Materials: This study was conducted with a descriptive-analytical approach. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis method in the field of library studies was done based on the “Al-Abnieh” book.

This study provided the opportunity of compilation of the structure of pharmacology according to Heravi’s thought. A total number of 584 medications are introduced in the book of Al-Abnieh. The method of presentation of these drugs in the book showed that there are five major features in Heravi's thought regarding the categorization of drugs: nature and function, benefits and harms, temperament, origin of drugs, and the geographical dependence of the medications. Meanwhile, considering the book of “Zakhīre-ye-Khwârazmshâhī” by Sayyed Isma‘il Jorjani, results of this study showed that the knowledge of pharmacology had been developed in terms of manufacturing compound drugs and scope of pharmacology from fourth to the sixth century.

This study showed that Heravi have has an organized thought on pharmacology. This harmony is noticeable in both introduction and pharmaceutical sections of the book.