HISTORY OF BOTANY. 21 



till his thirtieth 5''ear, until which time, also, he was engaged 

 in commerce. Getting tired of this manner of life he turned 

 with all his zeal to the study of medicine and philosoph}-, 

 and went to Bagdad to stud3\ 



After he had gained a thorough knowledge of these suh- 

 jects, he returned to Eai, and became director of its hospital. 

 Later, the chief direction of the hospital of Bagdad was 

 assigned to him. Al-Razi has been called the Galen of the 

 time, and was held in high esteem by the rulers of his day ; 

 he made extensive journej'-s abroad, not only visiting Jeru- 

 salem, but proceeding also to Africa, where he entered the 

 court of Zijadetallah. 



He would present his ' Confirmation of the Chemical Art * 

 to a prince of Chorasan, al-Mansur (to whom he had already 

 dedicated the medical work *al-Mansuri'), and went over 

 to him from Bagdad for that purpose. The prince was 

 much pleased, and ordered that 1000 pieces should be given 

 to him ; but he desired also to see a test of the discoveries 

 that were set forth in the book, and he granted a considerable 

 sum to provide the necessary apparatus, — but the experi- 

 ments would not act ! Gentle readers, have we not all seen 

 similar cases ? But then we are not all eastern potentates : 

 al-Mansur was angry, and said : — " I could not have 

 believed that a scholar would find satisfaction in confirming 

 lies by means of books, giving them a philosophical colour- 

 ing, in consequence of which men may waste their time 

 without profit ; I have rewarded you handsomely for your 

 pains with 1000 pieces, I must now punish you for your 

 confirmation of these lies," — with which words he raised his 

 staff and hit him on the head ; then he bade him pack up 

 his traps quickly, and sent him back to Bagdad. From this 

 blow hydrophthalmia (or watery eyes) set in,* and by degrees 



'•' According to other accounts this disease of tlie eyes was brought 

 on by his inordinate consmnption of beans \ 



