38 PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



various CHEMICAL APPARATUS ; water-baths, sand-baths, 

 cupel of bone-earth, for the use of which he gives par- 

 ticularly precise directions ; many of the methods which 

 he prescribed are still used in our laboratories. 



860 920. Rhazes, " the Observer/' discovered also 

 SULPHURIC ACID ; the preparation of pure alcohol by dis- 

 tilling spirit of wine with quick-lime. Improved the ART 

 OF DISTILLATION. 



Xlth (?). Alchid Bechir, a famous manipulator of 

 chemicals, discovered Phosphorus (Hoefer). 



VHIth to Xlth c, Marcus Graecus, in his " Liber Ignium," 

 described GUNPOWDER, the rocket, and the cracker in a very 

 precise manner. He also gave the prescription for making 

 the skin incombustible, so that we can handle fire without 

 being burnt hence the so-called miracle (in our Middle 

 Ages) of sitting on flaming straw. 



Xlth (?). Kalid was one of the famous physicians often 

 mentioned, who brought about improvements in CHEMICAL 

 MANIPULATION. 



In medical science, surgery, and pharmaceutics, the 

 Arabs made important additions to the knowledge left by 

 the Greeks. Medical men called to the assistance of the art 

 of healing both chemistry and botany. They brought in the 

 use of mild purgatives instead of violent drastics, of mild, 

 instead of violent remedies extracting them mainly from 

 plants. Only the most celebrated physicians need be 

 mentioned. 



800. Masue, Al Mamun's physician, studied comparative 

 ANATOMY. His " Pharmacopoeia " was the guide of Europe 

 for ages. 



9801037. Avicenna, "THE PRINCE OF PHYSICIANS," 

 found new medical remedies. The list of his many achieve- 

 ments is too long for enumeration here. He anticipated 

 Paracelsus in many respects, or more correctly, Paracelsus 

 took many hints from him. Avicenna's " Canon " (of 

 Medicine) in five books is a splendid work treating of 

 Physiology, Pathology, and Hygiene (Books L, II.) ; of 

 disease (III., IV.) ; of the composition and preparation of 

 remedies (V.). It was the one great work of authority for 



