Rhazes

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, known in the West as Rhazes, was a prominent Persian physician and scholar during the Islamic Golden Age. When he was appointed to select the site for a new hospital in Baghdad, he employed an innovative method to determine the healthiest location. Rhazes hung pieces of meat at various points around the city and observed the rate at which they decayed. He chose the site where the meat rotted the slowest, reasoning that this location had the cleanest air and would be most beneficial for patients.

This method demonstrated Rhazes’ commitment to empirical observation and evidence-based practice, which were advanced concepts for his time. His approach to selecting the hospital site reflects his broader contributions to medicine, where he often combined clinical observations with theoretical knowledge. Rhazes’ work, including his famous medical encyclopedia “The Virtuous Life” (al-Hawi), had a lasting impact on both Islamic and European medical practices. His legacy as a pioneer in medicine is still recognized today.