Islam Creator of the Modern Age
3. Muslim Contribution to Science
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and wrote the first book on the subject, called,
Al-
Judri wa al-Hasba.
This was translated into Latin, the
academic language of ancient Europe, in 1565 in
Venice. It was later translated into Greek and other
European languages, and thus spread all over
Europe. Its English translation, published in
London in 1848, was entitled,
A Treatise on Smallpox
and Measles.
Researchers have accepted that this is the first
medical book on smallpox in the whole of recorded
history. Prior to this, no one had ever done research
on this topic.
After reading Al-Razi’s book, Edward Jenner (1749-
1823), the English physician who became the
inventor of vaccination, was led to making a clinical
investigation of the disease. He carried on his
research over a twenty-year period, ultimately
establishing the connection between cowpox and
smallpox. In 1796, he carried out his first practical
experiment in inoculation. This was a success, and
the practice spread rapidly, in spite of violent
opposition from certain quarters, until, in 1977, it
