Muslim Contributions to the Cure of Smallpox: An Analytical Study of Al-Rāzī’s Medical Legacy

Abstract

Smallpox, an epidemic disease with unknown origins, first appeared around 10,000 BCE in Indian subcontinent or north eastern Africa. It spread to Europe and the Islamic world, causing significant death, particularly for children. European explorers brought it to the Americas, causing disastrous consequences. The Variola virus is the source of the highly contagious smallpox disease. Smallpox disease which causes fever, exhaustion, and a characteristic skin rash that develops into pus-filled blisters, has a high death rate and has historically caused a great deal of morbidity and mortality. It had affected people of every era. In ancient times, religious figures were also afflicted with the epidemic disease which according to the historians and medical professionals was small pox disease. Variolation was used in Asia before vaccination. The primary means of disease transmission are respiratory droplets and direct contact with contaminated things or diseased people. The purpose of conducting research is to find the history and nature of epidemic small pox disease that had affected. Also, Al-Rāzī’s being a medical professional its work and findings on the epidemic small pox disease. The research also finds the contributions of the personalities in the ways developed for eradicating and getting rid of the deadly epidemic small pox disease. The methodology adopted for conducting this research is qualitative. Both the primary and the secondary sources are used for carrying out the research. The reader will come to know that by creating a vaccine against an epidemic smallpox using material from cowpox lesions, Edward Jenner invented vaccination. In 1980, the WHO proclaimed epidemic smallpox disease to be extinct. One of the biggest triumphs in the field of public health is the elimination of smallpox disease. Al-Rāzī, a prominent figure in measles and smallpox diagnosis, first differentiated between the two diseases in his book ‘Kitab Al-Judarī wa al-Ḥaṣba’, establishing the foundation for differential diagnosis in medicine. Epidemics in Islam are seen as tests for believers.