Abu Bakr Mohammad ibn Zakariyya al-Razi, also known as Rhazes in the Latin West, was born at Rayy, Persia (near present-day Tehran, Iran) in 865. Early on in al-Razi's life, he became interested in singing and music, but soon his interests took residence in the study of alchemy and chemistry, philosophy, logic, mathematics, physics, and medicine. Al-Razi studied from a student of Hunayn Ibn Ishaq, who was well versed in the ancient Greek, Persian, and Indian systems of medicine and other subjects; he also studied under Ali Ibn Rabban.

Al-Razi was first appointed as head of the first Royal Hospital at Rayy, due to his fame in medicine. Soon thereafter, al-Razi moved to the Muqtadari Hospital in Baghdad as the head during the reign of the Adhud-Daulah. Adhud-Daulah held al-Razi responsible for choosing the best building site for the Muqtadari Hospital. He is said to have chosen the position...