By Muhammad Irfan
GOMBAK, 25 March 2021: The usage of spice and herbs in early medicine (better known as apothecary) linking it to today’s medicine was recently shared by Aiman Zaidi in online talk exhibition.
As current president of Histforium, Aiman Zaidi has shown great passion for medieval history, the period when apothecary was developed before moving into the modern age.
The talk, the first of four online exhibitions held during History Festival 2021, delved deeper into the history of apothecary that covered several civilisations like Egyptian, Chinese and Greek which used apothecary as a treatment.
Held in conjunction with History Festival 2021, the talk was organised by the Department of History and Civilisation together with Histforium.
In a one-hour talk, Aiman Zaidi shared about development of apothecary from its first findings in Mesopotamia civilisation until today where its role is taken over by modern-day pharmacists.
Apart from giving explanation on the myths and legends surrounding apothecary, Aiman Zaidi also touched on the practice of apothecary in today’s context.
He said, “Apothecary is related to mythical beings and witchcraft is also related to apothecary.”
The talk covered the practice of apothecary in the Muslim age which gave birth to famous Muslim scholars like Ibn Hayyan, Ibn Sina and Al-Zahrawi.
The growth of apothecary during the Muslim age had paved the way for future centuries in the medicine world.
The talk highlighted apothecary as an opportunity for women to have a profession in previous centuries when women were prohibited from acquiring education.
Aiman Zaidi stressed apothecary as a relevant practice to this day despite opposition from modern scientists regarding its procedures and effectiveness.
In the talk, Aiman Zaidi occasionally shared useful concoction recipes such as a digestive aid from ancient Egypt and a cream for dry skin from Greek civilisation.
The online talk exhibition was conducted from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Google Meet, participated by more than 50 people.***