Some assert that Boqrât and Dimoqratis [Democritus] were contemporaries of Behmen Esfendiar, whilst others maintain that Boqrât lived one century before Eskandar. The author of the Târikh-i-Hukmâ has inserted his biography after that of Aristâtalis, and has stated that Boqrat Bin Râfnos was one of the disciples of Asqlabios [Æsculapius] the second, but the first who practised medicine as a science. He enjoined his children not to teach this art to strangers, but to keep it as an heirloom to ennoble his family. All the decisions of Asqlabios concerning this science were based entirely on experience, because he had in that way attained his knowledge thereof. The practice of physicians during one thousand four hundred and sixteen years continued on this principle, until the time of the physician Minos, who considered it to be erroneous to rely on experience alone, and accordingly added theoretical rules to it, which were followed by physicians during seven hundred and eleven years, until the time of Parmenides the physician, who entirely rejected experience, and practised medicine exclusively on theoretical rules. After his death a schism took place among his disciples, some of whom adhered to experience and others to theory, whilst others, again, maintained that the science of medicine consisted in the practice of a few tricks. This dissension lasted till the time of Aflatûn, who investigated the tenets of the ancients, and discovered that practice without theory is equally dangerous as the latter without the former. He burnt the writings of both parties, but reserved his confidence for the books of the ancients, who combined experience and rules with each other.
One thousand four hundred and twenty years after the decease of Aflatûn the physician, Asqlabios the second was born, who approved of that philosopher’s opinion, and acted according to it. After his death, and that of Mostafidânosh, who practised medicine contrary to his method, Boqrât was the most celebrated physician who perfected experimental medicine. When he perceived that this science had begun to decline, on account of the exclusion of foreigners from its study, he wrote a compendium of it, and allowed everybody to profit thereby; he also ordered his sons not to spare any pains in propagating this knowledge. In this manner that noble science was made accessible to all, and the precepts of Boqrât became universally known.
It is related that one of the kings of Persia despatched a messenger to Fillâqis, king of the island of Foâkad, which was the birthplace of Boqrât, with a request to send him the physician, to defray whose travelling expenses the said envoy had brought one hundred and twenty rattals of gold, each rattal consisting of ninety mithqâls. As Fillâqis was a vassal of the King of Persia he was compelled to obey, and informed Boqrât that in case he should refuse, he would bring danger and misfortune not only upon himself, but on his king and country, it being out of question to offer resistance to the sovereign of Persia. Boqrât nevertheless refused to leave his country, and Fillâqis had no other remedy but to leave the decision to his people, who, however, unanimously preferred to incur the displeasure of the King of Persia, and to expose their country to war, rather than lose their great physician. When the envoy had seen the obstinacy of this nation, he returned to his master, and induced him to let the matter drop.
Boqrât was a man of beautiful countenance, fair complexion, with a large head and handsome eyes. He walked slowly, spoke little, ate sparingly, fasted much, and attained the age of ninety-five years. The first sixteen years of his life he spent in the acquisition of knowledge, and the remaining seventy-nine in the composition of medical works and in teaching. The following are some of his sayings: ‘Who chooses to serve princes must be prepared to be insulted by them, in the same way as a diver must taste the brackish water of the sea.—Whoever is envious has an internal enemy that will kill him before his time.— Friendship may exist permanently between two wise men on account of their intellect, but never between two fools. The requirements of intellect being the same, those who possess it will act in concert, whereas ignorant persons cannot do so.—The profit of my virtues is, that they inform me of my failings.—A man is to consider himself in this world like one invited to a banquet; if a cup be offered to him, he must quaff it; but if he is passed by, he is not to covet it. Accordingly he is not to over-estimate the possession of riches and connections, but he is to consider this world as a hostelry, the keeper whereof is fate.— There are three signs of weakness, namely, drinking water in bed, sleeping out of one’s bed, loquacity and loud words. —Secretions from the body are discharged in five manners: The corrupted matters of the head by emunction, those of the mouth of the stomach by vomiting, those of the stomach itself by purging, those of the skin by perspiration, and those of the veins by bleeding.—There are four things injurious to the sight, namely, eating hot food, pouring boiling water on the head, looking at the sun, and seeing the face of an enemy.