Promising Natural Agents in Psychopharmacology Described by Rhazes in Al-Hawi and Liber Almansoris: A Ninth-Century Paradigm Publisher Pubmed



Ahansazan H ; Ayati M H ; Ince F ; Zargaran A
Source: Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology Published:2026

Abstract

The synthesis of psychopharmaceuticals in the twentieth century marked the beginning of modern psychopharmacology, replacing earlier first-line psychiatric management that relied on psychosurgery, physical restraint, or administering narcotics and sedatives, e.g., morphine and chloral, which suppressed psychotic outbreaks temporarily without addressing the origin. Chlorpromazine’s effective management of psychosis in the early 1950s opened the door for non-surgical therapies, making psychopharmaceuticals the current first-line treatment. While modern psychopharmacology began in the 1950s, the history of psychopharmacology may extend back many years. The concept of treating patients by understanding the cause and healing the mind was also evident during the Islamic Golden Age (ninth to thirteenth century CE). One of the physicians in the field was Rhazes (865–925 CE), also known as Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya Al-Razi. Rhazes’ contributions to both psychiatry and pharmacology make his work a subject for examining the roots of psychopharmacology. This study aims to explore Rhazes’ pharmacological approaches for patients with mental illnesses, focusing on the conditions under which he prescribed herbs for neurological, psychological, and psychiatric issues. An analytical approach has been utilized to systematically extract data from Al-Hawi and Liber Almansoris concerning neurological, psychological, psychiatric, and behavioral conditions. For the next phase, another table was created to list each condition alongside its treatment and psychopharmacological classification based on the works of Rhazes. Based on the collected information from Rhazes’ Al-Hawi and Liber Almansoris, each of the mentioned neurological, psychological, psychiatric, and behavioral conditions was categorized. Rhazes distinguished between different psychological conditions and avoided using a universal prescription. He also differentiated between conditions that necessitated pharmacological interventions and those that could be effectively addressed through lifestyle modifications, nutritional adjustments, or manual therapy (hands-on therapy techniques like massage for managing musculoskeletal problems). The current historical study indicates that the roots of psychopharmacology can be traced back to the ninth century, during which the physician Rhazes documented various psychological and psychiatric diseases in his works Al-Hawi and Liber Almansoris, along with their natural pharmacological treatments. This historical perspective can enhance our understanding of psychopharmacology and provide new insights for expanding the range of psychopharmacological agents. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026.