(*rhapsōdēs*, from *rhapso*, I string together, and *ōdē*, a song), is strictly one who strings songs together, and is usually applied to a class of persons who earned their living by reciting the poems of Homer. These poems came accordingly to be divided into certain lengths called *rhapsodies*—that is, lays, fyttes, or cantos. (Liddell and Scott's *Lexicon*.) In modern usage, the rhapsodist is one who composes rhapsodies, or collections of thoughts into a new whole, without any natural connection or necessary dependence.

RAZES, or RAZES, the Latinized name of Mohammed Ibn-Zakaria Abu-Beker Al-Razi, a most distinguished Arabian physician, who was born at Rai, in the province of Khorassan, about 852. His professional studies were not begun in early life. At the age of thirty he was only known as a dexterous performer on the guitar. It was not until he was beyond forty that he vigorously applied himself to the study of medicine at Bagdad. Rhazes then took a high place in his profession. The directorship of the famous hospital of Bagdad was conferred upon him. Neighbouring princes frequently applied for his advice. In particular, Almansour of Khorassan (in honour of whom he called one of his books *Ketib Almansoursi*), liberally patronized him. His fame increased until he was reckoned the most learned physician of his day. He had mastered philosophy, alchemy, and astronomy. He had travelled far in quest of knowledge. He had also written above 200 treatises on professional subjects. A characteristic anecdote is told regarding the close of the life of Rhazes. Happening from some cause not sufficiently ascertained to be struck with blindness, he called in a surgeon to operate upon his eyes. The operation was just about to be made, when he asked the surgeon how many optic membranes there were. The surgeon could not answer. Upon this he would not allow him to touch his eyes, and remained blind till his death in 932. The following is a list of those works of Rhazes which have been translated into Latin:

- *Liber de Secretis qui Aphorismorum appellatur*, Bologna, 1489; - *Hari seu Continens*, in 2 vols. folio, Venice, 1509; - *Libri Decem ad Almansorsium*, folio, Venice, 1510; and - *De Variolisi et Morbillis, Arabice et Latine*: cura et impensis Johannis Channing, in 8vo, London, 1766.

An English translation of this last work, made directly from the original Arabic, was published by Dr Greenhill, 8vo, London, 1847.