cotton

Evidence

"Al- Zahrawi is probably the first surgeon in history to use cotton (an Arabic word) in surgical dressings"

Remarks

The text notes Al-Zahrawi's (b. 930 CE) use of cotton in surgical dressings and emphasizes the Arabic origin of the word (p. 105). Cotton fibers were a significant raw material in the development of Islamic paper, particularly in the Mediterranean regions where cotton-based rags were repurposed for papermaking.