Medical sciences

Medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and chemistry are considered the most important sciences that the Arabs were interested in. The Arabs completed their greatest discoveries in these sciences. The Arabs’ medical writings were translated throughout Europe, and a large portion of them were not destroyed, as happened to their other books.

Arab medical effects:

The number of Arab physicians who wrote books is extremely large. Ibn Abi Usaiba devoted a volume of his book to biographies of Arab physicians, so we will suffice with mentioning some of the most famous among them.

The Greeks advanced medicine more than they advanced most other sciences, and the Arabs found useful discussions in their writings. Harun (685 AD) was the first to translate Greek medical books. His medical collection consisted of excerpts from the works of Greek physicians, especially Galen. The books of Hippocrates, Paul of Aegina, and others were translated shortly thereafter.

Al-Razi, whom we mentioned as a chemist, is one of the most famous Arab physicians. He was born in 850 AD and died in 932 AD after practicing medicine in Baghdad for fifty years. Al-Razi wrote on various topics such as philosophy, history, chemistry, medicine, etc. Al-Razi subjected the works of physicians who came before him to severe criticism at the bedside of patients. His writings on some pustular fevers such as measles and smallpox were relied upon by physicians for a long time. He was widely versed in anatomy, and his book on children’s diseases was the first to explore this subject. His books feature new methods of treatment, such as the use of cold water for persistent fevers, which has been adopted by modern medical science, the use of alcohol and wicks, and the use of cupping to treat strokes, etc.

Al-Razi was a humble man, as well as a skilled and precise physician. It is reported that he restored life to a person who had fallen unconscious in one of the streets of Cordoba by severely flogging his body, especially his heel. People thought he had died, and when the Caliph praised his method of restoring life to a person, he replied that he had once seen this method applied to a Bedouin in the desert, and that his merit lay in his diagnosis of that patient’s condition, which I believe, based on some details, to be sunstroke, even though history has not told us the truth about it.

Al-Razi’s most famous books are “Al-Hawi” , in which he compiled the art of medicine, and “Al-Mansuri” , which he sent to Prince Mansur and which is composed of ten sections, namely:

1) Anatomy.

2) Moods.

3) Food and medicine.

4) Health.

5) Skin medicine.

6) Travel system.

7) Surgery.

8) Poisons.

9) Diseases in general.

10) Fever.

Most of Al-Razi’s books were translated into Latin and printed several times, especially in Venice in 1509 AD, and in Paris in 1528 AD and 1748 AD. A translation of his book on smallpox and measles was reprinted in 1745 AD. Medical universities in Europe continued to rely on his books for a long time, and his books, along with those of Ibn Sina, were the basis for teaching at the University of Louvain in the seventeenth century AD, as evidenced by a program drawn up in 1617 AD. It became clear from this program that the works of Greek medical scholars were not given much attention, and that they were limited to some of the Compendiums of Words by Hippocrates and some of the summaries by Galen.

Arab historians reported that Al-Razi became blind at the end of his life due to water that dripped into his eyes. When he was asked if he could have a glass, he said: “No, I have seen so much of the world that I am tired of it, so I have no need for eyes!”

Among the Arab physicians, we mention Ali ibn Abbas, who was almost a contemporary of al-Razi, and who lived in the late tenth century AD. Among his books, we mention the book “Al-Maliki” which includes theoretical and practical medicine, in which he relied on his observations in hospitals, not on books. In it, he exposed several errors of Hippocrates, Galen, Arribasius, Paulus of Aegina, etc., and in it he greatly departed from the principles of Greek medicine, particularly in treating diseases, while relying on them. Etienne of Antioch translated this book into Latin in 1127 AD, and this book was printed in the city of Lyon in 1523 AD.

Ibn Sina is the most famous of all Arab doctors. His influence in the world of medicine extended over several centuries, leading to his being called the Prince of Medicine.

Ibn Sina was born in 980 AD and died in 1037 AD. In his early life, he was a tax collector who rose to the position of minister. Ibn Sina’s books are excellent, although he died young due to his excessive work and preoccupation with pleasures.

The Canon , Ibn Sina’s most important book on medicine, covers physiology, hygiene, pathology, treatment, and medical materials. Diseases are described in it in a better way than in the books written before it.

Ibn Sina’s books were translated into most of the world’s languages ​​and remained a general reference for medicine for six centuries. They remained the basis for medical research in all the universities of France and Italy. They were reprinted until the eighteenth century, and their interpretation was not interrupted at the University of Montpellier until fifty years ago.

Ibn Sina was as preoccupied with desires as he was with sciences, and his preoccupation with desires shortened his life, as we mentioned earlier. Therefore, it was said that his philosophy did not grant him wisdom, and his medicine did not grant him health.

Abu al-Qasim al-Qurtubi, who died in 1107 AD, is the most famous Arab surgeon. Abu al-Qasim imagined many surgical instruments and drew them in his books. He described the process of crushing bladder stones in particular, which is considered an invention of the modern era, unjustly.

Abu al-Qasim was not known in Europe until the fifteenth century, and his fame spread there. The great physiologist Haller said: “Abu al-Qasim’s books were the general source from which all surgeons who appeared after the fourteenth century drew.”

The great book in which Abu al-Qasim studied surgical matters is divided into three chapters: the first chapter deals with matters of cauterization; the second chapter deals with operations that require a scalpel, dental and eye surgery, hernia surgery, childbirth, and stone removal; and the third chapter deals with fractures and dislocations. Despite the weakness in the division of this book, we see that the practical knowledge it contains is very precise.

The first Latin translation of Abu al-Qasim’s book on surgery was printed in 1497 AD, and the latest edition of this book is very recent, i.e., it was completed in 1861 AD.

Ibn Zuhr al-Ashbili, who lived in the twelfth century AD, had a great reputation, although it was less famous than those others. He was an experimental reformer who established the science of healing, saying: “The body has a latent power that regulates the organs and is sufficient on its own to cure diseases in general.”

Figure 6-2 : Pieces of engraved jewelry and precious stones (Spanish Museum of Antiquities) .

Ibn Zuhr combined the study of surgery, medicine and pharmacology with occasional lack of investigation. His discussions of surgery include a correct explanation of fractures and dislocations.

Ibn Rushd, who was born in Cordoba in 1126 AD and died in 1188 AD, also wrote on medicine, although he was more famous as a philosopher who commented on Aristotle’s books than as a physician. You will find his commentaries on Ibn Sina’s books, a book on treatment, a book on poisons and fevers, etc., and Ibn Rushd’s books on medicine were printed extensively in Europe.