Medicine in the medieval Islamic world

Folio from an Arabic manuscript of Dioscorides, De materia medica, 1229

In the history of medicine, "Islamic medicine", also known as "Arabian medicine" is the science of medicine developed in the Middle East, and usually written in Arabic, the lingua franca of Islamic civilization.[1][2]

Islamic medicine adopted, systematized and developed the medical knowledge of classical antiquity, including the major traditions of Hippocrates, Galen and Dioscorides.[3] During the post-classical era, Middle Eastern medicine was the most advanced in the world, integrating concepts of Modern Greek, Roman, Mesopotamian and Persian medicine as well as the ancient Indian tradition of Ayurveda, while making numerous advances and innovations. Islamic medicine, along with knowledge of classical medicine, was later adopted in the medieval medicine of Western Europe, after European physicians became familiar with Islamic medical authors during the Renaissance of the 12th century.[4]

Medieval Islamic physicians largely retained their authority until the rise of medicine as a part of the natural sciences, beginning with the Age of Enlightenment, nearly six hundred years after their textbooks were opened by many people. Aspects of their writings remain of interest to physicians even today.[5][page needed]

In the history of medicine, the term Islamic medicine, Arabic medicine, or Arab medicine refers to medicine produced by Islamic civilization and written in Arabic, the common language of communication during the Islamic civilization. Islamic medicine arose as a result of the interaction between traditional Arab medicine and external influences. The first translations of medical texts were a key factor in the formation of Islamic medicine.[6]

Among the greatest of these physicians were Abu Bakr al-Razi and Ibn Sina, whose books were long studied in Islamic medical schools. They, especially Ibn Sina, had a profound influence on medicine in medieval Europe. During the aforementioned eras, Muslims classified medicine as a branch of natural philosophy, influenced by the ideas of Aristotle and Galen. They were known for their specialization, including ophthalmologists and oculists, surgeons, phlebotomists, cuppers, and gynecologists.[7]

  1. ^ Porter, Roy (1999). The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity (The Norton History of Science). W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 90–100. ISBN 978-0-393-24244-7.
  2. ^ Wakim, Khalil G. (1 January 1944). "Arabic Medicine in Literature". Bulletin of the Medical Library Association. 32 (1): 96–104. ISSN 0025-7338. PMC 194301. PMID 16016635.
  3. ^ Campbell, Donald (2013). Arabian Medicine and Its Influence on the Middle Ages. Routledge. pp. 2–20. ISBN 978-1-317-83312-3.
  4. ^ Conrad, Lawrence I. (2009). The Western medical tradition. [1]: 800 to AD 1800. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. pp. 93–130. ISBN 978-0-521-47564-8.
  5. ^ Colgan, Richard (2013). Advice to the Healer: On the Art of Caring. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. ISBN 978-1-4614-5169-3.
  6. ^ Pormann, Peter E. (2007). Medieval Islamic medicine. Internet Archive. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-2066-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  7. ^ Pormann, Peter E. (2007). Medieval Islamic medicine. Internet Archive. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-2066-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)

© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search