1.4.2
Islam & Medicine
Islamic Medicine
Islamic Medicine
The Islamic Empire (prominent in the 8th and 9th centuries) was more scientifically advanced than Western Europe. They preserved lots of books from Ancient Greek and Roman scholars (like Hippocrates and Galen).
Religion
Religion
- As a religion, Islam was disposed to furthering scientific discovery.
- This was because the Qur’an supported scientific research and learning.
Avicenna
Avicenna
- Key Muslim doctors included Avicenna and Ibn Al-Nafis.
- In the 10th century, Avicenna wrote an encyclopaedia of Ancient Greek and Islamic medicine called ‘Canon of Medicine’.
- This was vital in Western Europe until the 17th century after it was translated into Latin.
Al-Nafis
Al-Nafis
- Key Muslim doctors included Avicenna and Ibn Al-Nafis.
- In the 13th century, Ibn Al-Nafis claimed that Galen was wrong in his belief that blood was produced in the liver and that it fuelled the body.
- He thought (correctly) that blood passed through the heart via the lungs.
- But Islam banned human dissection so Al-Nafis could not prove his theory. Because of this religious belief, Galen’s mistakes were believed until the 17th century.
Alchemy
Alchemy
- Alchemy tried to turn metals into gold and find a substance that gave eternal (never-ending) life.
- Alchemy was used in the Islamic Empire and alchemists did use things like distillation, which helped the development of drugs.
Islamic Surgery & Reaching the West
Islamic Surgery & Reaching the West
The Islamic Empire (prominent in the 8th and 9th centuries) was more scientifically advanced than Western Europe. They preserved lots of books from Ancient Greek and Roman scholars (like Hippocrates and Galen).
Abulcasis
Abulcasis
- Abulcasis, the Islamic physician wrote a detailed book on amputations, fixing (stitching) wounds, fractures, dislocations and dental surgery (on teeth).
- In the 11th century, Albucasis wrote Al Tasrif, this was a 30-volume book on medicine.
- He also invented surgical instruments and popularised cauterisation.
Muslim hospitals
Muslim hospitals
- Muslim hospitals were far more developed than Christian hospitals because they actively sought to treat patients.
- They had isolation units for patients with contagious illnesses.
- There is some evidence that surgery was more advanced in the Islamic Empire and that doctors did post-mortems on the dead.
Spreading knowledge
Spreading knowledge
- Islamic medicine and their knowledge of Ancient Greek medicine began to penetrate the Western World in the 11th century.
- This was after a merchant, Constantine the African, arrived in Italy.
- The transfer of knowledge, however, was very slow.
- Trade routes were important in spreading information between civilisations.
1Medicine Stands Still
1.1Ancient Egyptian Approaches to Medicine
1.2Ancient Greek Medicine
1.3Medieval Medicine
1.4Religion & Medicine
1.5Public Health in the Middle Ages
2The Beginnings of Change
2.1The Impact of the Renaissance on Britain
2.2Treating Illnesses in the Renaissance
3A Revolution in Medicine
3.1The Development of Germ Theory & its Impact
3.2A Revolution in Surgery
4Modern Medicine
4.1Modern Treatment of Disease
4.2New Diseases & Treatments in the 20th Century
5Themes in Public Health
Jump to other topics
1Medicine Stands Still
1.1Ancient Egyptian Approaches to Medicine
1.2Ancient Greek Medicine
1.3Medieval Medicine
1.4Religion & Medicine
1.5Public Health in the Middle Ages
2The Beginnings of Change
2.1The Impact of the Renaissance on Britain
2.2Treating Illnesses in the Renaissance
3A Revolution in Medicine
3.1The Development of Germ Theory & its Impact
3.2A Revolution in Surgery
4Modern Medicine
4.1Modern Treatment of Disease
4.2New Diseases & Treatments in the 20th Century
5Themes in Public Health
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