In agreement with the main topic, the video looks into the major achievements of medicine in the Islamic Golden Age and how it has made contributions and promoted benefits to modern advancements. As the golden era of Islam began, scientific discoveries flourished progressively particularly in the medical field as scholars, scientists and inventors were allowed to engage in experiments in an environment of intellectual liberty. Muhammad Ibn Zakariyya Al-Razi and Abu Ali Ibn Sina are the two scholars of choice to be discussed. Thus, Islamic medicine has expanded vastly throughout the globe and has influenced most of the medical practices today.
To begin with, the Golden Age of Islam that spanned over six centuries, specifically from the
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He was born in Rhai, Persia in 854AD (p. 17). Also called the father of Paediatrics, he was the first to introduce urine analysis, stool tests and the use of opium for anesthesia. Furthermore, he was notable for differentiating smallpox from measles and was evidently a prolific medical scholar that left numerous classical works such as the encyclopaedic Al-Hawi — “Contents on Internal Medicine” containing 30 volumes which was very prominent in Europe (Khan, 1986. p. 18). Over 200 books had been written by Al-Razi regarding medicine and philosophy, including an uncompleted book of medicine that assembled most of the medical mastery known to the Islamic world in one place (Shuttleworth, 2012). This book was translated into Latin and became one of the backbones of the western history of medicine. As a matter of fact, he was responsible for the establishment of the main hospital in Baghdad. He critically emphasized the importance of forming a relationship built upon trust between doctors and …show more content…
He was born in 980AD near Bukhra and voyaged through Persia until his death in 1037AD (p. 18). His most celebrated work is Al-Qanun Fil-Tibb — “The Canon of Medicine” which became a fundamental text for physicians across the Islamic world and Europe, expressing a comprehensive guide for diagnosing and treating ailments (Nasr, 1978. p. 181). Aside from describing pharmacological methods, the book also illustrated 760 types of drugs and became the most authentic medical documentation of the era. Ibn Sina was also the earliest to give an account of meningitis and made rich contributions to anatomy, gynecology and child health. His most significant achievements include recognising the infectious nature of phthisis and tuberculosis, discovering the distribution of diseases by water and soil and lastly, determining the interaction between psychology and
Usmah Ibn Munqidh in his 1175 Autobiography relates an anecdote drawing sharp contrasts between Frankish and Arab physicians of the time. Thabit, an Arab Christian physician, was sent to al-Munaytirah to treat patients, and described healing a knight with an abscess on his leg with a poultice and a woman with “imbecility” with a prescribed diet. However, when a Frankish physician arrived at the scene, both patients were killed through extreme treatments—a self-inflicted amputation for the knight, and an attempted exorcism for the woman (Ibn Munqidh). Ibn Munqidh goes on to describe times when he witnessed Frankish medicine succeed, but this story is nonetheless largely illustrative of the gulf of medical knowledge between Western Europe and the Islamic Empire during the Middle Ages. At a time when Europeans still largely held to the idea of illness as a
Hippocrates (c. 460-377 BC) was born on the Aegean island of Cos, Greece. He learned his medical practices from his father, Heracleides, and Ancient Greek physician Herodicos of Selymbria. Like many big Greek names of the time, Hippocrates was thought to have come from the Gods. He was considered a descendent of Asclepios, the God of Medicine. Two major creations of Hippocrates have upheld the biggest influence on medical history. The peak of his career was during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C), where his healing tactics helped Athenian warriors (“Hippocrates”, 1998).
Gabriel Fallopius was born in the year of 1523 (no exact DOB). He was raised in Modena, Italy where his parents directed him for a career toward the church (Science and It’s Time). Over time he started to change his route and started to study in the medical field towards being a surgeon. When he started to do surgery, most of the outcomes were fatal. From that point on, he decided it would be better to do medical studies. He attended the medical school in Ferrara, Italy. For the next few years, Gabriel did studies in the medical field. In 1945, Gabriel was asked to become the Chair of Anatomy at the University of Pisa. Then again in 1549, he became the famous chair of anatomy at the University of Padua. There he inspired many students and tutored them to become professionals in the medical field. Many of these students included Fabricius ab Aquapendente (gave the first clear description of the semi lunar valves of the veins, which later provided many people with a crucial point in his famous argument for circulation of the blood) and Volcher Coiter (described human embryolo...
Scarborough, John, Van Der Eijk, Philip J., Hanson, Ann, and Siraisi, Nancy. Studies in Ancient Medicine: Hippocrates on Ancient Medicine. Translated by Mark J. Schiefsky. Boston: Brill, 2005.
When a person gets sick, it meant their humors were out of balance. This theory was widely believed and used. Avicenna, an Arab physician, wrote one of the very first medical encyclopedias called the Canon of Medicine. As time went on, and as advanced medical knowledge from Islam was shared, people started questioning Galen’s theory. That is when a Swiss physician named Paracelsus discovered that disease comes from external factors.
Tiner, John Hudson. Exploring the History of Medicine: From the Ancient Physicians of Pharaoh to Genetic Engineering. Green Forest: Master, 2009. Print.
The Islamic Empire contributed to globalization during the Islamic Golden Age, when the knowledge, trade and economies from many previously isolated regions and civilizations began integrating through contacts with Muslim (and Jewish Radhanite) explorers and traders. Their trade networks extended from the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Indian Ocean and China Sea in the east. These trade networks helped establish the Islamic Empire as the world’s leading extensive economic power throughout the 7th–13th centuries.
Since the dawn of man, humans have dreaded the suffering caused by injuries and disease. For our benefit, we have enhanced the practices of Medicine and its techniques, but before such ideas existed; the risk of recovery was extremely traumatic and at times fatal. We have abandoned several of the medical procedures used in ancient times since intrepid scientists and physicians sought methods. Although medicine was not always a science, instead it was magic, thus god were trusted for a few techniques more than actual logic. Therefore, the history of medicine has been disturbing and dangerous, but a good number of its practices today used in a more modern way, is quite beneficial to humanity.
The Islamic Golden Age began in the 7th century to the end of the 13th century. The Islamic Golden age is the era in which the Muslims created one of the largest empires. The Golden Ages started with the Prophet Muhammad. There were two Islamic Golden Ages. The first Golden Age lasting about two centuries from the 7th century to the 9th century. In the first Golden Age, society is being integrated in political, social, and moral dimensions in Islam (Lapidus 14). The second Golden Age lasted about five centuries from the 9th century to the 14th century. During the second Golden Age the state and religious institutions were separate, leaving the political and religious elites divided (Lapidus 13). Muhammad, not an immense influence starting out,
The Islamic Empire took great lengths to expand their understanding of the natural world. The Caliph sent scholars to Persia, Rome, and Greece who brought back texts that were translated to Arabic. There were court appointed patronages which allowed for mastery of secular sciences. This effort allowed for advances in abstract studies of subjects such as optics and math. Medical schools are...
Siraisi, Nancy G. Medieval and early Renaissance medicine: an introduction to knowledge and practice. University of Chicago Press, 2009.
Another primary focus for the next installment of this paper will be a detailed argument of why it would be a wonderful and scientifically beneficial idea to fund and continue research on medical practices in Ancient Egypt.
In Persian, Razi means "from the city of Rayy, an ancient town in the south of the Caspian Sea, situated near Tehran, Iran. In this city he accomplished most of his work. In his early life he could have been a jeweler, a money-changer but more likely a lute-player who changed his interest in music to alchemy. At the age of forty he stopped his study of alchemy because its experiments caused an eye-disease, obliging him to search for physicians and medicine to cure it. This was the reason why he began his medical studies. His teacher was 'Ali ibn Rabban al-Tabari, a physician and philosopher born in Merv about 192 (Wikipedia, 2006). Al-Razi studied medicine and probably also philosophy with ibn Rabban al-Tabari. Therefore his interest in spiritual philosophy can be traced to this master, whose father was a Rabbinist versed in the Scriptures. Al-Razi took up the study of medicine after his first visit to Baghdad, when he was at least 30 years old, under the well-known physician Ali ibn Sahl. He showed such a skill in the subject that he quickly surpassed his master, and wrote no fewer than a hundred medical books. He also composed 33 treatises on natural science, mathematics and astronomy.
Hippocrates, often called the “father of medicine” was one of the earliest contributors to modern science. He was called the father of medicine because through his medical school, he separated medical knowledge and practice from myth and superstition basing them instead of fact, observation, and clinical ...
other people, such as Greeks, Indians and Chinese, and added to it. Learning helped to make Muslims into better farmers, traders, teachers, officials, travellers and soldiers. All these led to the Muslim religion becoming stronger and spreading to different people and lands. It was only until 1300 that Europe began to learn things from Muslims and the effect it had can still be seen today. Science, medicine, business, warfare, art and even architecture all come from old Islamic ideas.