Muslim scholars and their contributions in different fields 2. MEDICINE: The Muslim doctors were the first to use the Anesthetic when doing surgical operations which they extracted from some herbs. They were the first to crash the gallbladder calculus. They also performed the operation of taking out the liquids from eyes. They knew the blood circulatory system and put its first description by Ibn an-Nafis. Also , they expanded in building hospitals and the specialized clinics. P.K. Hitti, in his book, History of Arabs, said, When the plague spread in Europe in the 14th century and put the people there were hopeless and helpless , the Garnadian Muslim doctor Ibn al-Khatib wrote his Haqiqat As-sail `An Al-Marad Al-Hail (The Essence of the Inquirer about the Frightful Disease) to prove the theory of Infection. Many Muslim scientists were outstanding in medicine such as: 1- Ash-Shaykh ar-Rais Ibn Sina(¹) who was dubbed (Hippocrates of Islam). He was the writer of the book Al-Qanun Fi at-Tab (known as the Canon in the West) about which Oscar said, The Canon of Ibn Sina was the medical reference for a long period of time because it was the only medical book for Arabs and Europeans for more than eight centuries. 2- Abu Bakr ar-Razi(²) who was known as Galen of the Arabs. His medical writings reached 65 books, and he is the owner of the treatise Leprosy and Rubeola, which is considered as the first research in history on epidemic diseases. Also, he wrote a book titled Calculus in Kidneys and Urinary Bladder , through which hereditary infections were discussed for the first time. Sydio said that ar-Razi and ibn Sina dominated ,by their medical books, the western school for long periods. Ibn Sina was in Europe as a great doctor and he had an ultimate domination over its schools for about six centuries. His six-volume book, Al-Qanun, was translated and printed several times and was taken as reference in French and Italian universities. 3- Abu al-Qasim az-Zahrawi, the Dean of Arabs surgery, and the writer of the encyclopedia, at-Tasrif Liman `Ajaza `An at-tlif (Abreaction for that who missed harmonization), which covers 30 medical sections and is supplemented by more than two hundred figures of surgical equipment and instruments, which he used. In addition, most of these inventions are of his own. This book received great consideration from the European doctors and was translated to different languages in Venice. 4- Ibn an-Nafis(³): He was the genius of his time in nedicine. He had several and varied books in different fields of medicine such as: A book of Ophthalmology, a second about nutrition, a third about the Explanation of Apogeal chapters , a fourth about the problems of Hanin Ibn Is-haq، a fifth explaining of the causes and reasons of diseases. The most famous book of Ibn an-Nafis was Compendium of Al-Qanun, which represents a summary of Ibn sinas book. Also , Sharh Tashrih Al-Qanun was one of his great books in which he was concerned about the section relating to the anatomy of the heart, throat and lungd . On describing the lungs, he discovered the blood circulatory system of the lungs and scientifically and accurately described it and hence preceded Mickealser Fitts to whom some Europeans attribute this discovery. In addition to those magnates, there are a great number of Muslim doctors who were geniuses in various fields of medicine and left distinct fingerprints in many original inventions and clear writings upon which the Europeans depended such as: * Zad al-Musafir by Ibn al-Jazzar, * Taqwim As-Sihha by Ibn Batlan, * Taqwim Al-Abdan by Ibn Jazlah, * Tadhkirat Al-Kahhal and Al-Muntakhab Fi Amrad Al-`Ayn by `Ammar Ibn Al-Mawsali, * Al-Kafi Fi Al-Khul, * Fi Tun Al-`Uyon, Khifah al-Halabi(⁴) and many others. ****** Note ***** (¹). Abu Ali al-Hussain Ibn Abdullah Ibn Sina (A Avicenna) (981-1037 C.E) 370-428 A.H. (²). 251-313 A.H (932). (³). Ibn an-Nafis, the Damascene (1213-1288 C.E). (⁴). Khalifah Ibn Abin al-Mahasin al-Halabi, who lived during the seventh century A.H (Thirteenth century A.C) He specialized in Ophthalmology, and his book, Al-Kafi Fi Al-Kuhl, was translated by three German orientalist: Harshberg, Lobart and Mitovokh, and published in 1905 A.C. Al-Kafi is characterized by its collection of figures that shows some medical instruments used in eye surgery.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 13:58:57 +0000