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Islamic Medicine.

Islamic Surgery
In the beginning of the middle age, the medical skills of Islamic doctors and surgeons were renowned throughout Western Europe. Islamic surgeons could perform eye operations, set bones, stitch wounds and treat tumours. They wrote many important textbooks, which often translated into Latin and used by European doctors.

One such work was written by Abu al Qasim al-Zahrawi. In his book he compiled a summary of Greek and Roman treatments, to which he added his own observations. The book was well illustrated and showed many new instruments (such as a concealed knife for opening abscesses without frightening the patient!).

Books like this were copied many times by monks all over Europe. This had unfortunate consequences. Many of the illustrations were reproduced incorrectly and the explanations for the operations were sometimes misinterpreted, which led to confusion, errors and mistrust. However, Islamic doctors came to be seen as authorities in the field of surgery. By 1300 this led to many surgeons demanding the right to study anatomy and, therefore, to be able to dissect dead bodies.

Islamic Hospitals:
One of the Five Pillars of Islam, the rules that govern the lives of Muslims, is to care for those less fortunate than themselves. Many Muslim rulers interpreted this by setting up hospitals in cities all over the Islamic world. By the 12th century, the city of Baghdad had 60 hospitals. There were also hospitals in Cairo and Damascus and in the Spanish cities of Granada, Seville and Cordoba. At this time London was just building its first hospital.

Not only were they’re three more hospitals in the Islamic Empire than in Europe, but also the medical treatment was usually far superior. Muslim hospitals had separate wards for different diseases, trained nurses and physicians and stores of drugs and treatments.
Muslim medical knowledge was far more advanced than in Western Europe. Doctors translated the books written by the ancient Greeks like Galen as well as developing their own ideas and practices. These books were used in the training of physicians. Most hospitals taught medical students and were inspected regularly to ensure that they were up to standard. Students received a certificate to prove that they had attended and from AD931 onwards all doctors in Baghdad had to pass an examination to get a license to practise.

Individual Medical Doctors:
*Rhazes: In this period, doctors like Rhazes began to move away from a spiritual explanation for disease towards a system based on observation and diagnosis.

*Avicenna: Avicenna was a famous philosopher who was born in Persia. Although he practised medicine, he is best known for his prolific medical writings. When Avicenna died in 1037 he was held in such high regard that he was compared to the great roman doctor Galen.

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